Category Archives: 125th Anniversary

125th Anniversary Book: Legacies and Blessings

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anniversary book coverLegacies and Blessings: Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu begins where For Beer and The Bible ended, the year 2000. It focuses on the people and the community of faith that is so vital to the fabric of LCH. The book is full of stories about servant leaders of our congregation and the God-given gifts they brought and shared with this community and the greater community. It illustrates how their gifts blessed others and contributed to the God’s mission and ministry. Using both narrative and picture, the book tells the story of LCH with the knowledge that our story and “our song goes on in endless praise.”

Click one one of the links below to download a digital copies in PDF (for viewing on your computer) or EPUB (for many e-readers) formats




There is no cost for the book. The cost of publication has been covered by generous donors. If you wish to give a donation for the book, that donation should go to the Mission Fund so we may continue to build that fund to accomplish its goals. Donations are welcome in-person at church or using the PayPal button on the right.

Thank you to all who made this book possible. Once you have your copy of the book, check out the last page and please say mahalo to all.

First Mondays Concert: Royal Hawaiian Band • Mon., Sept. 8, at 7:00 pm

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Royal Hawaiian BandJoin us on the eve of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s 125th anniversary! The Royal Hawaiian Band will kick off our celebration, honoring Bandmaster Henry Berger (1871–1915), who was also the first organist and a charter member of LCH.

All are invited to gather for pūpū in the Hörmann Courtyard and 6:15 pm.

First Mondays Concerts are free and supported by the generous sponsorship of the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation and other donors in the LCH ‘ohana. More information about sponsorship is available on our First Mondays Chamber Concerts page, or by contacting Dr. Barry Wenger, our director of music and liturgy and organist, at barryjwenger@gmail.com or by phone at 808-941-2566.

The September First Mondays Concert launches our “Music in Mission” model. With the cost of concerts covered by our generous sponsors, all donations by those attending each month’s concert will go to a non-profit organization on O‘ahu. This concert will benefit Angel Network Charities, a ministry located at Calvary-by-the-Sea Lutheran Church in ‘Āina Haina that provides food and services to those in need. In addition to your suggested donation of $20, please bring packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g., cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned food donations for their foodbank, which serves the elderly, families, children, and other individuals who struggle financially to make ends.

If you wish to make a donation to benefit this month’s non-profit, please go to this page.

Celebrating LCH’s 125th Anniversary • September 7–14

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125th Anniversary banner

Over the past 125 years, God has richly blessed the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and you are one of our many blessings. So, we are inviting members, friends, and former members to bless us once again with your presence at our Legacies and Blessings celebration events. Please join us, as together we will give thanks to God,
remember the past and look forward to the future. Together let’s rejoice and give thanks for God’s abundant blessings!

September 7—Worship with Eucharist at 10:00 am

  • The Rev. Dave Barber (pastor, 2000–2006) preaching and presiding.
    Fellowship time following the worship service.

September 8—First Mondays pūpū and concert featuring the Royal Hawaiian Band

  • 6:15 pm—All are invited to gather for pūpū the Hörmann Courtyard.
  • 7:00 pm—Royal Hawaiian Band concert

September 12—Remembering the Past at 6:00 pm

  • Inaugural viewing of the video LCH’s Legacies and Blessings—People, Places and Stories
  • Lecture For Beer and the Bible—One Hundred Years at Lutheran Church of Honolulu
    Author Dr. Sandra Wagner-Wright will share an evening of stories of her journey researching and writing this book. Refreshments served.

September 13—Legacies and Blessings Banquet

  • 5:30 pm—All are invited to gather for pūpū in the Hörmann Courtyard.
  • 6:30 pm—Banquet dinner and entertainment.
     
    Reservations required. Reservations closed on August 15th.

September 14—Legacies and Blessings Festival Worship at 4:00 pm

  • Bishop of the Pacifica Synod, The Rev. David Nagler, preaching
    We will be débuting a new Festival Legacies and Blessings liturgy, arranged by Dr. Barry J. Wenger, which will feature the melodies of favorite hymns from previous LCH pastors. Reception following the worship service.

