We welcome you to join the Honu ‘Ohana in Slow and Steady Step-Up Stewardship

Stewardship Calcultors

LCH Stewardship 2009

A Powerful Image...

The honu is a powerful metaphor in Hawaiian culture that connects earth, ocean, and people. Legend holds that the hero ‘Ai‘ai drew marks on a rock near the ocean, turning it into a turtle. It is a beautiful, graceful creature born of earth, but living its whole life in the sea, returning to land to lay eggs and ensure the next generation. The honu is neither quick nor ferocious; rather, it moves majestically, steadily, and harmoniously through its very long life making it one of the great symbols of longevity and wisdom.

Honu (turtle) graphic For 2009, Lutheran Church of Honolulu is adopting the honu as our stewardship symbol, honoring both Hawaiian culture and God’s steadfast love. Wondrous creatures like the graceful honu have been placed in our care for all ages, connecting us with sea and air, water, and earth. In the same way, God has set us as stewards over one another as the body of Christ. As we consider our stewardship of time, talents, and treasure, we understand that wisdom calls for the kind of steady, enduring, and careful stewardship symbolized by the honu. Stewardship connects us to God, to one another, and to the world just as the honu connects earth, ocean, and people. We pray that you will grow in faith, knowledge and giving this year as we seek to ensure that God’s Word will shine brightly through the ministry of Lutheran Church of Honolulu.

A Caring Spirit...

For decades, the population of honu declined almost to the point of extinction. Fortunately, conservation, awareness, education and protection are returning the population of honu to sustainable levels.

For generations people have been told to “give to the church or it won’t survive.” But the biblical model of giving has little to do with helping organizations survive. Instead, the Bible tells us that stewardship flows naturally from a healthy and vibrant relationship with God. Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament alike speak of the giving of time, talent, and treasure as returning to God with joy a small portion of the bounty God has already given us. In Matthew 6:19, Jesus reminds us “Do not store up treasures on earth.... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” God’s word urges us to be joyful, generous, and thankful givers—givers with a heart for God.

Of course, giving takes many forms. Through volunteering, advocacy, kindness, attention to environmental issues, and prayer, you live out your role as a steward of God’s creation. Your financial support of the work of Lutheran Church of Honolulu is also a wonderful expression of your life as a steward. Together with the gifts of all the saints, we bring life to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word, music, worship, education, community outreach, and help for those in need, both locally and internationally. God’s new word is not “I need you to give” but “Your heart says to give.”

Top of Page

A Delightful Freedom...

Honu (turtle) graphic Late at night, the honu draws herself up to the beach and laboriously digs a hole in the sand to lay her eggs. In this act of ensuring the next generation, she puts herself at great risk. Since she will not leave the nest until she is done laying her eggs, she remains vulnerable to predators. But, after covering the eggs, she returns to her ocean home never to see her offspring. The gift is given and allowed to hatch.

Our gifts to the ministry at Lutheran Church of Honolulu and the wider church help raise the next generation of disciples who will serve as stewards of God’s creation. We gladly set them free and rejoice to see how God will put them to work!

What You Can Do

Pray: Please keep our ministry, our leaders, our pastor, and our church in your prayers. We seek the wisdom of God in discerning that we are faithful to God’s vision for our ministry.

Participate: Worship regularly and joyfully. Bring your friends and neighbors to worship so that they too can hear about God’s boundless love.

Give: Include regular growth giving to Lutheran Church of Honolulu in your family budget. Fill out a pledge card and make your gift a treasure you joyfully release to God’s care.

A Missional Congregation

The people of Lutheran Church of Honolulu are committed to being a missional people. Our mission statement says:

Welcoming to all.
Worshipping, growing, serving
Christ’s Community

In 2009 we hope to:

Have every family pledge to give a financial gift to the ministry of Lutheran Church of Honolulu. All gifts—from $1 to $1,000,000—are equally cherished and appreciated.
Grow even more by becoming a Book of Faith Congregation committed to relearning the first language of our faith, the language of scripture.
Host the 2009 Ecumenical Service of Prayer for Christian Unity on Oahu.
Develop a Leaders in Faith group to raise up committed, prepared leaders for our faith community.
Improve our facility with an eye on how we can make our buildings serve our mission with greater efficiency.

Your financial support helps to:

Reach out to our neighbors to bring the Word of Christ into their lives.
Feed the hungry through our partnerships with IHS and Angel Network.
Raise up youth in the faith through education and our support of Oahu Youth Education and Activities (OYEA), and support our kupuna as well.
Provide worship experiences for everyone that are simply wonderful.
Share in the national and international ministries of the Pacifica Synod, the ELCA, Heifer International, World Hunger Appeal, and many other worthy causes.
Host educational and musical events that bring culture, joy, and faith to the people of our island.

Resources to learn more about Stewardship

Read scripture. The Bible has a lot to say about stewardship and giving. Check out Genesis 1:1-2:4, Psalm 24, and Luke 12:48 as a starting point.
Read Generous People by Eugene Grimm (available through Augsburg Fortress).
Check out these web sites:
- www.lchwelcome.org—See just how much your stewardship supports!
- www.lchwelcome.org/calculator—A cool stewardship calculator.
- www.elca.org—Click on Growing in Faith, then on Discipleship, and then on Stewardship in the middle of the page.
Talk to people who are committed stewards. They can tell you first hand how growing in stewardship each year has been a blessing.

Top of Page