Are you serving this Sunday? Would you be interested in reading at either service (zoom or in person)? You can view what positions are

available here

We Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and are part of the third largest group of Christians in the world.

We believe in following the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world. We have a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; women and men serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church.

Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God, and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation.

We believe that God loves you – no exceptions.

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Dear Friends of Christ Memorial,  

2022 is almost over and a new church year will begin with Advent, a much anticipated and beautiful church season. While we are still contending with Covid in its many forms we have continued to pursue our hopes, dreams and goals for our church this past year.  

BUILDING A NEW VICARAGE continues to be one of our major projects. It is critical that we provide a stable living environment for clergy as it is very difficult to find a place to live on Kauai. Those who own property are offering it for short term/vacation rentals and long term housing is simply not available. Our 2 bedroom, 2 bath vicarage will be on our church property next to the sanctuary. The septic system has been installed and we are still on schedule to have a completed vicarage during the summer of 2023.  

OUR CLERGY IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM continues to be successful. During 2022 we have had wonderful clergy leading us. They have provided beautiful worship services, and a weekly book/bible study series which has been a blessing and spiritual growth opportunity for us all.  

OUR PROCESS TO FIND A FULL TIME PRIEST is well under way. While we have loved our Clergy in Residence program we have decided to hire a permanent priest for CMEC. Under the guidance of the diocese we have a Search Committee leading this process. They have just completed a beautiful brochure profiling our church which will be used in our job posting. Our goal is to have a permanent priest by summer of 2023.  

CMEC OUTREACH is alive and well. Our Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop provides significant opportunities to help our community, the entire north shore of Kauai and our church. Our much loved Helen Mitsui decided (after 35 plus years and at age 96) to retire from the day to day operation of the thrift shop but she is our emeritus director and still gives us advice and counsel from her home. We continue to offer essential goods at a very low price and pass items we can’t sell in our shop to Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, YWCA, local schools and other nonprofits on Kauai. Most nonprofits on Kauai have a mission to keep useable items out of the landfill. Our donation site is the largest on the north shore after the transfer station. Our landfill is predicted to be full in 7 years so supporting our environment in this way is critical for us on Kauai.  

OUR ZOOM CHURCH FAMILY is still with us. Approximately 12 to 15 people attend our worship service thru zoom each week. We have gotten to know and love some amazing people thru this unexpected worship opportunity. A great example of something negative (COVID) turning into something wonderful (OUR ZOOM CHURCH FAMILY). Seasonal members as well as vacationers join us regularly. All are welcome to join by going to our website christmemorialkauai.org, 

scrolling down to Connect to Sunday Worship and clicking on. Our Zoom service is at 9:30 am. You may also access the bulletin from the website.  

Mahalo to all who support Christ Memorial by giving their time, talent and treasure. We are a small congregation but we have a big heart for helping our community. We are looking forward to 2023 and ask that you pray for us as we build our vicarage and seek God’s will for a new spiritual leader for our church. 

Some of the things for which we need funding are ongoing maintenance of our grounds and buildings, furnishings and appliances for our new vicarage and continual expenses to keep the thrift shop in business. Your donation to Christ Memorial will help us continue and expand our mission to represent Christ here on the north shore of Kauai. Any support you can give will be sincerely appreciated by all your Christ Memorial Family. 

Wishing you a joyful Christmas as we celebrate Jesus’ birth.  

Blessings, 

Rebecca Hullum 

Bishop’s Warden 

on behalf of the Bishop’s Committee of CMEC 

Engaging the Word: Approaching the Bible with skepticism and devotion  

November 3 to December 15 

Join us on Thursday mornings at 9 AM on zoom as we explore the Book that is at the heart of our Judeo-Christian heritage and the center of our Anglican tripod of “Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.” Why do we read the Bible? What has been and is the role of interpretation? Do different translations lead to different understandings? Does the Bible have anything to do with my actions, ethics, and politics in the world today?  

We will consider these and other questions in three sessions, then take a break on Thanksgiving Day, and return to look at the Gospel of Mark, the oldest (and shortest) of the four canonical gospels to see how this early Christian writer influences our understanding of how God works in our lives right now. 

To access this class please go to our CMEC website at christmemorialkauai.org, scroll down to “connect to Sunday Worship" and click. 

Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in Kilauea is now receiving names for a full-time Vicar, through December 31, 2022. We are currently building a vicarage on campus that should be completed by summer 2023. For more information and to view the church profile, visit the Diocesan website HERE.

October 16, 2022

An Update from The Search Committee

We have exciting news! The Christ Memorial Episcopal Church Profile and Office of Transition Ministry questionnaire were completed and accepted by the Bishops Committee and the Diocese October 7! This paves the way for the posting of our Vicar position in the Diocesan Website, Province 8 and National Transition Minister Groups, and Episcopal News Service . It is estimated that 100,000 clergy

and lay ministers, administrators and other active and involved Christians will become aware of our Vicar position opening!

