christ church, uniting disciples and presbyterians · wish to commit themselves to our common life...

November 2017 Volume 11, Issue 11

"The Messenger of Love"

Christ Church, Uniting Disciples and Presbyterians 1300 Kailua Rd, Kailua, HI, 96734-4356 Phone: 808.262.6911

Worship - Sunday, 10AM Email - [email protected]

www.ccukailua.org

Pastor Liz Leavitt www.facebook.com/ChristChurchUniting

Dear CCU 'Ohana,

It's stewardship season! Everyone's favorite time of year!

I say that a bit in jest, but truly, isn't it a blessing that we are able to be a

blessing to others? Isn't it a gift that as we prepare for give thanks for all

we have that we are also free to think about how to return a portion of

those gifts to God in praise? I believe it is.

Giving thanks and giving have always been connected. Since ancient

times, when harvest festivals involved returning the first and best fruits to

God, the work of gratitude has always been connected to the discipline of

generosity. In this way stewardship is as much an act of trust as it is a

discipline of celebration. Rather than "What can I spare?" our mantra as

followers of a generous God might be "Look what I am able to give!"

I am so grateful for the ways you, the CCU family, so generously

supported the ministry of our church this year. With tithes and offerings,

hours of service and acts of provision and care, you have advanced our

mission to be a place where God's vision of abundance is made manifest.

It has been a big year: we have survived and thrived the absence of our

pastor on parental leave; we have grown our staff, welcoming Louise

South and Melody Heidel to support our most critical ministries; we have

pushed to grow our Vespers program through targeted outreach to our

neighbors; we've welcomed the community to important and challenging

conversations about critical issues for our time and found new and willing

partners in discussion. And the good news is that there are more folks

waiting in the wings to join us in this exciting work.

We'll be welcoming a small class of new members this month, those who

wish to commit themselves to our common life at CCU, accept our care

and support and join in our ministry of justice and peace. Among those

will be the Revs. Mary Paik and Dwight Morita, who may be familiar to you

having served in various capacities at CCU over the past 10 years.

During this time while they are not serving in full-time ministry elsewhere,

they've chosen to affiliate with CCU as a spiritual community in which to

worship and serve. Because P.C. (U.S.A.) ministers are not able to join a

congregation as traditional members, Dwight and Mary will be joining our

ranks through a process which labels them "Parish Associates." Like the

many other minister members of CCU, this is not a pastoral role, but one

of voluntary support and engagement. I hope you'll help to welcome

Dwight and Mary as they connect, once again, to our fellowship.

I hope you sense, as I do, that all of this is evidence of the Spirit at work in

our midst, breathing new life into our worship, service and outreach. In this

way, I'm proud that the council has challenged us to reach for an

increased pledge goal of $100,000, a fitting sign of fiscal growth to support

our growth in ministry. I hope you've received your pledge card and

invitation to participate in that important work. And I hope you will join me

in gratitude for the ways we are each able to give back. And that you too

will look toward this season of thanksgiving with a renewed sense of your

capacity for giving.

With many blessings to you,

Pastor Liz

2017 November Ka Elele Aloha of 15

The monthly men's fellowship breakfast is

Saturday, Nov 4th at 8am at Honey's at the

Ko'olau Golf Course. This month's topic:

"Context Matters In Religion", by Jay

Sakashita. View the article on our website:

www.ccukailua.org/ministries/mens-fellowship-

breakfast-topics/.

November 2017CCU Event Schedule:

Sundays: 10 am, Worship & Aloha Fellowship

11/4, Sat: 8AM CCU's Men's breakfast at Honey's at Ko'olau Golf course

11/10, Fri: Veteran's Day Holiday, Office closed

11/10, Fri: 7PM Vespers on the Lanai welcomes Michael Tanenbaum

11/19, Sun: State Council meeting after worship

11/19, Sun: Contributions to the December newsletter are due

11/23-24, Thurs/Fri: Thanksgiving Holiday, Office closed

October 15

Paul & Dottie

Brennan

Sunday, November 5th8:30-11:30 am

HI-5 CONTAINERPICK-UP DAY at CCU.

No glass bottles, please.Please put containers in

Heidels’ white pick-up truck,which will be parked in the

CCU parking lot.CCU has chosen to give allrecycling collections to the

Institute for Human Services.~ an expression of compassion ~

~ a practice of eco-justice ~


October 8th

Leavitt

'Ohana

November

BirthdaysRichard Smith .................... 3Peter Tchou ....................... 5Paul Brennan .................... 6Angyl Magbee ................... 7Rennie Renfroe ............... 11David White .................... 16Jane Muench ................... 28

CCU: $2,795.00

Foodland: $ 450.14

Western Union: $ 87.36

Total for CCU: $3,332.50

NovemberAnniversaries

Laura & Brian McCreanor .. 20

Pancake Breakfast hosted by

your Church Council!

