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First Press
First Press is the monthly newsletter of First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu 45-550 Kionaole Road, Kane‘ohe, HI 96744
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 | Volume 18 | Issue 1
WITH A
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5:30-8:30
IN THIS ISSUE
Ice Palace Photos
See page 3
FACEBOOK CAPTION CONTEST
Announcing the
Winner
You had to get pretty creative to think
up appropriate captions for last month's
caption contest photo.
The winner, based on the number
of likes from Facebook users, is Scott
Schultz! He wins a $10-gift certificate to
Ko'olau Kitchen! Congratulations!
PASTOR'S LETTER
One of Oscar Romero's many murals in El Salvador
Francisco, Romero, and You
by Pastor Dan Chun
Last month I went on a five-day trip to
El Salvador in Central America with 19
other people, 17 of them pastors from
California and Hawaii. Primarily, they
were pastors from San Diego Presbytery,
which our church became a part of this
year. The primary purpose of the trip was
to see Compassion International projects
that help thousands of children in need.
Here's Scott's winning caption:
"Leavy-tation!"
Other good ones:
“I'm going to make it to heaven, even if it
kills me!” - Ellery Lum
"Kirk, I told you to be a Mighty Man....not
Spiderman!" - Dan Chun
"I'm really getting the hang of this
photoshop thing." - Jesse James Agustin
"Stickin to Jesus like Spidey to a building."
- Lee Breon
"I know Dan said to hold on to things
lightly, but can't I make an exception just
this one time?" - Marianna Meachen
"Tom Cruise ain't got nothing on me!" Joy Yoshida
" Excuse me, is this the way to heaven?" Ted Otaguro
"What?! I have safety goggles on!" - Kathy
Makuakane
"Mission on the rise" - Paula Caracol
2
My hope was that the pastors would
catch the vision of releasing children
from poverty in Jesus’ name. My prayer
was that the churches of these pastors
would have Compassion Sundays like
we do at First Prez to sponsor children.
The first time I did a trip like this, 1600
children were sponsored, plus 12 college
students. And on top of that, an entire
infant survival project was funded.
much of their body. I met gang members
who have each killed more than 10 people.
The youth pastor of this church was
himself a gang leader. After being shot
five times in the chest, he decided he had
to change his life. He gave his life to Christ.
It was touching to hear his testimony on
how he is now married and his children
go to church and how his nine-year old
plays keyboard in the worship band.
Third, I got to do house visits. Seeing
the Compassion children’s homes broke
my heart. These were one-room houses
with dirt floors, large mosquito nets (to
protect them from the Dengue mosquito),
(Continued on page 3)
There were four highlights for me of
the trip.
First I got to meet my new Compassion
child: 13-year-old Francisco. His mother
died four years ago from brain cancer.
His father abandoned the family.
Francisco lives with his older brother, an
aunt, and grandmother. So violent is his
neighborhood that I could not go to his
house. My heart went out to him. Already
a Christian, he continually thanked me
for coming to see him and for giving him
gifts.
Second, I went to a Compassion project
(which always works out of a church)
that ministers to gang members of the
infamous MS5. They have tattoos over
JAN-FEB 2013 | FIRST PRESS
My Compassion child, Francisco
CONGREGATIONAL LIFE EVENT RECAP
FRANCISCO CONT'D FROM P. 2
At the Ice Palace
and very little food. During home visits,
Compassion provides meals for the
families being visited and the visitors
(like us) so we can all eat together. The
food was a Salvadoran version of KFC,
which was a real treat for them.
by Carolyn Thibault
On November 25, the First Prez ‘ohana
showed their holiday spirit by taking over
the Ice Palace for a festive evening in a true
winter wonderland. Skaters of all ages took
to the ice and showed off their graceful
moves (or not!) while others warmed up on
hot chocolate and restored their energy by
sampling the tasty desserts brought by all.
I ate my chicken and took a bite from
one of two biscuits. After I was done, I
was about to throw away the leftover
biscuits and chicken bones from lunch,
when I was told that the family would
take all of my leftovers for a meal later
that day. My biscuits that had bites
marks would be eaten and the chicken
bones would be used for a soup. I felt
horrible. They were so poor that they
hardly had any food.
