At the annual meeting of the Convention of the Diocese of Hawaiʻi in October, the clergy and elected delegates overwhelmingly resolved to have this Diocese address “the climate crisis and global warming, to urgently accelerate and expand the level of discourse on these topics with the members of the congregations.” Please take a look at the full text of the adopted resolution and share it within your congregation – especially with the members of your Vestry/Bishop’s Committee.

We resolved to do some things within our congregations:

Grants from the Diocesan 2022 budget and from some reserve funds are available on a limited basis to assist congregations with “greening” their buildings (e.g., LED lightbulbs, energy efficiency improvements, etc.) and to help with the cost of energy audits. Applications for such grants will be entertained with other grants requests from congregations. An online application form will soon be posted for all grant requests. READ FULL MESSAGE HERE

During each Wednesday in the Lenten Season (March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and April 6), Bishop Bob will offer a pre-recorded study of the Book of Job and the nature of suffering. These reflections will be posted on the Diocesan website each Wednesday in Lent, and can be used for personal study and reflection, or with small groups. Bishop Bob will provide questions for personal reflection or group discussions. He encourages you to have a Bible for reference and prayerful reading. He will be using the Common English Bible (CEB) translation and he particularly recommends the The CEB Study Bible with Apocrypha for study. Whatever translation you most use will be fine, but it is important to have your Bible handy. Be on the lookout for more details in the coming weeks.

The Rev. Deacon Viliami Langi was laid to rest at Diamond Head Cemetary last Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Deacon Langi served at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Honolulu, and the wider Tongan community.

Celebrating at his funeral (pictured) from left are the Rev. David Gierlach, the Rev. Mafi Vakameilalo, the Rev. Imelda Padasdao, and the Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick.

The following is from the CC&EJ Task Force:

1. Some of our team members attended a gathering of local conservation and environmental leaders with some of our state senators and representatives to learn more about legislative efforts toward Climate Action. The recording of the event can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/iH7umMRHxzQ if you are interested in that discussion. The group has formed task force teams to work on different issues related to the climate crisis (i.e. carbon sequestration, carbon pricing, visitor impact fee/green fee, cesspool replacement, etc.). If you are being called to action in one of these areas, please contact Bree Lloyd ([email protected]) or Jenn Latham ([email protected]).

2. Are you looking at ways to be involved in local conservation/restoration efforts? Listed below are some wonderful organizations working in this area. Please feel free to share with the task force, other groups or organizations that your congregations are working with.

Mark your calendars and save the dates for the following online training sessions and forums led by the Diocesan Support Center team, through the month of February:

For more information and Zoom connection links, contact Rae Costa by email HERE or call (808) 536-7776, extension 326.

The latest installment in the Retired Clergy Families Talk Story Project is now posted on the Diocesan website HERE. This month, the Rev. Alison Dingley reflects about the late Rev. Jerry Gifford, and the Rev. Lynette Schaefer shares her journey to ordination. The Talk Story Project is a (growing) collection of stories from Diocesan-related retired clergy, spouses, and widows. Stay tuned for more updates!

Invite Welcome Connect (IWC), will be holding a digital gathering on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, from 10:00

AM-11:30 AM (HST). We invite you to join us for this time of sharing learnings & creative initiatives that have emerged out of the pandemic. The cost is $20. For more information and to register visit the IWC website HERE.

Due to rising numbers of COVID, Godly Play has added more online events! Click on the event links below for more information.

Hālau Waʻa Episcopal is hosting an Intro to Pickleball Clinic, open to everyone. Come to check it out. Come to learn. Come to meet people in your neighborhood! We will have professional instructors to lead us, teach us, and inspire us to get involved in something new! Great for young and old. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. Please register HERE to let us know that you are coming so that we have enough teachers!

All Saints' Episcopal Church in Kapa'a was honored to host the Rev. Dr. Mark Jefferson, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), as their guest Preacher.

Jefferson was also the guest speaker at the Annual Clergy Retreat held on January 25. The retreat was originally scheduled to be an in-person event held on Kaua'i, but went virtual after COVID-19 numbers surged.

The folks at All Saints' are very happy that he still came to Kaua'i, and has now become 'ohana! To listen to his sermon, watch the recorded service HERE (at approximately 29:00). (Photo from the All Saints' Facebook page)

[January 19, 2022] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was the keynote speaker January 17 at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance organized by the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Beloved Community Commemorative Service was livestreamed, and video of the event can be viewed on the King Center’s YouTube channel. Curry was among a limited number of participants speaking at the event in person. Others included Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. WATCH VIDEO

[January 24, 2022] An Episcopal church in Orlando, Florida, is offering free COVID-19 tests at night to meet the needs of neighbors who can’t make it to daytime clinics because of work or child care responsibilities. With at-home tests in short supply and the omicron variant surging in Florida, Christ the King Episcopal Church/Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret – two congregations worshiping in the same building – READ MORE

[January 21, 2022] Congregations across The Episcopal Church have long supported efforts to help people who are homeless, whether they are looking for a place to stay, a nourishing meal or friendly conversation. The urgency of such ministries increases during the winter months, when lack of shelter can become a life-threatening hazard. READ MORE

[January 20, 2022] Kirby Metoxen had long heard the stories of Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Indian Industrial School from his parents, grandparents and other elders on the Oneida Reservation in Wisconsin, just west of Green Bay. READ MORE

The Diocese has made available two very special publications for purchase: The Hawaiian Book of Common Prayer, with over 400 pages of translated biblical scirpture liturgical prayers and orders of service, including King Kamehameha IV's preface as translated by him into English, and Nā ‘Euanelio Hemolele - This lectionary-sized book contains the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in the Hawaiian-language, complete with diacritical marks. The book was a project of the Rev. Cn. Malcolm Naea Chun, 20 years in the making, and whose publication was funded by the Diocese's Commission on Native Hawaiian Ministry. There is also an option to buy these as a set for a discounted price. To order your copies today click HERE.

Be sure to stay informed with all the latest COVID-19 updates in Hawai'i through the State's portal HERE. You'll find latest news updates, stats, media resources, information on Safe Travels, Vaccination sites, and much more. Quick links to separate County vaccine webpages are shown below:

County of Kaua'i City & County of Honolulu Maui County Hawai'i County