125th Anniversary Book—Legacies and Blessings

Read the stories of legacy-making people and programs that have blessed LCH. The book will be available digitally and in print copies. (For print copies, the suggested donation is $10 to benefit the Mission Fund.)

Print copies may be reserved by emailing the parish administrator at lch@lchwelcome.org with your name, address, and contact information. Donations to the Mission Fund for the book may be made in-person at church or using this link.. We will mail the book to you when it is published. The book will also be in digital format following worship on September 7 on the 125th Anniversary Book page. (Please note that the webpage will not be available until September 7.)

LCH 125th Anniversary Book Reservations and Donations

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Anniversary Book Reservations




Donation for the anniversary book will benefit the Mission Fund.

Please PayPal using the button to the right and include the number of copies desired. PayPal will ask for your mailing address so the book can be mailed to you.

Support LCH’s 125th Anniversary Mission Fund

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As part of this year’s 125th anniversary of the founding on the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, the congregation committed to raising $125,000 to support the mission of this congregation. We have already raised $65,000 for enhancements to the Rudolph von Beckerath organ and more than $20,000 towards the other mission goals of the congregation. We ask for your support in completing this goal.

The Mission Fund will further the Welcoming and Safe Environment and Silver Tsunami (Caring for our Kūpuna) priorities identified in our ‘ohana group meetings held in 2024. We intend to set aside $50,000 for much-needed improvements to our campus to create a welcoming and safe environment, and $4,000 will be used as seed money for programming for our kūpuna. As is our practice, we will set aside a tenth of what we raise ($6,000) as a tithe to the synod.

More information about the priorities to be supported by the Mission Fund is available in our earlier post about the 125th Anniversary Mission Fund Plans.




Donations may be made by check (made out to Lutheran Church of Honolulu with “Mission Fund” in the memo line and mailed to 1730 Punahou St., Honolulu, HI 96822) and sent to the church (1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96822) or via PayPal using the button to the right.

Beckerath 50 & Beyond!—A Birthday Celebration • June 6 and 8

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Organ Concert by Dr. Barry J. Wenger • Friday, June 6, 7:00 pm
Choral Pentecost Service with LCH Choir • Sunday, June 8, 5:00 pm

Organ birthday graphicBeckerath organs are renowned for their craftsmanship and historical significance. The Beckerath company, founded by Rudolf von Beckerath in Hamburg, Germany, has been creating exquisite pipe organs for over 75 years, influencing both the soundscape of sacred and secular spaces and the evolution of organ building. Hans Erbslöh and the Beckerath Organ Company continue to innovate while respecting traditional organ-building techniques. This future-oriented perspective might include the integration of new technologies, expanding the musical repertoire of their instruments, and maintaining their commitment to quality and artistic excellence. Whether through restoring historic organs or designing new ones, the Beckerath Organ Company remains a beacon of musical craftsmanship, resonating well into the future.

Our Beckerath Organ is currently being cleaned and renovated. Through the generous donations of members and friends of LCH, we have reached our $65,000 fundraising goal! All of us at LCH are both grateful and overjoyed in your generosity to both this congregation and the organ. This is your instrument, and it leads beautifully in services week after week and year after year.

The new Salicional 8′ stop has been added to the Swell division of the organ. A new Trompete 8′ stop has replaced the TrichterSchalmei 4′ in the Pedal division. These two enhancements help the Beckerath Organ to be more complete in both voices; it did not have a string sound, nor a fundamental unison-pitched sound in the pedal. Even J.S. Bach requested a string stop be placed in his organ at Weimar. The trumpet stop in the pedal will help in Bach chorales, which require an assertive sound for the cantus firmus, and also to develop the plenum of sound in the full pedal with the Fagott 16′.

Please join us for a celebratory weekend on Friday, June 6, at 7:00 pm for Dr. Barry Wenger’s recital featuring the new sounds of the organ and then again on Sunday, June 8, at 5:00 pm for a choral Pentecost service featuring the LCH Choir and organ. Be ready to sing with the new sounds of the organ in a service of fire and joy. Don’t forget to wear red to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in wind and fire!