We watched the “limbo bar” snag the
unsuspecting elf hat or reindeer antler
and laughed as the rude buzzer knocked
another skater out of the game. During
the free skate period, we witnessed the
more experienced skaters coaching and
encouraging newer skaters and often
offering a stable hand to grab onto. What a
metaphor for our walk with Christ! The next time I went on a house visit,
I didn’t eat my food at all knowing that
the family could use my food for their
meal that night.
All and all, joy abounded on this dark and
not so stormy night!
Fourth, Oscar Romero. One of the
heroes of El Salvador is the late Roman
Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero
who was appointed to his position in
1977. His pictures were everywhere in
El Salvador, even in airport murals. I had
read about him while I was in seminary.
He fought against the injustice of the
government and paramilitary groups
against the poor.
On March 23, 1980, he preached
a sermon calling on soldiers to be
true Christians, to obey God’s higher
order, and to stop carrying out the
government’s violations of people’s
basic human rights. The next day, while
he was celebrating mass in a chapel
near a hospital, a gunman came to the
door of the chapel and shot and killed
Romero as he was elevating the chalice
at the end of Communion.
We visited the chapel where he was
assassinated and the outside of his
home a few hundred feet away.
It occurred to me, that if we are
a sponsor of a Compassion child,
we continue Romero’s dream that
Christians would fight against injustice
and actively release children and their
families from poverty in Jesus’ name.
FIRST PRESS
|
JAN-FEB 2013
3
RECOVERY GROUPS
,
Divorce Care
Current session: Tuesdays,
Jan 8-April 2, 2013, 6:30 pm,
Glass Classroom
Facilitators:
Al & Marsha Coscina
Separation and divorce are among
life’s most difficult and painful
experiences. You need the help and
encouragement of others as you
attempt to heal and restore balance to
your life. A DivorceCare group is a special
place of encouragement, information
and sharing. DivorceCare meets weekly
for 13 weeks, providing you with an ongoing “Support Team” as you deal with
the issues surrounding your separation
or divorce.
SAVE THE DATE!
The
Making
of a
Man
MEN’S
RETREAT
WITH TONY
CAMPOLO
FIRST PREZ
MARCH 1-2,
2013
LIFE MINISTRIES
There are two parts to each weekly
DivorceCare session. During the first
30-40 minutes of the meeting, the
group watches a videotape featuring
top experts on divorce and recovery
topics. These videos contain valuable
information about recovering from
divorce and are produced in an
interesting television magazine format.
Tony Campolo Speaks at First Prez
Dr. Tony Campolo, preacher, educator,
and founder of Evangelical Association
for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), is
our guest speaker at the March 1-2 Men's
Retreat at First Prez Ko‘olau.
orphanages, AIDS hospices, urban youth
ministries, summer camps, and longterm Christian service programs in Haiti,
the Dominican Republic, Africa, Canada
and throughout the USA.
Following the video, the participants
spend time as a “support group,”
discussing what was presented on that
week’s videotape and what is going on
in the lives of the group participants.
Dr. Campolo, Professor Emeritus of
sociology at Eastern University in St.
Davids, PA is among the most celebrated
and sought-after speakers and writers in
the United States. He has authored 35
books, the most recent of which is "Red
Letter Christians."
Cost is $75 (not an overnight event, but
includes four meals) and includes a $20
non-refundable registration fee.
Join the sessions at any time during
the 13 weeks, and feel free to attend
more than one series.
4
March 1-2, 2013
Through EAPE, Dr. Campolo has
developed and nurtured elementary and
secondary schools, universities, adult and
child literacy centers, tutoring programs,
JAN-FEB 2013 | FIRST PRESS
Pick up a flyer
Sundays at the
Men's
Table
where you can
get more info
and register.
WOMEN'S UPCOMING EVENTS
Save these
Dates!
2013 Women's Ministry Events
RAA! (Retired Active Adults)
Kung Hee Fat
Choy!
Jan. 31, Thurs, 9 am, Heritage
Gallery (1040 Smith St.)
Aquarium Tour
Feb. 27, Wed, 11 am, Waikiki
Aquarium
Ever seen a monk seal up close and
personal? Well then mark your calendars
for our February RAA event! Come see
the ocean and its inhabitants through the
eyes of a child, filled with wonder and
amazement while staying dry. Where better
to do this but at the Waikiki Aquarium.