Join us for an all-church

pancake breakfast on Sunday,

November 12 BEFORE

worship, 8:30-9:30am. Council

will be flipping flapjacks and

thanking everyone for their

contributions to CCU in 2017

and in anticipation of a

successful pledge campaign in

2018!


CCU will be observing All Saints Sunday on

November 5. If you'd like the name of a saint

(long passed or recently departed) read aloud

in worship, please let our office know by

Thursday, November 2. You can also put a

note in the offering plate with your name and

the name you'd like honored.

Mark your calendars

for the November

Vespers. CCU

welcomes Michael

Tanenbaum on

Friday, November 10.

Opens at 6:30PM,

Celtic Slack-key music

at 7PM. Bring a lawn

chair, a dessert and a

friend! See you there!

Save the date! Join us for our annual Handel's Messiah singalong on

Sunday, December 3, 4pm. Listeners & Singers welcome. Scores provided.


Facilities Updates

(keeping you informed about how our buildings and

grounds are being reformed!)

The Air Conditioner was fixed! A wire needed

to be replaced. It is working now and we should

not anticipate further outages.

The faucet in the utility room sink broke and

was repaired.


Gratitude Corner!

"Give thanks in all circumstances."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

This month, we give a huge:

MAHALO to those able to join in fellowship and discussion around our medical

aid in dying forum. Particular thanks are due to Bob Grantham for his interest in

this topic, his encouragement for us to hold such a discussion, and his sharing

during our gathering. Also thanks to Dianne Brookins for helping us make a

connection with Compassion and Choices.

MAHALO to those who participated in the commemoration service for the 500th

anniversary of the Reformation at St. Andrew's Cathedral on Saturday, Oct 14.

Charlene Hosenfeld

Despite the truly awful anti-environment rhetoric,

decisions, orders, and Cabinet and agency head

appointments coming out of Washington these

days…. as promised, more hopeful signs, both

internationally and from “we the (American) people”:

Costa Rica ran 300 days in 2015 on 100%

renewable energy; Iceland is powered at 100%

by hydropower & geothermal.

1.

Because animal agriculture is a leading cause

of climate change and environmental

degradation, Germany’s environment

2.


minister decided that her ministry would no

longer serve meat, fish or meat-derived

products at official functions.

The largest source of new electric capacity

in the U.S. in 2016 was solar photovoltaic

panels.

3.

Oahu has about 54,000 private rooftop solar

systems sending electricity to the grid.

4.

In 2016 solar jobs in the U.S. increased by

25%, and wind jobs by 32%.

5.

The Netherlands has many more bicycles

than people — 22.5 million bikes vs. 18 million

humans. More than 25% of all trips are made

by (yes, zero-emission) bicycles.

6.

Next month: The good news about automobiles.

Every one of our actions matter — now more than

ever.

FROM ED & MIRIAM NOYES, MISSIONARIES IN THE

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO:

"Dear Friends at CCU,

Thank you for your latest contribution ($300) to our work. We got the notice

about it several days ago, but I was busy with monthly meetings for the Baptist

women and our literacy group. Last Saturday we held a celebration of

International Literacy Day and graduation ceremonies for our students around

Kinshasa. It's just a beginning, but we certified 74 students from 5 centers.

Yesterday at our monthly meeting, we determined that we have about 60 more

to graduate next month. In the Vanga area I certified 28 students at the

beginning of this month, and we have 511 to go. It's the largest number of

students that we've graduated in one year since we started. In addition

possibly 100 students simply left their classes when they'd attained proficiency

in reading and writing, and didn't bother with any ceremony or diploma.


BBC has an article in their online magazine, "In School, but Learning Nothing",

posted on September 27, highlighting a worldwide crisis in education exposed in

two recent reports, one from UNESCO's Institute for Statistics and one from the

World Bank. Two of our graduates, both from different literacy centers, a boy

and a girl, testified that they were high school graduates who had managed to

get through without learning how to read and write, and actually use French, but

who now are competent. Afterwards women in the audience questioned it

unbelievingly, but we've seen too many of these young people in our literacy

classes, and assured them that it was true. Journalists were there, and a

newsclip on our ceremony (featuring that skit and those testimonies) was aired

on TV several times.

Thank you again for your support,

Miriam"

Ed and Miriam have just moved back to Lusekele, the agricultural extension

farm, where they have spent most of their years; this is where Ed has done

most of his agricultural development work, while Miriam has done more

traveling to Kinshasa and other towns with the literacy program she and the

local women church leaders developed. The past few years they had been in

Kinshasa, because Ed was working with Larry Sthreshly of the Presbyterian

denomination on spreading health centers (with a agricultural component to it)

across a large area of the DR Congo. See page 6 in the latest Mission

Crossroads magazine (found in church office).

