You are welcome here!

We hope that this will help you to feel more at home...

We have a large parking lot with plenty of space. Pick an open spot and it is yours! We have a couple of handicapped accessible parking spots by both entrances to the sanctuary. If you are joining us for worship on Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday, please note that there is plenty of parking space as well. Our members will often double park at the end of our lot to make sure there is plenty of space for guests and visitors. Our church is handicap accessible. 

We are a laid-back congregation and you are welcome to wear what makes you comfortable and cool. Many of our men "dress-up" in Aloha shirts and shorts   and women often wear dresses with heels or dressy sandals. But you are welcome as you are!

Where Do I Park?

What Should I Wear?

Is it Air Conditioned?

Yes, we are air conditioned!  You might want to bring a sweater or wrap as it can get chilly.  

How are Guests Greeted/Identified?

 As you arrive you will be greeted warmly by one of our members (or maybe several!) and asked if you are new.  Since we are blessed to call Hawai'i home, we get many folks who visit us annually on their vacations for anywhere from one week to several months, so please excuse us if we forget you've been with us before!  

What Time is Worship? What if I'm Late?

Sunday morning worship is at 9:00 am. We do our best to start the prelude at 9:00 am, but we are a church in Hawai'i and sometimes we run on island time...which means if you are running late, don't let that stop you from joining us for worship. 

Where Should I sit?

What Should I Expect in Worship?

Can I Partake of Communion?

What if I Have Keiki with Me?

We gather together every Sunday morning to be reminded of God's blessings to us through Jesus Christ and God's continued presence in our lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We sing, praise God and enjoy fellowship!

We have fellowship for everyone in Grace Hall which is adjacent to the sanctuary. We offer Sunday School following worship. We also have a playground our kids enjoy. Many Sundays we also have meetings with our church leadership. 

As always, Go in Peace Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God! 

YES! We believe the sacrament of holy communion is a gift from God to us and because Jesus is the host (it is Jesus' body and blood in the bread and wine) everyone is welcome.

We offer bread and gluten free wafers as well as wine and grape juice in individual cups.  Just indicate your preference during communion.  As we gather around the altar table, some people stand and some kneel.  If mobility is an issue, you can remain in your seat and receive communion after those around the altar have been served.  Most Sundays, the pastor serves the bread/wafer, the communion assistant serves the wine/grape juice and one of our children collects the used cups.

Some of our kids take communion and some receive a blessing. Our pastor is good about asking when she meets people for the first time, but you can also indicate when she comes around with the bread if you'd like your child to receive communion or a blessing.  Sometimes adults prefer a blessing, simply indicate that to the pastor.

We love kids!!  Our pastor has spent her whole life surrounded by children and loves having them in worship.  We have a special time set apart following the gospel reading each week for the kids to come forward. Sometimes our pastor leads the kids in a somewhat silly or fun activity and sometimes the message is more serious. Sunday school is offered following Worship. 

We use bulletins and hymnals for worship. Everything that you need to follow along is contained in the bulletin. Our pastor is good about announcing what we are doing next as we follow along in the bulletins, but we recognize that every community has its own language, and as much as we try to make it clear what we are about, sometimes things get overlooked. If you are ever unsure, just look at what your neighbor is doing, ask someone, or simply sit where you are and someone will recognize you are guest and come over and say hi and help you out.

Do I need to put money in Offering?

Sit where you feel most comfortable! We have plenty of room. 

How will I know what to do during worship?

What Else Happens on Sundays?

Not unless you want them to! We try to connect with everyone who is part of our worshipping community (there are typically around 50 people in worship depending on the time of year) when we gather. If you indicate in some way that you are new to the area and interested in learning more about our congregation, our pastor is more than happy to set up a time to visit with you. She can meet you in her office during the week, or for coffee around Kailua Town. Know that as welcoming as we try to be at St. John Lutheran, we also recognize that it can take time to figure out if you want to be part of a worshipping community and we do our best to respect that. Our congregation and our pastor are always open to conversations with folks, so just let us know if you'd like to learn more.

How Do I Become a Member? Will Someone Knock on My Door?

You do not need to "do" anything! Please feel free to come and worship with us as you are and be part of the gathered community of Christ.  Our children pass the calabash bowls around following Children's Time each week.  Offering money goes to keep the congregation functioning.  St John has a long history of solid stewarship of the gifts we are entrusted with.  We support the ELCA, the church community we are part of, through our synod benevolence.  We take up special donations at times when a situation in the world or community calls for it; it is always clear that a particular offering is for that reason.  The 3rd Sunday of every month we also collect "Noisy Offering".  It is called Noisy Offering because we invite people to bring loose change from the past month.  You can also put cash in this offering.  Once or twice a year, the total collected is gifted to a person or agency, depending on what the needs at the time are.  We ask for ideas from our congregation on who is most in need of an extra gift.  Our latest Noisy Offering was gifted to formerly incarcerated women who joined us for worship one Sunday and shared their stories and their gift of Hula with us.