Category Archives: Congregational Life

Memorial Service for Pr. Jeff, followed by JeffFest • Sat. Oct. 19

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Pr. Jeff on their boatPastor Jeff’s Memorial Service is scheduled for 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 19, at LCH. Pacifica Synod Bishop Dave Nagler will preach. The service will be live streamed on the LCH Facebook page. Overflow seating will be available in Isenberg Hall.

LutherFest is now JeffFest and is scheduled to begin at approximately 6:00 pm on Saturday, October 19, in the LCH Courtyard. Brats, salads, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Please bring a non-perishable dessert, as the LCH refrigerator is full. Volunteers from other Hukilau churches are being sought to help with cooking and set-up in order to allow LCH member and friends to attend the service.

On Sunday, October 20, in the 10:00 am worship service, Bishop Dave Nagler will be preaching, and Pastor Ruth Peterson will lead worship. Kimberly, a social worker from Joy of Christ, will also be with us and is making herself available for emotional support.

Compline will not be sung Sunday evening.

Our sincere thanks to all the clergy, active and retired, the bishop, and many others who are assisting the LCH family through this very difficult time. And mahalo to each of you for continuing to support one another and the Lilley family.




The Lilley family has asked that memorial gifts made in honor of Pr. Jeff go to the Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center (H3RC) for their transgender program. Checks may be made out to Lutheran Church of Honolulu and sent to the church (1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96822) or made via PayPal using the button to the left.

19th Annual Faith and Arts Weekend • September 28–29

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UH Scholarship Wind Ensemble play as part of 2024’s Faith and Arts Weekend

LCH’s annual celebration of Faith and Arts took place on the weekend on September 28 and 29. This is a time when members of the congregations recognize the many ways the arts enrich our lives and honor the artist of all ages who call LCH home.

The weekend began with performances Saturday evening. Works displayed Sunday morning represent a wide variety of media: needle craft, paintings, poetry, prose, photography, woodworking, and more. Participating artists included young children, working adults, and retirees. Some, like members of the Writers’ Workshop, meet regularly as a group, but many work at home and share as part of this annual event.

At right, the UH Scholarship Wind Ensemble played in the performing arts showcase on Saturday evening.

The slideshow below shows a collage of photos from Saturday evening (courtesy of Linda Muller, and the items displayed on Sunday morning. Clicking on most of the photos will open a larger version in a new window. (Because the files are rather large, it may take several seconds for the larger image to appear. Close the new browser window to return to the slideshow.)

Poetry and prose from members of Writers’ Workshop will be available soon.

Faith and Arts Weekend • Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning, Sept. 28–29

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Photo from Faith and Arts 2023Each year LCH celebrated the creativity of our ‘ohana with Faith and Arts Weekend. This event begins Saturday evening with a showcase of performing arts from spoken word to song and dance. This will be followed by a display of visual arts, crafts, and writing on Sunday morning. Everyone connected with LCH is welcome to participate with either newly-created works or past creations.

For more information, including details about how to participate, please see the September newsletter.

Faith and Arts Weekend is coordinated by Willow Chang and Peter Flachsbart.

Makiki Free Store • Sat., Sept. 21, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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Patrons of the 2022 Free StoreLCH will be hosting a Free Store for the Makiki neighborhood on Saturday, September 21, in the Hörmann Courtyard. Our last Fee Store in 2022 (pictured on the right) was just for our congregation, but this time we will be inviting the whole neighborhood to be parts of this manifestation of the “gift economy,” in which goods and services are freely exchanged with no payment or promises to pay. As Christians, we think of free stores as something of a revival of the early Christian communal economic arrangements. It benefits our environment (by keeping stuff out of the landfill) as well as for people shedding unwanted/no longer needed/still useable “stuff” and people gaining items they need

Members of the congregation have been bringing items from home which are in good condition but no longer needed, signing up to staff the Free Store, and letting our neighbors know about it. If you want to help, contact the LCH office by noon on Thursday.

On Saturday morning, September 21, we will welcome our neighbors to campus, hoping they find just what they need to take home.

Invitation to Attend ‘Ohana Gatherings

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LCH members and friends to gather to discuss our missionThe 125th anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu is in September of 2025. This summer, the congregation will begin our journey to identify the missional project(s) for the 125th anniversary that it will support through fundraising with a goal of $65,000.