When was the last time you took a stroll
through Chinatown? There are so many
interesting shops, sights, and smells that
can be experienced while on foot and
not in a car. Chinatown is the gateway
to Hawaii for many immigrants. It is a
Meet us on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 11 am
colorful and eclectic blend of Southeast as we explore the undersea world. Bring
Asian cultures where merchants work lots of quarters as street parking is metered.
harmoniously together, selling their wares
What exactly is a coral? Is it a rock, a plant,
and perpetuating their respective cultural
or
an animal? Then see the Jet Set: animals
traditions.
who use jet propulsion to move from place
Locals come daily to buy fresh produce, to place by pulling water from the outside,
fish, meat, dim sum, candied fruits and through their gills to exchange gases, and
vegetables, noodles, tea, duck eggs, char then forcefully direct it back outside their
siu, exotic herbs for healing, and other bodies through a muscular tube called the
Asian delicacies.
Siphon.
Within a 15-block area, you can consult
an herbalist, view an art exhibit, see
dancing lions with drummers, buy precious
jade and a Cheong Sam, and visit temples
and shrines.
To accomplish this, we will be taking
a two-hour docent-led walking tour of
Chinatown on Thursday, Jan. 31st. Meet at
9 am at the Heritage Gallery at 1040 Smith
St. (between Hotel and King Sts.) where we
will have an opportunity to view exhibits,
taste samples, and get a 16-ounce bottle
of water in preparation of our walk. Please
wear comfortable clothing and walking
shoes. Our walk will end with lunch at The
Golden Palace on N. King St. This will not be
a shopping tour.
Sign up at the RAA! table on Sundays, Jan.
20 and 27 after the 8 and 9:30 am services.
The cost is $20 and includes the tour and
lunch. ($10 for just the tour, without lunch.)
Cash only, please.
The Hawaiian Monk Seal and tourists in
Hawaii have something in common. They
are active in the morning and evening
and then lounge on the beach the rest of
the day. This rare seal is found only in the
Hawaiian Islands and is one of the most
critically endangered species in the world.
They are not highly social and spend lots
of time alone. The two male residents are
Maka onaona and Ho’ailona.
This is just a sneak preview of our
adventure at the Aquarium to whet your
appetite.
February 9
Women’s Tea/Brunch:
Passports & Possibilities
February 17
Woman-To-Woman Mentoring
Orientation Coffee (tentative)
March 4
Coed Dinner Event
Pami Ellis, Speaker
May 3-4
Spring Retreat
Information on other events upcoming
later in the year will be posted in the
Sunday Bulletins and/or future editions
of First Press.
Stay tuned and we hope to see you
soon!
Upon This Rock
Update
Our "Upon This Rock" capital
campaign is on the right track. Here's
the "temperature reading" so far:
As of Nov. 30, 2012
• Campaign Goal = $7M
• Actual Pledges received
= $3,473,517
• Actual collection to date
= $1,848,578
$6M
$5M
$4M
$3M
$2M
Sign up at the RAA! table on Sundays,
Feb. 17 and 24 after the 8 and 9:30 am
services. Admission for the Aquarium is
FREE for seniors and $4 for all others, to be
paid at the door. And for those who would
like to join us, we have lunch reservations
for ONLY 25 at the Elks Club, following
our Aquarium visit. See the RAA! table on
Sundays for more details.
FIRST PRESS
$7M
$1M
0
|
JAN-FEB 2013
5
People
PRAYERLINES
Sweet Hour of
Prayer
All the Good Things
by Patti Marshall
"Now Peter and John went up together
… at the hour of prayer." Acts 3:1
What does a writer/poet, a clergyman,
and a composer have in common? God
worked through their lives, just as He
works through ours, in ways we can
never even imagine.
Their combined endeavors catapulted
“Sweet Hour of Prayer” to becoming one
of the best known and loved hymns on
prayer. It describes the sweetness and
high honor of our private and corporate
times before God’s throne.
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of
prayer! That calls me from a world of
care, And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of
prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of
prayer! May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the
air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of
prayer!”
Just as the three “unknown by each
other” collaborators of this hymn, your
faithful obedience and service brings
comfort, peace, and hope to those you
may never know this side of heaven.
Words: William W. Walford, 1772-1850; Rev. Thomas
Salmon, 1800-1854; Music: William B. Bradbury, 18161868 (composer of What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Just
as I am, Jesus, Like a Shepherd Lead Us).
