A Message From Pastor Dan
Dear First Prez Ohana,
You are on my mind and heart.
The past two years have been tremendously difficult. I know we’re still processing and stabilizing from the challenges we faced together. However, I am filled with gratitude in remembering the ways God has been faithful to this church family, and I want to lead us to recognize that we have a divine hope and a reason to look forward to 2023. Praise God!
As we move beyond the pandemic together, I’d like to celebrate some of the wonderful things God has been doing through His church at First Prez and which will shine a light on some of the things we believe God is leading us to pursue in our year ahead.
Just to recap our past couple of years:
In early March 2020, news of the COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us at First Prez to adapt quickly to sudden and unstable conditions. We had never before considered the possibility that people might be restricted from gathering. How would the church even function? When we were not allowed to gather, our worship, tech, video and communications teams very quickly came up with a solution: online church services. It was something we had never done before, so we had to invent quickly and execute week after week for about a year-and-a-half. In those 18 months God brought about 1,000 viewers on a given Sunday, and 300+ new commitments and recommitments to follow Jesus. Viewers were from all over the US, the UK, Netherlands, Finland, Guam, France, Australia, Canada, Austria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and the Philippines— over 32 countries in all. All 50 states had FPC viewers at one time or another. Our Lord told us to go and make disciples of all nations. We never dreamed it would happen in this way. He told us to spread the gospel both locally and internationally…as He said, “ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts. 1:8)
Halfway through 2021, restrictions started lifting and the church staff faced another challenge–how to gather safely and accommodate varying levels of safety (and desire) to gather in person. There immediately evolved a sharp distinction between coming in person to church and coming online to church. We now had two types of congregations to serve – in person and online. The livestream crew needed to be built and developed to execute this technical feat each week!
By God’s grace we have stayed the course and did our very best to love Him and love His people (that’s you) through it all. We never stopped gathering, worshiping, preaching and teaching, breaking bread together, and serving the community. Praise God for making what seemed impossible, possible. We learned first hand that God is not limited by restrictions or location, and what a privilege it has been to build the Kingdom of God during this significant time in our world history.
The staff team has been continuously seeking the Lord through it all, and we are currently asking Him to give us His vision for 2023. We may not have all the answers today (and if there’s one thing we learned through the pandemic, it's that “plans change”), but I wanted to answer three of the most frequent questions people ask us.
WORSHIP–
Are online services here to stay?
We praise God that our worship attendance is higher than it was before the 2020 pre-Covid season. About 25 percent of the 1200 or so who participate in our Sunday worship services (not including those who watch it other than Sunday) gather in person (about 335 attendees). Since there are many who worship through our live streaming, online services are here to stay. We plan to always have in-person worship plus live-streaming, and give people the opportunity to receive a recorded version of it later on our website along with the sermon text.
Our hope is that more and more people will come in person to church for not only worship but to participate in the many gatherings and courses we offer. The Church has always been about in-person community. That personal contact is important and is life-giving. We understand right now people have health concerns and are grateful to worship with our church family, whether in person or online.
KOʻOLAU BALLROOMS–
How is it doing? How does it fit into our church ministry?
We praise God that financially Koʻolau Ballrooms (KB) is doing really well. There was a pent-up demand for the community to be together again in graduations, proms, parties, and seminars. This past May was KB’s most profitable month in its entire history. It was always part of our ministry plan that KB would contribute at least $40,000 a month to our church to cover costs, like our utilities, and provide some porter service as needed (though we still need volunteer help for things like setting up and taking down for Sunday services). We are grateful that now the COVID prohibition for meeting has ended, and we can go back to our original plan.
Many have asked us if the Sunday morning plate lunch meals are going to return soon. The wonderful meals supplied by Koʻolau Ballrooms were unfortunately not a break-even activity for them. However, we recognize the significance of how sharing meals together promotes community and fellowship, and so we are prayerfully exploring and piloting new ways to “break bread” with one another again.
HAKUHIA–
Tell me again, how does Hakuhia fit into our churchʻs discipleship evangelism strategy?
Just to review – we currently steward the 246 acres of preservation land formerly known as Koʻolau Golf Course in Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu. The church feels strongly it is time to reimagine other uses for the land that are more aligned to the service mission of the church and needs of the local community. FPC created a new nonprofit sister organization named Hakuhia thatʻs committed to a stewardship vision for the ʻāina that serves the broader community.
Hakuhia means to invent, to innovate. By remembering, connecting, and redeeming, Hakuhia will create a renewed place of healing and restoration for our community. Hakuhia is a vision where both the ʻāina and people flourish. It is the place where Ka hia a ka Haku (the delight of the Lord) takes place. Hence, in short, we believe that Hakuhia means “The Lordʻs delight/joy.”
It is Godʻs delight that we are living out what it means to be a follower of Jesus in that as far back as Genesis, the Lord told Adam to preserve and protect that land and its creatures.
It is our plan to have someone to lease the land and implement our quintuple bottom line –
Give Glory to God
Lift Up and Learn from the Native Hawaiian Community
Broaden the Community Use of the Land (not just golfers)
Practice Environmental Stewardship
Be Financially Responsible.
It will take years to make this vision a reality as there is still much planning and the need to get necessary permits. Right now the cost of maintaining the land is minimal.
Hakuhia is not an off-strategy initiative but an innovation. We believe Hakuhia gives the world a new model for evangelism and discipleship. It paves a new way for unchurched people to learn about God through the land. In the past, just giving platitudes of what to believe might convince people to follow Jesus. But today, with a growing non-Christian society and the increase in the number of agnostics, atheists, and people who reject formal ways of church, Hakuhia gives a new opportunity to present the gospel through creation care, justice, and building relationships as we work the ʻāina to serve the community. This will be in addition to all of our more traditional ways of discipleship of Bible studies and small groups.
There is a verse in the hymn “Amazing Grace” that says: “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; 'Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
I think that aptly fits the season of these last few years. But God is good. His grace is real and sustaining.
Lord, we ask You to continue to lead our church as we gather in a variety of ways, hopeful to bear much fruit in our souls and in our land. In Christ’s name, Amen!!!