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!

MONIES ARE RELEASED FOR KAPUNA CARE !

The Legislature passed a bill that created a fund of $600,000 (to start

with) to help working people get relief caregivers for their aging loved ones at

home. The Office of Aging has been designated to run the program.

Applications will soon be available. Meanwhile, FACE has asked church

members to tell acquaintances about this, and give FACE names and

addresses of those who might want or need this service so that a list can

be sent to the Office of Aging. To learn more about this, you can attend the

documentary film showing and panel discussion. See the particulars below.


What We Do

In Hawai‘i, ‘ohana is important to us. That’s why Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels

treats all of our clients like family. We make sure kupuna and others have hot,

nutritious meals delivered to their door, whether for lunch or dinner. But we

don’t stop there. Our volunteers also take the time to make sure each one is

doing okay. We serve as another set of eyes and ears for families. The aloha

spirit is alive and well…and that’s why we’re called Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels.

Mission

Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels is dedicated to helping Oahu’s elders and individuals

with disabilities preserve their independence at home. We do this primarily by

providing hot, nutritious meals and regular personal interaction with those we

serve

About

Hawaiʻi Meals on Wheels was founded in 1979 to provide a hot home-delivered

meal service for frail elderly and disabled persons who were unable to cook or

shop for themselves and did not have access to help for these essential

functions.

We are a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, founded by former State

of Hawaiʻi librarian Irmgard Hörmann and the Social Ministries Committee of

the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. She spearheaded the formation of a

committee representing different denominations and several Honolulu churches

to provide a basic nutritional and human support system for their isolated,

disabled, and frail elderly neighbors.

The other eight founding churches included Central Union Church, Church of

the Crossroads, Manoa Valley Church, The Parish of St. Clement, Unitarian

Church of Honolulu, First Christian Church, First Presbyterian Church and First

United Methodist Church.


October 8, 2017


Dana will be collecting boxes again this year (Nov 5 & Nov 12) for CCU (leave

your boxes in the office). To follow your box & receive labels to affix on your

box, go here: www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/follow-your-

box/.

Some items, like toothpaste, and any edible items are no longer allowed.

They still suggest that you include a toothbrush. Go to the website

(www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-

shoebox-suggestions/) to read the list of items not allowed.

The shipping donation increased this year to $9 per box. Please DO NOT seal

your box closed.

FAMILY PROMISE AT CCU IN DECEMBER - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

The mission of Family Promise of Hawai’i is to mobilize existing community

resources to aid families with children experiencing homelessness and help

them transition to sustainable independence. CCU will once again serve as a

host site for Family Promise the 1st week in December (4th-10th) with

kitchen/room cleaning and setup on Saturday am, 12/3 starting at 9 am.

New volunteers are always welcome and any type and amount of support is

greatly appreciated! Opportunities include:

clean and set-up separate bedroom areas for each family using blow-up

mattresses, fresh linens, and curtains for privacy

provide and serve 1 meal for up to 14 people, dinner is served at 6 pm


serve1 night as overnight host; 2 people needed each night from 8 pm to

7:30 am the next morning

help out with activities with children- reading books, playing games, etc.

break down and clean-up on last morning of host week-Sunday

launder linens after host week

Please contact the CCU Family Promise co-coordinators if you'd like to help out:

Beth Davidann [email protected], 808-371-5594

Marian Heidel [email protected], 808-261-4585 (h) or 808-358-6345 (c)

For more information about Family Promise of Hawai’i, visit:

familypromisehawaii.org

Date Name Duty5-Nov Liz Leavitt Minister

Paul Haring & Richard Smith Usher / GreeterDianne Brookins LiturgistJohn Heidel T Prayer / Serve Comm. / Bldg Lockup

12-Nov Liz Leavitt MinisterKeith & Peggy Zeilinger Usher / GreeterLarry Grimm LiturgistPaul Brennan T Prayer / Serve Comm. / Bldg Lockup

19-Nov Liz Leavitt Minister

Rollo Scheurenbrand &Charlene Hosenfeld Usher / Greeter

Courtney Nichols LiturgistDianne Brookins T Prayer / Serve Comm. / Bldg Lockup

26-Nov Liz Leavitt Minister

George Wyman & ClancyLyman Usher / Greeter

Paul Haring LiturgistAnnie Walenta T Prayer / Serve Comm. / Bldg Lockup


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christ church, uniting disciples and presbyterians · wish to commit themselves to our common life...

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