Beer and the Bible 2.0: Pilgrimage to Lutherland: May 24 through June 5, 2026

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Next year’s pilgrimage to Germany as part of our 125th anniversary celebration is all set! Dr. Barry Wenger, our director of music and liturgy, Jean Lilley, and Pr. Phyllis Hormann will be leading a group of members and friends of LCH, walking in the footsteps of Martin Luther, revisiting our heritage, and renewing our spirits.

Participants will depart the US on May 24, 2026, and return on June 5. The trip itself starts in Berlin and ends in Prague. In between we will have time in Wittenberg, Torgau, Leipzig, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, and Dresden. It will be a pilgrimage filled with stories and history from a couple of pastors as well as local guides. Besides walking in Luther’s footsteps, we will visit other significant religious and historical sites, museums, churches, and castles and see some beautiful countryside. We will hear organ concerts by Dr. Barry and possibly other organists. We may also hear a choir. All the details are in the tour brochure (PDF).The cost is $2,800 per person (double occupancy), based on a group of 30 participants and not including air fare. A $1,000 deposit will be required by January 15, 2026, with full payment by March 15. Payments are to be made to Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and the church will send in a check for the initial deposits and as well as the final payment check. The brochure includes details about what we are doing in each place, where we will stay, what is and is not included in the cost, payment and cancellation, terms and conditions, and other recommendations.

Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements. Randy Christensen, a member of LCH who is also a travel agent, has kindly offered to help with flight searches and bookings should you want/need it. He will not charge for help finding flights, but if you want him to book your flight, there is a charge of $25.00. Contact Randy by phone at 808-371-7025 or by email at christensenctc1@gmail.com.




Registration forms may be sent by email to barryjwenger@gmail.com or by post to the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. Payments should be sent to the Church at the above address “Attention Dr. Barry Wenger.” Payments may also be made using the PayPal link to the right; however, if you choose to pay online, you must cover the applicable PayPal fees.

125th Anniversary Mission Fund Plans

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LCH’s 125th Anniversary celebration includes two important elements—refurbishing the organ and mission objectives that were formed through the critical input from the ‘Ohana Groups and the ongoing discussions about what is God calling us to do.

The areas the congregation identified as the most important are:

  • Welcoming and Safe Environment
  • Liturgy, Music, and the Arts
  • Silver Tsunami

The area of liturgy and music is being covered by the money being raised for the organ and a generous $79,000 bequest from the Thomas Hilgers Trust that is to be spent on the music program, but specifically for items not in the ongoing budget, such as concerts, new musical commissions, and other ways to expand the music program.

To cover the Welcoming and Safe Environment and the Silver Tsunami, we propose the following:

  • Welcoming and Safe Environment—$50,000
    • Presenting a more welcoming face to the world (cleaning up the front of the church, painting the exterior and interior of the church, removing old playground equipment, repairing the rose window)
    • Landscaping, including creating a dog run for neighbors
    • Murals to capture the spirit of the church
  • Silver Tsunami—$4,000
    • Seed money to help determine the most beneficial programs for seniors and their caregivers.
  • Tithing to the ELCA through the Pacifica Synod—$6,000
    • Yes, tithing is part of our culture.

We will create task forces to oversee these efforts and make sure the congregation is involved in the planning. If you want to be part of one of these task forces, please talk to Olivia Castro.

As of publication, we have raised $9,000 for the mission part of the 125th anniversary celebration. We narrowed the focus and are now concentrating on raising funds. If you would like to contribute, we ask that you do the following:

  • Write a check and mail it in or give as your offering. Please designate 125th Anniversary Mission Fund on the description line.
  • Contact Brenda in the church office (808-941-2566 or lch@lchwelome.org) to start initiate a monthly EFT donation to the 125th Anniversary Mission Fund through Simply Giving or to add a new donation to your current contributions via Simply Giving
  • Go to the LCH website and click the Donate link. From the pulldown menu and click on 125th Anniversary Mission Fund.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Fastenau, Olivia Castro, or Dan Dennison.