November 24, 2019
Christ the King Sunday
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
8:00 am and 9:30 am
Holy Baptism at the 9:30 service

Morning Coffee Inspiration from Pastor Gae

Aloha Friends,

 In my 20 years of ordained work in the church, I’ve been involved with many church outreach ministries providing assistance to children and adults. Monthly food bank collection, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas giving trees, weekly worship at a women’s prison and assisted living facilities, thrift shop, Habitat for Humanity, Family Promise, and Sudanese refugee resettlement were some of them.
This Sunday, we will be baptizing an adult into the Body of Christ and all of us will be renewing our baptismal covenant again. One of the promises she will make — and we all will reaffirm — is “to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself.”

I’m certain we all have learned that living out this promise is not as easy as it appears. It’s easy to love our children, our partner, our family and our close friends. It’s not quite so easy to learn to love those who are outside that circle. It can only happen when we abandon judgment of each other by truly understanding that “The Christ” is in all persons, including ourselves. We all are loved unconditionally by God, no exception. 
So, how do church outreach ministries help us to live out this promise?

First, church outreach always begins with prayer. We pray for the spirit to guide us with the work we are going to do and for the people we are going to be serving. Church outreach ministry is grounded in the truth that the people we are serving are actually serving us. It is a mutual ministry.
What do I mean? An example in my life — I admit I had preconceived judgments about people in prison until I had the opportunity to go to the prison and participate in worship. There were women who were “lifers” because of murder. Most were there because of drug issues and very bad choices. What I experienced were wounded women who were learning how much they needed Jesus in their life.

They were learning that the “The Christ” was already there, the true essence of who they are. My story certainly wasn’t as dramatic but I realized that I too was learning the true essence of who I am and how much I needed Jesus in my life. 

The experience of going to the prison expanded my heart. I learned how to love just a little bit more. And so, who was serving who? 

This is what makes church ministry different than a social service. Social service is of great benefit, don’t get me wrong. But in social service it’s “us serving them.” In church ministry, we come to know that we are blessed by the people we serve. Lots of issues come up for us to talk through with the scripture and prayer as our guide. We are reminded that God brought us all together. 

As always, please share your thoughts and experiences. We’re all on this incredible, wonderful journey together! I hope you will be with me this Sunday as we celebrate a baptism and renew our baptismal promises.

Joy, joy, joy,
Paster Gae+

Thought for the day: “If I knew your story, I could not help but love you.” ~author unknown

CONNECT
Christ Memorial Episcopal Church Stewardship Time 
This Sunday we will be asking God’s blessing on our pledge offerings
This is My Offering
Prayer:   

Magnificent Holy Father. 
I stand before you at this altar. So many have given you more.
I may not have much I can offer. Yet what I have is truly yours. 
This is my offering, dear Lord. 
This is my offering to You, God .

As his testimony, Tommy Moran sang this Third Day song at worship last Sunday. It was beautiful! This is the essence of what Stewardship Time in our church is all about. We are called to remember that everything we have is from God. Of course, there is a practical side as well. The church must be good stewards of what our members give. And so, the Bishop’s Committee meets to discuss priorities for the upcoming year and the budget that will be necessary. We thank everyone for completing a Pledge Offering Card or making a pledge online. At the end of the newsletter is more information about pledging at Christ Memorial.
Work Morning
This Saturday, November 23 8:30 - 11:30 am

We are beautifying our campus to get ready for Advent. Come and help. There are jobs for everyone - tending to gravesites, polishing brass, washing the pews, cleaning up the sacristy, checking Christmas lights, and some maintenance jobs. Come for an hour or two! Sustenance provided!

Save the Date: Movie Night in the Hall
Friday, November 29
Meets in the Parish Hall
Parents drop kids off for a quiet evening!

 My Soul Cries Out! An Advent Quiet Morning
Saturday, November 30
Meets in the Christ Memorial Sanctuary
Pastor Gae and Pastor Phyllis Meighen will lead our morning retreat as we begin Advent, a time to hope, dream, imagine and expect new beginnings within ourselves and our world. As our guide for this year’s Advent Retreat, we’ll be using the joy filled folk tune, The Canticle of the Turning . Begin this year’s Advent with time to meditate on the lyrics, pray, hear from scripture, and maybe create a poem, a song, a collage or a drawing of your own. 

Pastor Gae is a certified Spiritual Director in the Jungian tradition and a priest at Christ Memorial. Pastor Phyllis is a UCC minister and Interim Pastor at Lihue Christian. She is also the Director of Resource for Christian Spirituality, an ecumenical outreach ministry at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church. 

Please make a reservation by emailing Pastor Gae at gdchalker@gmail.com

NEWS! Centering Prayer and Meditation
Beginning December 1, we will meet every Sunday!
4:00-5:00 pm
Our Centering Prayer group is open to all faiths and to anyone who is seeking a deeper meaning to their spiritual life along the Contemplative Path.

Each session, Pastor Gae gives meditation instruction followed by a bit of music and sacred reading, time to sit in silence, and time for observations and questions.

Cushions for the pews are provided.

Keiki - Fall Sunday School 
Every Sunday, 8:00 – 9:00 am
Meets in the Church Office

We welcome new students, as well as volunteers and parents to assist in our Sunday School program. For more information, contact Keana Oliveira keana@ischool.org or Leona Blankley at lcblankley@aol.com .
Men’s Fellowship
Every Monday at 9:00 am
Meets at Kilauea Bakery and Pizza

For more information, see Patrick O’Connell at worship or email him at paoco65@gmail.com

SERVE
Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop

What Would We Do Without our Tireless Work-At-Home Volunteers?

