Ka Leo Mekokiko Apr - May 2016

THE VOICE OF UNITED METHODIST

Ka Leo Mekokiko

Hawaii District April - May 2016 VOLUME 40 NUMBER 4

HAWAII DISTRICT CONFERENCE “Therefore Go: Proclaim, Lead, Nurture, Send”

Saturday, April 30, 2016 • 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Aiea Korean United Methodist Church

Registration Fee: $15.00 (Includes Lunch)

DISTRICT CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP:

The members of the District Conference shall be: all clergy, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses living in the District; lay pastors appointed to local Churches; the District lay leaders and associate lay leaders; District lay mem-bers of Annual Conference; the Presidents of District UMM, UMW, Youth Council and Young Adult Council; members of the District Union/Society Board of Trustees; members of the District Leadership Team and District Stewards; and from each local Church: the lay leader(s), all local church officers who are chairpersons of boards, councils, commit-tees, etc.; Presidents of UMM and UMW; church school superintendents, lay members of Annual Conference and one youth.

HAWAII UNITED METHODIST UNION MEMBERSHIP:

The voting membership of the corporation shall consist of: all ministers duly appointed to a charge or an agency of the Hawaii District of the California-Pacific Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church; one lay representa-tive for each minister appointed from each charge elected by the Charge/Church Conference of such charge; one lay representative for each minister appointed to an agency of the Hawaii District; the District Superintendent and District Lay Leader of the Hawaii District.

Deadline to register is: Friday, April 15th. Registration form is on the Hawaii District website: www.hawaiidistrictumc.org + click on “Events” + 2016 Hawaii District Conference + Registration Form. Need Transportation Volunteers. If you are able to pick up and drop off our neighbor island delegates to and from

the airport, please call the District Office and let us know. Thank you so much. Hope you will stay for lunch. The cost is $15.00. Payment is required before the Conference day.

32ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

June 16-18, 2016 University of Redlands, CA

This year’s District Gatherings at the Annual Conference in Redlands University will be held as

a Breakfast Gathering and held on Thursday, June 16th at University Hall. You may register online now at the California Pacific website. Registration Is for: Important Note: If you need a ride to and from LAX airport and Redlands University, please turn in your Bus Transportation Forms to the District Office by Monday, May 2nd. You can also sign up for the meal plans at the Conference. First timers: Most Hawaii District delegates stay at Courtner Hall.

Meal Plan(s) District Breakfast Gathering on Thursday, June 16th at University Hall

Campus Housing Special Events Ticket(s)

Linen Rental Roommate Request

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Ministry Musings from the District Superintendent

ANNUAL CONFERENCE MISSION STATEMENT: Inspiring the World as Passionate Followers of Jesus Christ

So All May Experience God’s Life-Giving Love

I once watched a mother teaching her daughter how to ride a bike, which she did over the course of several days. Each evening when I walked through the neighborhood, the two were practicing in an empty parking lot. The mother held the back of the seat and the han-dle bars at first, helping with the wobbly steering, and several times catching the girl just before she tumbled to the pavement. Soon the mother held only the back of the seat. Then she began letting go, running alongside the bike, every now and then stabilizing the bike with a quick grasp of the seat. Now and then the girl crashed to the pavement, but after a few evenings I saw the child racing faster and faster, in greater and greater circles, around the parking lot. The mother looked on. Over the coming weeks, I saw the child without her mother, not in the parking lot any more, but riding up and down the neighborhood streets, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. That image of the mother and daughter returned to me as I read the great discourse of Christ in the book of John. Christ is like the mother who guided, taught, supported and en-couraged his children, the disciples. Now the moment of letting go is at hand and it is an anxious moment. Christ also realizes that the disciples must live alone in the world, so when I read that Christ is praying for the disciples, I remember the sound of that mother’s voice telling her daughter as she rode down the street, “Honey, watch where you are going. Oh, Oh -- look out! Look out! Our world is really out of focus and fragmented. When you listen to the news, the majority of the stories are about the economic crash, the war, fallen soldiers, suicide bomb-ings and gang activities in the inner cities! Especially, we are experiencing an enormous homelessness problem in the city of Honolulu. Life is out of focus -- life is not what it should be. However, the promise of Easter morning provided us with hope in the midst of disap-pointment and desperation. There are streaks of light on the horizon, and little by little, life is becoming what Jesus says it would become. Yes, we are remembering what Jesus said to his disciples -- My beloved ones, look out, look where you are going. No matter the direc-tion or the goal; I will be with you for I have overcome the sting of death. Yes, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia! Rev. Dr. Se Hee Han District Superintendent of Hawaii

