Hawai‘i Conference UCC

10/15/2026

October 14, 2026 • View this week’s Coconut Wireless!

Read Reflection from Our Conference Minister

Big Tent Conference: World 1 - The Search for Belonging

We continue our journey through the insights of W. Paul Jones and his concept of "theological worlds" as a way of understanding what it means to be a Big Tent Conference. Jones suggests that Christians often approach God through different spiritual yearnings. The first theological world begins with a longing many of us recognize: the sense that something is missing.

World 1 is marked by an awareness of homesickness and a desire to reconnect with the Source of Life. Whether standing beneath a star-filled Hawaiian sky, watching waves along the shore, or sitting quietly in prayer, people of this world sense both the beauty of creation and the mystery beyond it. Their deepest question is not "What should I do?" but "Where do I belong?" Sin is experienced as forgetfulness, mistrust, or a failure to recognize the deeper reality surrounding us.

God reaches toward humanity through brief glimpses of the sacred within ordinary life. Through these "tares in the veil" we suddenly recognize that God has been present all along. In this world, Christ helps us see the grace-filled reality of God's love already surrounding creation.

Many of us will recognize ourselves in this world, while others may find that different spiritual questions speak more deeply to their yearnings. Next, we'll explore World 2, where the central challenge shifts from belonging to bo***ge, and where the gospel is experienced as liberation and new freedom. Until then, consider this question: When was the last time you caught a glimpse of God's presence in an ordinary moment?

—David K. Popham, Conference Minister

Big Tent Conference: World 1 - The Search for Belonging We continue our journey through the insights of W. Paul Jones and his concept of "theological worlds" as a way of understanding what it means to be a Big Tent Conference. Jones suggests that Christians often approach God through different spir....

10/15/2026

Please share the hotline numbers for anyone who needs the resources. Calls are handled by the Domestic Violence Action Center of Hawaiʻi.

Thanks Pastor Alan Bartolome (Bethel Chapel Assembly of God Waipahu) for your tireless advocacy and working with the community.

10/08/2026

October 7, 2026 • View this week's Coconut Wireless!

Our Conference Minister Shares Reflection
A Journey Through Theological Worlds

One of the gifts of the Hawai'i Conference UCC is that we are a Big Tent Conference. We come from different islands, cultures, life experiences, and spiritual backgrounds, yet we gather around a common commitment to follow Christ. That diversity is a blessing but invites a key question: Why do some focus on personal salvation while others emphasize justice, transformation, or belonging?

I invite you on a journey through Theological Worlds: Understanding the Alternative Rhythms of Christian Belief, the insightful work of W. Paul Jones. Jones suggests that Christians often approach faith through different theological "worlds" or frameworks, each rooted in Scripture, Christian tradition, and certified as coherent by theologians of the church.

His insight is profound: many of our disagreements are not really about whether we love Christ or value the Bible. Instead, we are viewing the Christian faith from different vantage points. Learning to recognize these perspectives can help us listen more carefully, appreciate one another more deeply, and strengthen our witness as a Big Tent Conference.

As we begin this series, we are not looking for the "right" theological world. We are exploring how each world speaks to real human hopes, struggles, and questions of faith.

In my next reflection, we'll explore World One, in which the Christian story begins with alienation and unfolds through Jesus' call to have eyes that see and ears that hear the "reality beyond reality," or kingdom of God where we find a true home.

David K. Popham, Conference Minister

A Journey Through Theological Worlds One of the gifts of the Hawai'i Conference UCC is that we are a Big Tent Conference. We come from different islands, cultures, life experiences, and spiritual backgrounds, yet we gather around a common commitment to follow Christ. That diversity is a blessing but...

10/07/2026

The theme for the September 2026 issue of The Friend is I KA WĀ MA MUA, KA WĀ MA HOPE:

You can read it online!
https://www.hcucc.org/the-friend

10/07/2026

10/05/2026

This month, remember to show some extra appreciation to the clergy in your life! Sunday, October 11, is Clergy Appreciation Day!

We give thanks for our clergy and pastoral leaders! MAHALO!

October is Clergy Appreciation Month! 🙏✨

Let’s honor the incredible pastors, ministers, chaplains, and faith leaders who guide, inspire, and support us every day. Share your gratitude by tagging your clergy and leaving a heartfelt message in the comments—let’s fill this space with love and appreciation!

Looking for a special way to say thank you? Explore meaningful gifts at our clergy shop: https://ow.ly/Txim50ZTObK

10/01/2026

September 30, 2026 • View this week's Coconut Wireless!

Read Reflection from Our Conference Minister

Mālama ‘Āina

The last several years have demonstrated that the impacts of climate change are unfolding around us. Intense storms bring flooding to valleys and neighborhoods. Longer periods of drought strain water supplies and fragile ecosystems.

The principle of mālama 'āina teaches that caring for the land is a sacred relationship, which nourishes life and connects generations. From the mountain forests that capture rainwater to the reefs that protect our shores, Hawai'i reveals how deeply interconnected all life is.

For Christians, this is a call to more holistic stewardship. God entrusts creation to our care, inviting us to cultivate gratitude and responsibility for the world that sustains us.

Our faith gives us language to mourn damaged ecosystems, endangered species, and communities facing growing uncertainty. Yet ours is not a faith of despair. We trust that Ke Akua is present even amid floods, droughts, and fires, calling us toward hope-filled action.

As individuals and communities, we can reduce our environmental footprint through thoughtful choices about energy and consumption. Congregations can support watershed restoration, native tree planting, conservation efforts, and advocacy that strengthen Hawai'i's resilience. These actions may seem small, but they are powerful expressions of faith lived in community.

Caring for creation is a spiritual practice, an act of aloha for future generations, and a way of participating in God's ongoing work of healing and renewal. By practicing mālama 'āina, we honor our neighbors, cherish the gift of creation, and bear witness to the promise that Ke Akua is still making all things new.

—David K. Popham, Conference Minister

Mālama 'Āina The last several years have demonstrated that the impacts of climate change are unfolding around us. Intense storms bring flooding to valleys and neighborhoods. Longer periods of drought strain water supplies and fragile ecosystems.      The principle of mālama 'āina teaches tha...