Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus,

Though he was in the form of God,

    he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.

But he emptied himself

    by taking the form of a slave

    and by becoming like human beings.

When he found himself in the form of a human,

    he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,

    even death on a cross.

Therefore, God highly honored him

    and gave him a name above all names,

  so that at the name of Jesus everyone

    in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow

    and every tongue confess

    that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Paul urges us to take on the attitude of Christ. How do we do that? Look at the three verbs of the Christ Hymn: “Emptied,” “Humbled,” and “Obeyed.”  

READ FULL MESSAGE HERE

(Bishop is pictured at Trinity By-the-Sea in Kihei, on Palm Sunday - Trinity Facebook page)

Be sure to stay informed with the Bishop's latest messages by clicking on the button shown. All video messages also appear on the Dioceseʻs YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

Annual Chrism Mass & ChurchBiz: Gathering of the Faithful

The Diocese of Hawai'i's Annual Chrism Mass and ChurchBiz Conference (formerly Spring Training) took place at The Cathedral of St. Andrew on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Over 80 participated in the daylong event that began with the Chrism Mass, followed by the ChurchBiz Conference that offered a variety of topics to choose from.   READ FULL ARTICLE

Women's History Month:

Celebrating The Rev. Heather Mueller

By Cindy Schumacher

As we observe Woman’s History Month in March, we celebrate the Rev. Heather Mueller, retired pastor from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Kula, Maui. From the get-go, Heather fought for and still is, an advocate for women’s rights. She is one of the first women ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church, and the second woman ordained in the Diocese of Hawai'i. Heather’s installation was held on December 3, 1981, by the Rt. Rev. Edmond L. Browning, Bishop of Hawai'i. She retired on October 1, 2010. READ FULL ARTICLE

I had the privilege of attending the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW68) as a part of the leadership team supporting the Presiding Bishop's Delegation. It was my sixth session. For me, advocacy work is an expression of my commitment to honor the dignity of every human being. 

The 2024 priority theme dealt with poverty and the problematic financial institutions and systems that disproportionately discriminate against women and girls. 

Like years past, I heard amazing stories of resilience and innovation. That was not the whole picture, though. It is painfully clear that there is pushback on women’s rights globally. Women today have less rights than their mothers and grandmothers. The patriarchy is holding on to the status quo with a death grip. Artificial intelligence is widening the digital divide at an alarming rate. After all, AI is only as intelligent and unbiased as those who write the algorithms. It is one aspect of the systematic discrimination contributing to gender inequality. 

Gender equality is not a women’s issue. It is a human issue. It is intersectional and complicated. It will not resolve itself. We must actively focus on gender parity in leadership, women’s participation in decision-making, and offering protections for women and girls in all their diversity- both in the church and in the world. Ultimately, when we allow this injustice to continue, we all suffer and lose out on the amazing contributions of half of the world’s population. We cannot ignore the wisdom of the Spirit as she calls us to justice.

(Photos from the Facebook page of the The Episcopal Church and the United Nations and Annalise Pasalo)

The Diocese of Hawai'i is delighted to welcome on board Kalani Holokai who is the new Community Partnership Administrative Assistant, serving the Maui community in the aftermath of last year's wildfires. Kalani started on March 16, and will be assisting the Community Partnership Coordinator (see job posting below), for whom the Diocese is currently seeking. Kalani has been a familiar face in the Diocese for many years through her active participation in a number of ministries. Welcome Kalani!

Diocese is Seeking a Community Partnership Coordinator on Maui

The Diocese of Hawai'i is currently accepting applications for a Community Partnership Coordinator on the island of Maui. This is a full-time exempt position that reports to the Bishop. The primary purpose of this position is to help ensure that the interests of Episcopal entities on Maui are heard and represented with various government agencies and other outreach organizations, and to coordinate communications with the Diocese and The Episcopal Church. To view the full job description, click HERE or visit the Diocese's Lay Position Openings webpage HERE under Maui. 