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“AS WE JOURNEY”

“May our journey lead us into a new place, a place where new life and new beginnings are awaiting to be discovered.” Aloha and E Komo Mai ! “Happy Easter !” May our Easter journey be filled with the resurrection power of God. Thank you, Jailu V. Na-varrete, our Associate District Lay Leader for your articles that continue to remind us of our role as Laity, being Lay Servants for Jesus Christ and his Church.

“Thanks be to God !”

“AS WE JOURNEY” the stone is rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, the linen cloths lying on the floor, the tomb is empty. Jesus is risen indeed, glory be to God in the highest. That very same day there was a series of events that took place, according to the Gospel of St. John 20:19-23. A narrative where Jesus appears to his disciples behind locked doors. It was that evening when they discovered that the tomb was empty. The disciples gathered behind locked doors because they were afraid they were going to be put to death by the authorities. In the midst of the gathering Jesus appears out of no where, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” “AS WE JOURNEY” by the power of Christ’s resurrection, Jesus continues to appear behind locked doors. Life is full of un-certainties, un-answered questions, causing us to distance ourselves from our faith by locking the doors of realities. One is “mass incarceration” our judicial system making criminals of those with drug addiction; they require treatment and not punishment. Luke 4:18 Jesus stood up and read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and re-covery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The path of least traveled is before us, the path to abolish our current laws that make criminals of drug addicts. The path is to release the captives, to give freedom to the oppressed. By offering proper treatment, to nurture and to care for those that live with drug addiction. “AS WE JOURNEY” another reality is “homelessness,” the bible says, “love your neighbors as you love your-selves.” Yet our judicial system continues to make criminals of our “homeless” neighbors by passing laws that cause harm. Instead of acts of mercy, love and to restore human dignity giving the “homeless” a new place, a place where new life and new beginnings are awaiting to be discovered. “AS WE JOURNEY” we can say, of all the bare necessities of life, the access to “health care” must be a reality. In comparison with other industrial countries (why) the poor in America are denied “health care.” “Health care” is a civil right and should be given to all people. May our Easter season be filled with signs of Christ’s resurrection to un-lock the doors of un-certainties, un-answered questions, and may God’s glory be revealed to all people. Let us pray: Lord, we remember those who have given their lives for the sake of justice and freedom. Help us not to take our own freedom lightly, but to use it to advocate relentlessly for the freedom of others. Amen. (prayer from the book Common Prayer A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Enuma Okoro) One in Christ, Francis Fukumoto Hawaii District Lay Leader

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Hawaii District Prayer Calendar for Local Churches

4/3 Ala Lani UMC Pastors Jaeman Lim & Panepasa Fifita

4/10 Aiea Korean UMC Pastors Ho Yong Kim, In Kwon Jun, Woon Yong Jeong

4/17 Wesley Foundation Pastor Joseph Yun

4/24 Kona UMC Pastors Krista Givens & Makakai Tatafu

5/1 Wesley UMC Pastor Piula Ala’ilima

5/8 Waianae UMC Pastors Debra Murray, Misipati Karapani & Sione Taukolo

5/15 Wahiawa UMC Pastor David Choi

5/22 Trinity UMC Pastor Peter Lee

5/29 Parker UMC Pastor Andrew Lee

Please hold these

churches, ministries

and their pastors in

your prayers.

