The Annual Parish Meeting

January 25, 2026

The Annual Meeting of Church of the Holy Nativity was held this past Sunday, January 25. Rev. Libby, as Rector, presided at the meeting. David Callies served as Parliamentarian and Dan Muenzer, Clerk of the Vestry, served as Secretary. Bill Seeley and Lila Johnson served as tellers during the election. Stephanie Ching presented the approved parish budget for 2026; it was distributed as part of the Annual Report.

Rev. Libby opened the meeting with a reflection on the lessons appointed for the day. From Paul's first Letter to the early Christian community in Corinth, we were reminded that we all are baptized "in Christ," not "in Paul" or "in Apollos." So we should engage our brothers and sisters in the church in unity.

The Gospel lesson for the day was the story of the "call" of the first disciples, which reminded us of the way they responded immediately to Jesus and followed him.

May we all do the same, as we engage in continuing ministry and fellowship here

at HNC!

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Results of the Election:

Junior Warden: Justin Donahue

Vestry members:

Erin Zitz (1-year term)

Aidan Greer (3-year term)

Beverly Toomey (3-year term)

Diocesan Convention Delegates

Jack Tonaki

Tusi Mayer

Kathy Otani

Alternates to the Diocesan Convention delegation:

1st Alternate--Justin Donahue

2nd Alternate--Adrienne Fung

Prayers for those who will be serving this year. Mahalo to all who stood for election for these positions!

A Message from the Diocese

All Episcopalians are invited to complete a 

15- to 20-minute survey offered by the Task Force to Study Household and Relationship Diversity and designed to help the church better understand and support all its members.

Created by General Convention in 2022, the task force seeks “to create opportunities for discussion, reflection, and deepening of understanding about existing diversity of family relationships and households among congregations, dioceses, and throughout The Episcopal Church.” 

Participants are encouraged to complete the survey by March 1.

For more information and the survey

Click HERE

Choosing Curiosity over Caution

–by Olga Noerper



Olga writes regularly in her personal blog about “living well.” In this article, she begins with a story about the adult dog, Buddy. her family adopted several years ago, after a life of abuse, and the 3-week old set of two kittens they adopted a few weeks ago, who were safe and sheltered at the Humane Society until they were adopted. Olga writes:

…[our pets’ different beginnings make] me think about us humans and the pain that some of us carry through life….How do we embrace our pasts, with all the pain and oftentimes sorrow that those pasts may bring, take the good lessons, and enjoy the fullness of life that each one of us deserves?

…I've been sitting with this question, watching these animals navigate their worlds

so differently.

In his book, The Wild Way, Michael [McRay] talks about… the "wildness" that we forget, as [challenging] experiences shape us into more timid versions of ourselves…"Most of us live by stories we never consciously chose," he writes. "Stories about what makes us worthy. What love should feel like. Who we have to be to belong. When those stories fall apart, we find ourselves in a wild place—uncertain, in-between, directionless…"

To bring me back to the kittens and Buddy…sometimes we just need to spend time with little kitties and humans who do not yet know the sorrow the world can inflict upon them. Observe them, learn from them, take their own curiosity and apply tiny bits of it to our own life.



So I want to ask you: What would you do today if you still had that kitten-like curiosity?!

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If you have responses to share with Olga, please send them to the church office at hncparish@gmail.com

New Day-by-Day available for

Feb/March/April



~REMINDERS~

Adult Formation in Lent

Offered by author

Kathleen Norris 

Kathleen Norris, an Episcopalian and NTY times bestselling author, will be with us as a facilitator in Lent, 2026, as we look into her book, Amazing Grace.

The series will begin

Sunday in Lent, February 22,

after coffee hour.

The series will continue online on Mondays at 12noon, beginning on March 1 and

concluding on or about Eastertide (April 5).

Books will be available in the parish office, at a cost of $30/participant

Please join us!

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Rev. Jenn will be guest preacher and celebrant at St. Matthew's, Waimanalo this Sun, Feb 1.

A Prayer for

Social Justice

Grant, O God,

that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer, p. 823)