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available here

Welcome to Christ Memorial Episcopal Church. We are devoted to following the life and teachings of Jesus, the Christ.  

We hope your experience worshiping with us will bless and enrich your life. 

People of all faiths are welcome to worship with us on Sunday.

Foran online service, join us at 9:30 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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Falling Upward; A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

by Richard Rohr

Online Book Study via Zoom with The Rev. Scott Lee.

Thursdays from

August 24 – October 5

Class Schedule:

1. August 24 – Introduction and Chapter One

2. August 31 – Chapters Two and Three

3. September 7 - no meeting

4. September 14 – Chapters Four and Five

5. September 21 – Chapters Six and Seven

6. September 28 – Chapters Eight, Nine and Ten

7. October 5 – Chapters Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen

8. October 12 – Coda and Reflection

To join the zoom class meetings go to our website, christmemorialkauai.org and click on 'connect to Sunday worship' at 9:00 am on Thursdays.

September 11, 2023

Aloha Beloved Diocesan ‘Ohana and friends,

A few weeks have passed since the Bishop’s Pastoral Note to us, written after his trip to Maui right after the wildfires. In his message, he mentioned I would be spending a few days each week on-island offering the in-person support of the Diocesan Support Center (DSC) to Holy Innocents and in any place or moment where it is needed or would be helpful. With three of these weekly trips taken, and the most immediate and expedient response at least begun, I write to offer a summary of where things are at the moment.

Holy Innocents, Lāhainā

The first undertaking was to get accurate information about the congregation members of Holy Innocents, and connect with them as best we could. Bruce DeGooyer, Donna Tarsitano, and I worked through old copies of directories and prayed and talked through all of the names there. With this work completed (and through subsequent updates), we can confirm that within the congregation, there was one death and nine who lost their homes. Diocesan and local congregational support from other Churches on Maui have been made available, but of course it is an evolving situation.

The plan at the moment is to remove all possible burdens from the shoulders of the people and leadership of Holy Innocents. Congregational finances, with the exception of a helping/alms account, will move to the Diocesan Support Center after a process of review for full transparency. As you might expect, there are a host of accounts to close, insurance to deal with, etc. The goal is that the Holy Innocents faithful won’t have these other things to worry about, so that they can just “be.” One Holy Innocents’ member responded to these words at a recent gathering and liturgy “…and being is hard enough right now.” Diocesan Council had already voted that no further assessments would be charged to Holy Innocents, and, after all contracts and agreements have been settled, their status will change to a “Preaching Station” (like Holy Cross in Kahuku). With the help of a newly-licensed Lay Worship Leader, we look to have regular worship, in at least one house-church-like setting (though not necessarily literally in a house) with periodic additions of clergy for Eucharist. Their mail is being forwarded to Good Shepherd at the moment, with the exception of bills and other accounts which are being transferred to the Diocesan Support Center.

We still do not have full access to the Church or Cemetery sites, but two parishioners were able to gain access with police escort and have retrieved the metal cross from the top of the church which very surprisingly survived, and some records from the safe which are somewhat scorched and fragile (some, we believe, are from the 1860s, as both a Church in Lahaina and a Cathedral in Honolulu were desired by the Ali‘i as two of the first locations). We have been told by preservation experts to leave these records double-bagged and sealed as the ashes they comingled with may well be toxic. They are safe, and we await the best information as to how to effectively clean and protect them.

Holy Innocents’ Preschool

It has been a privilege to spend time and planning energies with the Holy Innocents’ Preschool and Board. The preschool is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Church and the focus of our time is to assist them and their board in moving forward. Diocesan Council had previously voted to financially cover salaries and benefits for Holy Innocents’ employees, which, with Bruce DeGooyer’s retirement, encompasses a part-time Church administrator as well as the school staff. Several of the school staff have also lost homes, so please keep them in your prayers as well.

A Cup of Cold Water

It is a powerful experience to witness and share in the transformational ministry of A Cup of Cold Water. They continue to do amazing work on the ground, ongoing as it has always been and ready to engage again if deployed to assist. Your tremendous generosity of prayers and financial support has been received, and they have also heard from so many from across the globe. Working with the board, our current discussions focus on the most appropriate and effective use of the funds at their disposal.

Church Insurance and Episcopal Relief and Development

Many of us in the DSC have spent hours working with them, and can report that both have been exceptionally helpful and generous in their time, energy, and resources through Zoom gatherings, phone calls, emails (and of course financial support).

Maui Missioner

Our long-term planning includes finding and hiring a “Missioner” – someone who can support our ongoing relief efforts, coordinating with our congregations and relief organizations, connecting with Holy Innocents members specifically, and acting as our liaison with governmental and other organizations. We are thankful for Episcopal Relief and Development for providing job description templates used by Louisiana and Northern California as they responded to their own tragedies in the past. We hope to post this position very soon.