6
JAN-FEB 2013 One of six Christmas services in 2012
What's the buzz with First Prez people
by Marcia Wright
Happy New Year to all! Well it’s been a
little wet these first few days of the New
Year. Ah…we can be thankful for God’s
blessing raining down for us from Heaven.
Just as the rain blesses the thirsty land
blessings from the Lord help us grow and
gives an abundance of the HIS goodness to
share with others.
I hope you were able to miss or
circumvent the “traffic” to come to one
of the six uplifting services we had for
Christmas this year. Friends from long ago
and many new friends joined us to make
this a special celebration of our Lord’s
birth. I know many families had children
home for the holidays and I reveled in the
joy that was being shared.
The choir sends out its heartfelt Mahalo
to the Gabe and Sheri Wong family,
with daughter Cat, Patrick and Vivian
Tsuji, Stan and Donna Koki, friend Cathy
Rubasch, and all the other helpers who
set up, laid out the contributed food, and
cleaned up for 150 choir, staff, volunteers,
and Orchestra members for six Christmas
services. What a gracious group these
folks are for making sure everything went
smoothly and all were fed and energized
for our Christmas services. Sheri even
pulled out the ubiquitous ketchup bottle
from the box for us locals who need to put
some on our scrambled eggs!
Thank you also to the myriad staff
and volunteers who work tirelessly to
bring glory to God and joy to the people
throughout the Christmas season and all
year long.
If you loved the music this past month
and are interested in being part of the
choir, the choir is always looking for people
who love to sing in a group. Remember we
are a welcoming group whether you sing
only for one of the holy days or want to
join us for the whole year. You choose the
| FIRST PRESS
schedule that fits your life.
Vicki Lepick was seen in a picture, taken
at St. Andrews Priory School where she
teaches religion, honoring the Honolulu
Marathon celebrity Wilson Kipsang.
Margo Baist shared her pretty face
again in a half page ad for HMSA in the
Honolulu Star Advertiser. You may have
also caught her in an HMSA TV commercial.
I seem to see many of our FPC members in
commercials or newspaper ads.
As Life Ministries starts a new circle
of classes, I know many of you will be
signing up or already going to one of the
many Life Training classes. If you need
more information, check the church
website (fpchawaii.org) or drop by the
Life Ministries table on Sundays in the
Fellowship Hall.Keep your eyes peeled for
the upcoming WAKO session in February
and our next Alpha class in March. You
don’t want to miss these!
Members Danny and Lucille Wong
celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary
last December with a luncheon at
Mandalay Restaurant on the last weekend
of the 2012. Congratulations!
Well, I have spent most of this article
looking back thankful for all that has come
before; the joy, the music, the love, the
coming of the LORD in a new way in our
lives. But life is not lived in the past nor
in the future but in the present. So let’s
look forward to the miracles God will yet
perform in your life and the lives of your
loved ones. Daily look to Him minute by
minute, walking in the Spirit, choosing joy
over sadness, and love above all!
Aloha no [email protected]
MEN'S MINISTRY
WINTER WAKO 2013
For Men Only
GO WAKO!
by Sim Fulcher
by Kirk Leavy
Pastor Dan gave the men of our church a
challenge during his talk at the September
Men’s Ministry Dinner. It was a challenge to
become men of active faith, willing to don
the full armor of God to protect and defend
others. Through prayer and service to
others, the challenge was to engage men
willing to commit to being protectors and
defenders of their families, their church,
and their community. And collectively,
these men will be known as the SPARTANS,
an acronym for Special Prayer Army Ready
To Be Activated Now.
The spiritual component of Pastor Dan’s
challenge at the Men’s Ministry Dinner
when he asked for 300 men to become
his spiritual warriors. A hundred men
responded that night and became the
first cadre of Spartans to join arms in the
spiritual war. For his part, Pastor Dan agreed
to send the Spartans regular updates about
him personally and about the church
corporately, and ask them to pray for them
both. Pastor Dan is asking the Spartans to
pray for these common purposes because
he knows that when they do, they will be
knitted in a unique bond of fellowship that
even the gates of hell cannot break.
The physical component is a commitment
to acts of service. Spartans are to seek out
ways in which their acts of service will
meet the needs of others in Jesus' name.