As part of the process, the Council is re-establishing ‘Ohana Gatherings as an enduring practice for spiritual growth. ‘Ohana Gatherings provide opportunities for LCH members and friends to gather to:

  • build, renew and strengthen relationships,
  • provide mutual support for the proclamation of the Gospel in daily life, and
  • engage in deep, meaningful conversation about the vision, mission, and ministry of our church that God is calling us to in the next 2–3 years.

During July and August, several ‘Ohana Gatherings will be held in the homes of members and friends at various dates, times and locations around O‘ahu. Everyone associated with this community of faith is encouraged to sign up for and attend one of these small groups of 6–8 people. At each one, a facilitator will shepherd the process and a secretary will capture notes and key elements sparked by the conversation.

Afterwards, ‘Ohana Gathering leaders will meet with Pr. Jeff, Pr. Margrethe, and Council President Olivia Castro to synthesize the conversations. They will and bring the results to the congregation and Council for decision making on the 125th anniversary mission project(s) and priorities for the following 2–3 years.

Below is a list of the gatherings. A sign-up sheet will be available after church on Sundays. You may also sign up by contacting Olivia Castro via email at ocastro808@gmail.com.

  • July 12 @ 6:00 pm at Pastor Steve Jensen’s home, Kailua
  • July 13 @ 6:00 pm at Keane Ishii’s home, Kaka‘ako
  • July 19 @ 5:30 pm at Phyllis Hörmann’s home, ‘Aiea
  • July 20 @ 9:30 am at Carol Langner’s home, Punchbowl
  • July 20 @ 4:00 pm at Randy and Jeanne Castello’s home, Hawai‘i Kai
  • July 21 @ 3:00 pm at Mark Russell’s and Rudy Riingen’s home, Downtown
  • July 27 @ 1:00 pm at Roy Helms’ home, Foster Village
  • August 3 @ 10:00 am at Margrethe and Tony Kleiber’s home, Mililani
  • August 11 @ 3:00 pm at Rich and Nikki Mundell’s home, Kaimukī (for Youth and Young Adults)
  • August 18 @ 3:00 pm (tentative depending association approval) at Carolyn Koehler’s home, Waipi‘o Gentry
  • August 25 @ 5:00 pm at Mary Fastenau’s and John Flanagan’s home, Hawai‘i Kai
  • August 31 @ 4:00 pm at Maria Au Hoy’s home, McCully

Summer Jazz Journey: Ethan Capone and Friends • Sunday, July 7, at 7:00 pm

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Summer Jazz Journey 2024 graphicRenowned pianist Ethan Capone, joined by Mark Tanouye, bass, and Abe Lagrimas Jr., drums, presents an evening of jazz classics and innovations. This must-see event will take you on an exciting musical journey, keeping your ears happy and your hearts full!

The evening begins with pūpū in the courtyard at 6:15. The concert is free, and donations are welcome.

The series concludes on August 4 with “Jazz Manouche.” Violinist Duane Padilla and guitarists Sonny Silva and Joe Zyac pay tribute to Stéphane Grapelli and “Django” Reinhardt’s backstage experiments at the Hotel Claridge in Paris in 1934.




Help Make “Summer Jazz Journey 2024” a Success by Making a Donation

This series is generously supported by the Orvis Foundation, church members, and also by you! Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to offer these free concerts to the community. Please consider a donation by sending a check (payable to “Lutheran Church of Honolulu”) to the church at 1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu HI 96822 or using the button to the right to make a secure donation via PayPal. Mahalo for your support.

Summer Jazz Journey Begins Sunday, June 2, at 7:00 pm

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Summer Jazz Journey 2024 graphicExperimenting with the collective sound of saxophones, vibraphone, and drumset, “Vibin’ with Allen, Abe, and Noel” will take you on a new journey for your ears. The legendary musicians, Allen Won, Abe Lagrimas, Jr., and Noel Okimoto will offer you a unique experience with a feast of jazz standards and original compositions.

The evening begins with pūpū in the courtyard at 6:15. The concert is free, and donations are welcome.

Future concerts:

  • July 7—Ethan Capone and Friends—Renowned pianist Ethan Capone and his trio present an evening of jazz classics and innovations.
  • August 4—Jazz Manouche—Violinist Duane Padilla and guitarists Sonny Silva and Joe Zyac pay tribute to Stéphane Grapelli and “Django” Reinhardt’s backstage experiments at the Hotel Claridge in Paris in 1934.



