Staying Active…inside and out!

Aloha mai kakou!
Early tomorrow morning, I leave for a week in California for time with my family. Preparing for this brief trip, I am reflecting on all that First Unitarian Church of Honolulu members are doing to sustain and grow our church and to reach out and engage with our larger community!

We are active in the larger community!
On Tuesday, our new member, John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas, the new Executive Director of HCAN (Hawai‘i Children’s Action Network), was introduced at a HE‘E (Hui for Excellence in Education) meeting to non-profit member groups. I was there to hear more of his impressive and wide-ranging background and to see the ways he will amplify our engagement with Hawai‘i needs and hopes.

From that meeting, I entered the monthly TIAH meetings (The Interfaith Alliance of Hawai‘i). We UU’s are more than represented on the board– Cynthia Lynch is the president, Marie Anne is the secretary, and Tom Lynch and I are board members! A major focus now is – how can we (FUCH and TIAH) actively engage in the No Dictators march and demonstration on 3/28? Share your ideas, and please join us in the interfaith march starting at 9:30 am. Please let Marie or me know if you will participate in sign-making, marching, and/or demonstrating.

Within our church, it is also bustling!
More Hope convenes Friday 3/19 and we are working to prepare.
More Hope is a path to a deepening experience of each other and the church, expanding our capacity for peaceful, fruitful community. You can still join “More Hope” at this “Invitation to Restorative History Circle” link – but you need to be swift, registration is closing soon!

Here are some notes on what is happening with just a few elements of our church:

Membership – Theresa Mooleghan, Leanne MacIntire, and I are working on membership growth, and we are delighted by a 14% increase over the past few months. More to come! :)
Worship Team– Our music team has been delivering a wide variety of beautiful music, including the interfaith hymns of last month, and working on choral pieces for the upcoming month. Beth Beyers will be leaving for her beloved Bellingham at the end of the month- her generosity and skill are much appreciated and will be missed until she returns.
Pledge Dinner – Irina Martikainen, Mary MacKay, Catherine Graham, Sue Yamane-Carpenter, and I have been abuzz with ideas and deliverables. Irina is an event-planning pro and has devoted her genius to creating this event. Mary’s critical eye and mind make sure all is cooking up a wonderful, fun evening, complete with a UU Magician (scroll down to read more). Catherine is, of course, a planning maestro showing how it will all work and how folks will be fed! Sue and I are along for the ride, LOL.

May you have a marvelous week. I look forward to seeing you after my return March 19th!

Aloha,
Rev. Deborah