As Reformed Christians, we know that acts
of charity and service have nothing to do
with salvation but that they are the result
of grace through faith. But we also know
that acts of service are a natural response
to this grace.
Theologian Martin Luther wrote: “Faith is
God’s work in us, that changes us and gives
new birth from God. It changes our hearts,
our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers.
It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a
living, creative, active and powerful thing,
this faith. Faith cannot help doing good
works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if
good works ought to be done, but before
anyone asks, it already has done them and
continues to do them without ceasing.”
Pastor Dan’s vision is that every Spartan
would live out their faith through prayer,
devotion, worship, and acts of service. And
he is looking for more men to join him on
this journey. This journey takes another
step on January 29 when the Men’s
Ministry Dinner features Art Hansen, a local
architect who has built more than 30 lowcost houses for Hawaii families that were
without homes. Art will provide the men
of FPC with a very practical way that they
can engage in meeting the needs of some
Hawaii’s most vulnerable, in Jesus' name.
If you are interested in attending this
Men’s Dinner, please contact Pastor Sim
Fulcher at [email protected]. If you
are interested in knowing more about
becoming a Spartan, contact Scott Schultz
at [email protected], or Peter Selvey.
WAKO is many things. It's a celebration.
Like the song goes, it celebrates good
times (and in a beautiful setting.) It's a
three-ring circus. It's a place to play or
learn more about the Bible or do both at
the same time. (You choose like you do
on your TV remote.) It's good food and it's
cheap. It's lots of people young and old to
mingle with. It's meeting new friends. It's
fun while you're being serious. It's being
serious while you're having fun.
There's a happy feeling in the halls of
WAKO reminding us that "Where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
WAKO helps focused Christians become
more focused and people afraid of
focused Christians to become less afraid.
It helps people new in the stream of
God's Spirit to wade in slowly, while
giving others the opportunity to scuba
dive The Faith. It's even a place where, if
you don't believe much of anything, you
can have fun around believers having fun,
and maybe get a taste that God is good.
WAKO is a party and what a party we
have lined up for you at Winter WAKO
2013 with 19 classes from Roz and Pastor
Dan to stretching, to sign language hula,
and from Mah Jong, to Nick Love, to
spiritual warfare. Lots too for keiki and
youth! WAKO is a party—a party with
a purpose! Pick up a brochure and and
register on Sunday!
A PARTYSE
WITH A
Men's Monthly Dinner, Jan 29,
Tues, 6 pm, Fellowship Hall
SPIRITUAL GIFTS CLASS
PURPO
BodyWorks Understanding God's Design for your Life
Wednesdays starting Feb. 6, 5:30 pm & 7:30 pm
It's not what you do, it's who you are that
matters to God. This dynamic, interactive
course will help you on this journey of selfdiscovery, identifying your passions, your
spiritual gifts, and your personal style. Join
us to grow in your understanding of God’s
design for us in service to the body of
Christ! Register at the Life Ministries Table
on Sundays. It's a WAKO class. Cost is $10
for the workbook.
FIRST PRESS
The church office will be closed
on Monday, Jan 21
(Martin Luther King Day) and
Monday, Feb 18
(President's Day).
|
JAN-FEB 2013
7
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KANEOHE, HI
PERMIT NO. 120
45-550 Kionaole Road
Kane‘ohe, HI 96744
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WORSHIP SERVICES
Sundays at 8 am, 9:30 am, 11:11 am
Visit our website at www.fpchawaii.org
WRITE A CAPTION FOR THIS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013
Upcoming Events
January 17
January 19
January 26 January 29 January 31 February 6, 13, 20, 27
February 9
February 13 February 15 February 17
February 27
Stephen Ministry Training Session Starts
Seekers & Joiners Class
Mom's Night Out
Men's Dinner
RAA! Chinese New Year Event
WAKO (Wednesdays at Ko‘olau)
Women's Tea, "Passports & Possibilities"
Ash Wednesday Service
Singles Ohana Valentine Dinner
Woman-To-Woman Coffee, Healing Service
RAA! Aquarium Event
Recurring Events
Sundays
Tuesdays
Thursdays
Wednesdays Fridays
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Worship Services at 8, 9:30 and 11:11
Mighty Moms, DivorceCare
Choir Practice
Gathering (High School)
Women's Craft Group
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