For the time being, I continue to be on Maui two days each week and have had the privilege to work with

• Holy Innocents’ people and leadership (a particular thank you goes out to Bruce, the retiring Vicar, Donna, the Bishop’s Warden, for our many meetings, and Conor Bezane, Holy Innocents’ administrator who is helping with Mission coordination and communication)

• Trip Lynch, who is assisting with transparency of the finances as things shift over to the Diocesan Support Center (and for both Trip and Deb for offering their ‘Ohana as a place for me to stay and coordinate work from)

• The good and faithful people of Good Shepherd (in particular The Rev. Moki Hino and Cora Brown, who have been so very accommodating and caring of the people of Holy Innocents, and the “Women of Good Shepherd” who have done everything from helping individual members with gift cards and other details to making an inordinate number of Spam musubi and laulau for rescue workers).

• The ACCW Board and volunteers – I was privileged to go on two runs with the ACCW van and meet with their board in person during this last visit.

• The Preschool Board and staff

I am truly humbled by both the faith, generosity, and the resilience of everyone I’ve interacted with.

Back at the office, special thanks must go to Rae Costa, who has tirelessly worked with the various corporations to bring things to a good close, Sam Okita who’s getting ready to work with all of the finances, Nani Carroll who’s somehow keeping everything and everyone together in the midst of so much activity, and Brett Johnson who has an eye on our various projects while our attention is pulled in so many different directions.

Mahalo to you all for your prayers and donations. As the niece of the artist who painted the “Hawaiian Madonna and Child” told me recently in an email: “Belief in a better tomorrow binds us all.” We know we’re all in this together for the long haul, and by the grace and mercy of God will continue to offer works of mercy and live lives of hope.

For the latest information and links to assistance (giving or receiving) please visit: https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/maui-relief.html

Mahalo & God bless,

Sandy+

The Rev. Cn. Alexander (Sandy) Graham

Canon to the Bishop

The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i

DEDICATED WEBPAGE: The Diocese of Hawai'i has set up a dedicated webpage on the main website that will contain the latest information, resources, and updates about Maui recovery efforts, as we receive them. Click HERE to go there now. You can also visit the Diocese's Facebook page HERE where photos and other info are widely shared.

We remember The Madonna and Child mural from The Holy Innocents church

Holy Innocents in Lahaina was destroyed, but amazingly, the church sign, bearing a cropped copy of the iconic and now destroyed altar mural, was left virtually unscathed. 

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

988 Suicide & Crisis

Lifeline is Here!

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now in full effect nationwide. Similar to the 911 emergency phone number, dialing 988 will connect a caller directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and to a trained counselor.

Sunday school will be held at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall across from Christ Memorial with beloved teacher Leona.

Aloha ke akua.

Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop in Kilauea is seeking Volunteers for 2023.

Each volunteer shift is a 2-4 hour commitment for a minimum of one day per week. Experience in Retail, Customer Service, and/or Retail a plus, but not required.

Volunteers are invaluable to serving our community. Our goal is to reuse, repurpose and recycle goods — keeping as much as possible out of landfill — while providing our community with access to reasonably priced, quality merchandise.

Here are ways you can help:

* Greeters welcome shoppers and monitor our COVID guidelines.

* Customer Care helps shoppers to ensure a pleasant shopping experience.

* Merchandisers organize departments, restock the floor and display retail goods.

* Philanthropy distributes merchandise to organizations in need.

* Donation Intakers receive, sort and process donations.

Work-from-Home volunteers help prepare merchandise for sale. We are especially looking for help in these areas:

* Games: checking games to ensure all components are intact

* Stationery: packaging up cards and envelopes

* Holidays: preparing merchandise for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentines, 4th of July, and more

* School, Office, Art Craft Supplies: organizing and packaging materials for reuse

* Toys: sorting, cleaning, and packaging toys

* Hardware: sorting and packaging tools, materials, electronics and appliances

Requirements?

*Team players with a genuine interest in serving the community and contributing to the reuse movement.

* Willingness to support COVID-19 safety measures set by Shared Blessings

* Physically able to lift 50 pounds (Merchandisers and Donation Intakers only)

Benefits?

Serving the community and our environment is rewarding work. We have a lot of fun! New merchandise is donated daily, so the element of surprise and wonder is constant. Get a first peek and more!

Interested?

Click on the reply button here! Let us know 1) your interests, 2) your availability to volunteer and 3) your contact information. Mahalo!

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: Rae, Sylas, Sid, Jo, Charlyn, Erin, Wyatt, the Wills family, Marcie, Miranda, Dan, Niles, Robbie, Elise, Jane, Amelia, Margaret, Gordon, Dale, Webb, Linda, David, Helen, Tony, Anthony, Penny, Dwight, Tommy, Jennifer, The Bowman family, We pray also for the people and leadership of Ukraine and the people of Russia who wish for peace and an end to the war; and for the people and land of Maui -- those who have lost their loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods.     

We pray that you will bring people together in worship. Enliven your church and bless 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. 

Are there others? Send a prayer list request to christmemorialkilauea@gmail.com

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.