What would we do without our illuminating volunteers who painstakingly test our holiday lights before packaging them up for sale at our Thrift Store? On a daily basis, our cashiers — Craig, Ross, Bill, Steve, Rebecca — test all-things electrical to ensure operability, but a special shout out and big hug to Gordon who took home a years’ worth of stored lights and tested each and every strand. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Gordon is a retired electrical engineer. Mahalo Gordon!
Another call out to long--time parishioner Gwen who offered to roll and package an entire bin of fabric and quilting squares. Lickety-split, Gwen had it done on the same day, and honestly, all those holiday crafters bought them all up within a week! Nothing goes to waste at the thrift shop, so if you have left over fabric, pass it along, Mahalo Gwen!

Jigsaw puzzle solvers abound! Thank you to all of our parishioners, friends and visitors — who have taken home our donated puzzles after church, and again, painstakingly put them together to ensure all pieces are in tact and enabling us to resell them in the thrift shop. A special shout-out to Janice, who has been doing this work-at-home task solo for years, and Chanterelle and her family for making the biggest dent in our recent backstock of untested puzzles!

And wrapping it up! Mahalo nui loa to Margaret for taking home 30-40 rolls of holiday wrapping paper, tidying up the edges, and packaging them all up for re-sell at the thrift store, and honestly, they are selling faster than we can keep them stocked!
We have Gift Cards!

New this year, Helen Mitsui Shared Blessing Thrift Shop is selling gift certificates in any denomination. Keep in mind, for credit card sales, the minimum is $10. What better way to say mahalo to friends, family, colleagues, partners and neighbors than to share in the recycling and responsible consumption of goods on our island! Ask about gift certificates at our front desk during business hours. 
Thrift Shop Hours for Shopping and Donations

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 2:00 - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 9:30am - 12:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 3:00pm
Sunday: closed (fellowship 11am - 12pm)
Monday: closed

PRAY
Special Ministry of Christ Memorial ~ Open for Prayer
Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm
Feeling a little overwhelmed with life? Just drop in to Christ Memorial for a little peace and quiet.

One important ministry of Christ Memorial is the opening of our church doors, Monday through Friday, during the day. It’s amazing the number of people who drop in to pray, meditate, or just to seek a few minutes of quiet. Unfortunately fear has crept into many churches. Pastor Gae believes our country would be very different if all churches kept their doors unlocked.

Our Sunday prayer list includes those whom our visitors have asked us to pray.

Live off island? If you have a prayer intention or would like to pray for those on our prayer list, email Pastor Gae at gdchalker@gmail.com .

 GIVE


Christ Memorial Episcopal Church Stewardship Time 
This is My Offering
Most Commonly Asked Questions:

Why do we need to complete a Pledge offering card?

Completing the Pledge offering card enables the Treasurer and the Bishop’s Committee to create a budget for the church. To be part of the church collective means we all share in the cost of being church. We want our church to have inspiring worship; pastoral care for those in need; beautiful church grounds; programs to learn and grow; and tools to reach out to those who are seeking a closer relationship with God.    

Can I make my Pledge offering online?

Yes, just go to our website -    www.christmemorialkilauea.org

How do I pay my pledge?

You can set up payment of your Pledge offering in whatever way is easiest for your budget — weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. With cash, be sure to place in an envelope with your name in order to receive credit for tax purposes. We encourage you to coordinate regular online giving with your bank or use our PayPal service if you desire to pay with a credit card. 

Do I receive giving statements?

Semi-annual statements are sent to help you keep track of your giving. Annual statements are sent out for your tax charitable contribution. 

What if I am out of town? 

We appreciate the attentiveness to your Pledge offering. You can prepay it, mail it to the church office, or pay online by going to our website. 

What if a catastrophe strikes that changes my ability to honor my commitment?

Not ever to worry! Just contact the church office.   



Sharing our Property for Support and Recovery Groups
Christ Memorial wants to be known in the community as a healing place for the body, mind and spirit. We are seeking support and recovery groups to meet on the property, either in the Parish Hall or the Office. If you know of a group looking for a place to meet: grief support, eating disorders, anxiety, Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, etc., please tell them to contact us.

If you know of a group looking for a place to meet: grief support, eating disorders, anxiety, Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, etc., please tell them to contact Pastor Gae.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups meet at Christ Memorial Parish Hall every week on these days and times:

  • Tuesday at 10:00 am
  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Connect with the Diocese of Hawa i ' i

To keep up with the news from the Diocese of Hawai'i, please click on the buttons below:

Newsletter Mission: Our weekly newsletter was launched this year to inform our island community, as well as connect with our broader community of old and new friends, near and far. Whether you live on Kaua'i, visit seasonally or joined Christ Memorial for the first time during vacation, we welcome you into our global family. We endeavor to include inspiration, new ideas, practical advice and updates on news and events of Christ Memorial. Let us know how we can serve you best in 2019 by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at ChristMemorialKilauea@gmail.com

Have you met Pastor Gae? Pastor Gae wants to get to know you all – phone chats, home visits, morning coffees, afternoon teas or walks on the beach. Near or far, reach out to meet or share your thoughts at gdchalker@gmail.com or (623) 208-9436.
Christ Memorial Episcopal Church
2509 Kolo Road, Kilauea, HI 96754
Mailing: PO Box 293, Kilauea, HI 96754
Phone: (808) 482-4824

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