Applicants will be accepted until December 31, 2022 and then the Search Committee and Bishops Committee will begin the review and evaluation process.

I wish to acknowledge the help and support of the Search Committee members who have contributed to this progress through their prayers and support: Judy Wakumoto, Carolyn Lauro and especially Branch

and Melody Lotspeich.

Chair, Dale Sands

A prayer for transition:

Almighty God, look graciously on the people of Christ Memorial Episcopal Church. Be with us and lead us as we seek a priest for our church. We ask your direction and guidance for those who shall recommend and choose our new spiritual leader, that we may receive a faithful pastor who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries. Grant us perception, faithfulness, patience and joy, so that we may hear your voice in all our deliberations. Grant us also the desire and the ability to truly hear each other and those who have entrusted us with this process. Give us courage to respond and act as you lead us. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

TIPS FROM LOT'S LIST - "Pull plants requiring more water. Plant a tree that is suitable for the site you choose. Purchase native trees and shrubs. They are more drought tolerant besides being at risk for extinction."

Check out the latest news from the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i here

PASSING DOWN A TRADITION OF WISDOM

By: Peter Levenstrong

Hilda of Whitby

Peter replied to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to his disciples, “…Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.”

During my last year in college, just as I was beginning my own faith journey, I learned about the Episcopal Service Corps (ESC). It became a transformational yearlong journey of community living, reflection, prayer, and work in service of the city I had been transplanted to: St. Louis, MO. There were seven of us. living and praying together, sharing meals. Each of us, though, went out individually into the world to the nonprofits to which we had been assigned. We followed a Benedictine rule of life, and you wouldn’t be mistaken for noticing the parallels between the communal living arrangements of our service corps program and the ancient monastic traditions of the church.

Today’s saint, Hilda of Whitby, had a profound impact on these very traditions. She was abbess at several monastic communities throughout her life, and was instrumental in the Christianisation of Anglo-Saxon England during her life in the 7th Century. Until her death on November 18, 680 AD, she was consulted frequently by kings and other powerful figures, seeking her for her renowned wisdom. 

Today, one of the Episcopal Service Corps program houses is named after Hilda of Whitby – St. Hilda’s House in New Haven, CT. Although I was not part of that program, I’ve since gotten to know that program well, admiring St. Hilda through the lens of her ongoing legacy in the Episcopal Church. Every year, a new group of young adults joins the Episcopal Service Corps seeking wisdom and experience in service, prayer, and community. 

The connection between wisdom and monasticism is one that endures, and is worth exploring. For as long as there’s been a tradition of monasticism in Christianity, Christians have revered monastics as people with a particular access to wisdom that eludes the rest of us worldly folk. Many would say that this wisdom is at least partially what Jesus is talking about in the above quote from Matthew chapter 19, which commemorates St. Hilda. 

This hundredfold reward does not come easily, but by way of renouncing siblings, parents, children, and property. Yet, the reward is greater: heavenly wisdom, which cannot be bought and has been with God since the beginning of time. Such wisdom comes only through hard-won experience. 

Perhaps the point is that we must be free of worldly trappings in order to clear our mind & desires; perhaps it refers to the way that wisdom must be accumulated slowly, through prayer and deep focus. Perhaps again it simply is a fact that one must remove themselves from the drama of the worldly existence in order to perceive it more clearly. An outsider’s perspective is often the most accurate. 

Today, we venerate St. Hilda for her wisdom, and the way in which she shared it with those of us non-monastics who seek it. May it help us all to find a deeper, more lasting peace.

A gathering of community storytellers speaking to theme of 'the power of positive thinking'. Join this special event on

Sunday November 20th

4:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

Tickets available at the 'Learn more.." button below

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others. We remember especially those on our prayer list. Healing of body, mind and spirit for: Webb, David, Linda, David, Helen, Mary, Sandy, Bev, Jeanne, Chris, Carole, Elizabeth, Robert, Chloe and the Knaus family, Cannon Sandy and his family, Ululani Hopkins Duncan and the Duncan family, those affected by the storms on the mainland, and for the leadership and people of Ukraine. We pray that you will bring people together in worship. Enliven your church and bless Michael our musician, our clergy and lay leadership. We pray for our sibling Episcopal congregations on Kauai: St John and St Pauls, St Michael & All Angels, and All Saints, and for all churches on the North Shore. We pray for our own congregation of Christ Memorial, Kilauea for those present, online and absent - that all of us together may be united in your ministry. 

THRIFT SHOP MISSION STATEMENT:

Our goal is to provide our community with reasonably priced, quality merchandise. We will reuse, repurpose and recycle goods and keep as much as possible out of the landfill in an effort to help Kauai and our planet toward Zero Waste. Above all we will show compassion, kindness and tolerance to each other and our community.