PRE-RETIREMENT WORKSHOP Friday, April 29, 2016 at

Aiea Korean United Methodist Church 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This workshop will cover:

Clergy pension plans

Empowering you on making wise decisions regarding distribution options

Provide you with personal, one-on-one consultations with our Clergy Benefits

Educator, Peter Hang from The General Board of Pension & Health Benefits

Health Insurance options in retirement conducted by Jan Hanson, Director of Human Resources

How to access your health insurance benefits

How Medicare works

We are truly blessed to have such knowledgeable California-Pacific staff, Jan Hanson,

our Human Resources Director and Peter Hang, the Clergy Benefits Educator to give us

one-on-one insight in our retirement benefits and planning options. Even if you are not

planning to retire soon, it would still be a great opportunity to just have a better under-

standing and foresight on how to plan properly for your retirement so that you can

truly enjoy your golden years when that time approaches.

Robert Mansfield is the First Hawaii District Lay Speaker

At the age of 19, an Oahu church employed Robert for the summer as a "Director of Christian Educa-tion." Subsequently, the pastor announced he would be away on a sabbatical; his three week absence would require Bob to preach for that period. Long story short, Bob came away from that experience dis-illusioned. He felt he was a total failure. Since that experience he wandered about with doubts about God, about the church, etc. He also encountered a particular church experience that challenged his cultural ties. This further estranged him from his faith. A little over a couple of years ago, he felt a call to re-visit a Methodist congregation. He found the website of Parker United Methodist Church very attractive. It had an active ministry amidst its local community. Shortly after attending regularly, a "Leading Worship" workshop was offered at Parker UMC. He signed up. Then he became aware of other Lay Servant clas-ses, which he also signed up for: the Basic, Preaching and Leading Worship. He found out to be a Certi-fied Lay Speaker required several more classes which were available online. He enrolled the rest of them at BeADisciple.com. The January 2016 charge conference recommended him to be a Certified Lay Speaker, and then the Hawaii District Committee on Lay Servant Ministries called him for an interview and requested he deliver a sermon. This committee then recommended approval by the Cal-Pac Annual Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries. The approval took place on 3 April 2016. He is the first in our conference to be a Certified Lay Servant since the changes were made in the 2012 General Conference.

Congratulations, Bob!

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HOW TO WORKSHOP ON MARCH 19, 2016 AT AIEA KOREAN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

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HAWAII UNITED METHODIST UNION 20 South Vineyard Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 536-1864 Email: hawaiidistrict@calpacumc.org

KA LEO MEKOKIKO March - April 2016

Hawaii District Conference…..…...……..…….. P. 1

32nd Annual Conference …….….………...… P. 1

Pre-Retirement Workshop...…………………....P. 4

Robert Mansfield……….……...……...… ………P. 4

Pictures of the How-To Workshop ..….……... P. 5

DISTRICT CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2016

March 29 Lay Servant Ministries Tues-day Series, 7pm-9pm Aiea UMC

Mon., May 2 Annual Conference Bus Transportation Forms

Deadline to Turn in Forms to District Office

Fri., April 1 Lay Servant Ministries Spring Courses Begin Aiea UMC Sat., May 21 Kilohana UMC Concert Fund-

raiser, 7:00 pm McKinley High School Auditorium

Sat., April 2 UMM Men’s Volleyball & Bar-B-Que, 9am-1pm

Neal Blaisdell Park, Aiea, Picnic Site 1 May 26-29 Men’s Walk to Emmaus (Location TBA)

Sat., April 16 Harris UMC Rummage Sale, 9am-1pm Harris UMC Mon., May

30 Memorial Day District Ofc is Closed

Thu., April 21 HCOM Meeting, 9am District Office Jun. 16-18 32nd Annual Conference Redlands Univ., CA

Fri., April 29 Pre-Retirement Workshop, 9am-4pm Aiea Korean UMC Mon., July 4 Independence Day District Ofc. Is Closed

Sat., April 30 District Conference, 10am Aiea Korean UMC Mon., Sep. 5 Labor Day District Ofc. Is Closed