Information for Visitors to LCH

Getting to LCH

The church is located in Makiki, on the corner of Dominis and Punahou, across from Punahou School. Here is several choices for information about getting to the church:

• If you will be coming by bus, LCH is located near bus routes 4, 5, and 18. Information about bus routes and nearby bus stops.
• If you are good with maps and want to find your own way, here is a Google Map showing the location of the church.
• If simple directions are enough, the links below will take you to directions from any part of O‘ahu.
  • Directions from Waikiki
  • Directions from downtown, windward, or leeward O‘ahu
  • Directions from East Honolulu

Parking

There is limited parking for newcomers in the lot behind the church at the corner of Dominis and Poki.

If the lot behind the church is full, please turn mauka (toward the mountains) on Poki Street and park in the church lot there. It is located just beyond the apartment building on the corner.

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Getting around the LCH Campus

Punahou Entrance—The church building is set back a little from Punahou Street and among some mature trees. The steps and walkway to the left of the picture will take you into the courtyard. If steps are a problem, the other entrances are fully accessible.

Parking Lot Entrance—If you park in the small lot behind the church, you can enter the courtyard directly from the parking lot. The entrance is to the right of the red church sign, and there is a designated handicap parking spot in front of the sign and just to the left of the entrance. The white car in the picture is in one of three spots to the left of the entrance that are reserved for visitors on Sunday mornings.

Dominis Entrance—If you park in the Poki Lot, just walk back to the corner of Poki and Dominis and cross the street. You can enter the campus through the gateway to the left of the red church sign. The walkway will take you past the church office and the restrooms, and to your left you’ll find a ramp down into the courtyard.

Hörmann Courtyard—The courtyard is our main social space. Our “regulars” will probably greet you and help you get settled in, and we have some official greeters as well. Between the two morning services and after the second service, feel free to get some coffee or other refreshments from the table and join in the conversation. Worship services take place in the Nave, through the open doors in the picture to the left.

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What to Expect in Worship

Times and types of worship—From the first Sunday in June through mid or late August (June 6 through August 8, 2010), we have one morning worship service and one evening worship service every Sunday. We celebrate Holy Communion at our morning service, which alternates between two worship styles. You can find out more about these two distinctive styles by following the links below to our Worship page.

• 9:15 AM—Morning Worship
  • During the month of June and on July 5, we will worship in the “Choral Eucharist” style, which is a little more formal with more traditional hymns accompanied by organ. Special music is provided by the LCH Choir. The service includes both holy communion and a sermon, and it usually lasts about 75 minutes. Take a “virtual tour” of this worship service in the 10:30 Choral Eucharist Slideshow.
  • From July 12 through August 8, we will worship in the “Holy Communion” style, which is a little more informal with more contemporary music accompanied by piano, flute, and guitar. Special music is provided by the 8:00 O’Clock Ensemble. The service includes both holy communion and a sermon, and it lasts about an hour. Take a “virtual tour” of this worship service in the 8:00 Holy Communion Slideshow.
• 9:00 PM—Compline (Prayer at the Close of Day)—This service comes from the monastic tradition and is offered in candle light by the Compline Choir. The service consists mainly of chant and other music sung by the choir, along with short scripture lessons and spoken prayers. Many find it very serene and meditative. It lasts about 30 minutes.

During the rest of the year (mid or late August through May) we have two Sunday morning worship service at 8:00 and 10:30 AM.

As you enter Hörmann Courtyard, you will be welcomed by the “regulars,” but you will also usually see members of our Aloha Team in the center of the courtyard. Aloha Team members will give you a hand-made yarn or ribbon lei to welcome you and can answer any questions you have.

Inside the Nave an usher will hand you a bulletin (and perhaps a liturgy booklet) and help you find a seat. The bulletin lists the hymns, lessons, prayers, and special music that change from week to week. There are a couple of hymnals in the pews, and the pastor will identify the book we will use that day at the beginning of worship. We either follow one of the liturgies in the cranberry-colored Evangelical Lutheran Worship or a separate liturgy booklet for that Sunday or season. If you’re not familiar with Lutheran worship, the form is similar to that used in Catholic or Episcopal churches. But don’t worry if it’s all new to you; one of the people sitting near you will be happy to help you follow along.

There are no reserved seats, so feel free to sit anywhere you’d like.

We like to welcome our guests, so the pastor may ask if there are any visitors. Feel free to give your name and tell us where you are from, but if you’re shy, it’s OK to wait until you feel more comfortable. There are visitor cards in the pews and a guest book outside for you to sign if you’d like.

About the middle of the service, we receive our offering. You don’t have to put anything in the offering plate, though you are certainly welcome to if you would like. Our members and regular attenders freely give to support our ministries.

Children in worship—Nursery care is provided all morning, but LCH is also family friendly, so many parents bring both their older and younger children to worship. We know that God loves each of us the way we are, so we don’t mind a little crying or laughing from our young folks. There is a children’s conversation before the sermon, and some children go out to child care when the children’s conversation is over. Others stay through the whole service. One of the ushers will be happy to help you get to nursery care if you want.

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What to Expect from People

People at LCH are very welcoming. Don’t be surprised if you are invited into their conversations.

Some people identify coffee hour as a sacred time for Lutherans, so don’t be surprised if there is a crowd around the coffee pot. Please feel free to get a cup or to have some of the other refreshments between morning services or after the second service.

A good way to meet people is by participating in Christian education at 9:10 AM. Visitors—both young and old—are welcome in Sunday School or the adult forum. Information about the Sunday School curriculum is available in the Children and Youth section. The adult forum covers a wide range of topics from our Lutheran heritage to social and political issues to studies of other religions. Adult forum topics are usually posted in the Adult Education and Small Groups section.

What if You can’t Visit Right Now...

If you can’t make it now, you’re welcome any time.

Until then, please consider joining us for a special worship service—whether at Christmas, Easter, or another time of the year—or for a concert. These events are listed in advance on our online calendar and on the Home page a week or two in advance.

Also, please feel free to explore the website and find out more about us. The categories at the top of each web page will help you find your way around, or you can search the entire site using our own Google search page or the search box near the bottom of the blue navigation section at the left of every page.

If you have a spiritual question or concern, you are welcome to call the church at 941-2566 and ask to speak to the pastor, or you can email Pastor Jeff Lilley.

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1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96822 • 808-941-2566
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