The deadline is fast approaching for two Diocesan student scholarship opportunities for the 2024-2025 school year. They are:

• The Bishop's Scholarship Fund
• The Chang Clergy Children's Scholarship Fund

Deadline for submission is Friday, April 4, 2024, at 4:00 PM. For more information and to download the application packet, visit the Diocesan website HERE. Should you have any questions, please contact Nani Carroll, Executive Assistant to the Bishop, by email HERE or call her at (808) 536-7776, ext. 302.

General Convention Youth Presence: Congratulations Nicholas Livingston!

Eighteen young people from every province in The Episcopal Church will serve as the Official Youth Presence for the 81st General Convention, meeting June 23-28, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. Representing Province VIII and a member of Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in ʻĀina Haina, is Nicholas Livingston, a junior at 'Iolani School. Nicholas has already served as a delegate at Diocesan Convention for Holy Nativity the past couple years, serves as an acolyte, assists with their tech team, service readings, and is an alumnus of Holy Nativity School. CONGRATULATIONS NICHOLAS!

The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) is offering the following FREE online webinars for the Diocese of Hawai'i, beginning April through August. All webinars will be held at 9:00-10:30 AM (HST). Churches should encourage their clergy, lay leaders, treasurers and wardens to attend these informative sessions. Be sure to mark your calendars and register for each webinar. For descriptions of each workshop and to register for a webinar, visit the Diocese's Stewardship webpage HERE.

• Saturday, April 13, Uncovering Motivations for Generational Giving
• Saturday, May 11, Creating Budgets that Meet your Ministry Goals
• Saturday, June 8, Community Needs Assessment – Discerning Ministry in your Neighborhood
• Saturday, August 31, Creating a Culture of Generosity

The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of Hawai'i met at The Cathedral of St. Andrew's Davies Hall on Saturday, March 16, 2024, for their annual Lenten Consolation Gathering. The Rev. Moki Hino led the group in morning devotions and prayers followed by Stations of the Cross. After lunch, the Rev. Canon Heather Patton-Graham arranged for them to watch the documentary, The Philadelphia Eleven. (Photo from the Good Shepherd Facebook page)

MAUI SPOTLIGHT:

St. John's Practices Interior Stillness

By Cindy Schumacher

On February 10, 2024, an online Centering Prayer training session took place on Zoom for friends and members of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Kula, Maui. The training was led by the Rev. Sun-Hwan Spriggs from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Tustin, California, a good friend of St. John's priest, the Rev. George Wong. Rev. Spriggs is a spiritual director and Centering Prayer presenter and facilitator, and has started numerous centering prayer groups. READ FULL ARTICLE

O'AHU: Coming Up! The Return of the Chocolate Extravaganza at Emmanuel

Emmanuel Episcopal Church is excited to announce that their signature fundraising event has returned! It's a fun event for anyone who loves chocolate! It's their 20th Chocolate Extravaganza that will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 5:00 - 6:30 PM. ONLY 75 TICKETS are being sold, so purchase your tickets online ASAP! You can also support Emmanuel through their Online Auction that will run from April 11-27. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their event webpage HERE.Emmanuel is located at 780 Keolu Drive in Kailua.

KAUA'I: Coming Up! Organ Concert at All Saints'

All Saints' Episcopal Church will be hosting an all Bach concert featuring Jonathan Dimmock on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 6:00 PM. He has recorded more than fity CDs including Grammy Award-winning CD of Mahler Symphony 8 with the San Francisco Symphony. The concert is free. for more information, visit the All Saints' website HERE. The church is located at 4-1161 Kuhio Highway in Lihue.

MAUI: Coming Up! Rummage & Bake Sale at St. John's

St. John's Episcopal Church in Kula, will be holding a Rummage and Bake Sale on April 19 & 20, 2024, from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. There will be a large variety of items at great prices. Please bring your own bag. St. John's is located at 8992 Kula Highway. For more info, call the church office at (808) 878-1485.

Presiding bishop joins global Christian leaders calling for Gaza cease-fire in Holy Week letter

IMore than 140 global Christian leaders, including a Guatemalan Catholic cardinal and the presiding bishops of The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and for an end to foreign military support for Israel in a March 26 letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and other politicians. READ MORE