Help Make “Summer Jazz Journey 2024” a Success by Making a Donation

This series is generously supported by the Orvis Foundation, church members, and also by you! Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for us to offer these free concerts to the community. Please consider a donation by sending a check (payable to “Lutheran Church of Honolulu”) to the church at 1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu HI 96822 or using the button to the right to make a secure donation via PayPal. Mahalo for your support.

Tree Planting at Legacy Trees • Sat., May 25 • 9:00 am to noon

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Randy Castello plants a native treeBefore the arrival of the first Hawaiians, 90% of the land area of Hawai‘i was covered with lush forests, made up largely of endemic (found only here) plants. But with humans came the invasive trees and plants which, in many places, have pushed out the native/endemic vegetation that originally covered the island and provided habitats for native birds and other species and that filtered our water and helped store it for later use.

To bring back some of what’s been lost, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, also known as Legacy Trees, “works to preserve economically viable and sustainable endemic/native Hawaiian forests, protect Hawaii’s endangered species, sequester carbon, and recharge watersheds.” They have planted more than 600,000 endemic trees, and LCH can feel proud that we have joined the cause. Last year, a group of LCHers planted trees on land the organization leases from Gunstock Ranch. Since that parcel of land is almost fully planted now, Legacy Trees recently purchased a new plot of land in Hale‘iwa. The 400-acre parcel was originally owned by Princess Victoria Kamāmalu and will be home to 150,000 newly planted endemic and native trees. Besides the ecological benefits from reforesting the area in native/endemic vegetation, the Hale‘iwa land will have agricultural and cultural uses, too. In fact, the project director says that restoring this land will “serve as a world class example of how agroforestry can sustain both the community and the environment.”

This year, our adventure will be on Saturday, May 25, from 9:00 am to noon, and it promises to be just as exhilarating as last year’s. The present plan is to plant a tree dedicated to the LCH ‘ohana and then plant endangered ferns next to the Hale‘iwa Stream (since this year’s theme is water); we may even get to see Legacy Trees’ new healing garden that’s filled with medicinal plants traditional Hawaiian healers have used for centuries. If spending a Saturday morning submersed in the natural world appeals to you, please see Cindy in the courtyard after church to sign up or email her at cschein@iolani.org.

Ala Wai Watershed Cleanup • Sat., April 27, 9:00 am

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Cleaning up the Ala Wai watershedAs part of this year’s Creation Care theme of water, on Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 to 11:00 am, LCH will once again be partnering with students at ‘Iolani School to pick up trash along the portion of the Ala Wai Canal that runs behind ‘Iolani School, Ala Wai School, and the community garden.

If you’re wondering how this relates to water, keep in mind that trash tossed or blown near the canal often ends up in the canal. This not only contaminates the water there, but when the canal’s water reaches the ocean, the plastics and other pollutants negatively impact the sea creatures and those who use the ocean recreationally. This cleanup gives you an opportunity to stop this from happening.

Besides helping to protect a local watershed, you’ll have a chance to attend a Sustainability Fair following the cleanup. Our own Pastor Bree will have a booth at the fair presenting the faith and spirituality component of the conversation about creation care and environmental justice. The fair runs from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Come say “hi” to Pastor Bree and find out what’s happening on our island in the area of sustainability.

Help protect the water on our beautiful island for Earth Month 2024 by signing up for the cleanup with Cindy Scheinert in the courtyard after church or email her at cschein@iolani.org.

Lenten Wednesday Evenings • February 21 through March 20

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Lenten SuppersLenten Soup and Salad Suppers at 6:00 pm in the Hörmann Courtyard

Please join in this wonderful time of fellowship and prayer, beginning each Wednesday of Lent with a simple soup and salad supper. Suppers are served at 6:00 pm, prior to 7:00 pm Lenten services in the nave. A sign-up sheet will be available in the courtyard for contributions to each week’s meal and for help with set-up and clean-up. See Mary Jo Estes or call the LCH office for more information.

Evening Prayer: Healing and Wholeness through Our Senses

Join us mid-week during Lent as we share Holden Evening Prayer. The sung prayer service begins at 7:00 pm preceded by a soup-and-salad supper at 6:00 pm in the church courtyard. This year’s Lenten theme, Healing and Wholeness through Our Senses, builds on our Stewardship theme for this year.

All are welcomed and encouraged to share this intimate prayer service and supper with us as we journey, in brokenness and healing, through the Lenten season.

Lenten Wednesday Evening are February 21 and 28 and March 6, 13, and 20, beginning at 6:00 pm in the Hörmann Courtyard. All are welcome.