The Officers of the Church Council and the members of the Board of Christian Education, Board of Deacons, Board of Mission & Outreach and the Board of Trustees as well as several committees were elected by the membership of the Church at the annual meeting held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
The Buildings & Grounds Committee continues repair and maintenance work to keep the church premises safe. Trees and bushes will continue to be maintained in order to prevent danger to members, visitors and church structures. Past maintenance included repair to one of the door frames to the restroom that was damaged by termites. In 2012, the committee saw the completion of the work replacing the three doors of the church as well as the front office door.
The mission of the Board of Deacons is to assist the Pastor in matters related to worship, membership, pastoral care and the spiritual welfare of the church.
The Board has two committees: Outreach Committee and Mission Committee. Over the years the Outreach Committee of Keawala‘i Congregational Church has sought to provide support for those in need. The Local Mission Fund is a part of the Outreach Committee.
The Outreach Committee’s primary responsibility is fundraising and consideration of all requests for assistance from the Local Mission Fund of the church.
The Board of Christian Education has never been fully constituted. However, the various committees under its kuleana continue to meet to provide support for the educational needs of our children, youth and adults.
Members of the Sunday School Program continue to plan activities. Members of the Sunday School Teaching Team and the keiki will come together to explore and connect with the faith stories of the Bible. The curriculum is designed to encourage cooperative learning across a wide age range. Children will experience Scripture through storytelling, drama and a variety of activities that appeal to various learning styles.
Any effort to renew the Youth Ministry Program will require the thoughtful and prayerful consideration of parents and members on how best to proceed. A good and sensible starting point would be with the youth themselves, especially those who are elected to serve on the Youth Ministry Committee.
The work of the choir and its accompanists continues to be an integral part of the weekly worship experience of Keawala’i. The adult choir is actively seeking new members. In order to effectively live up to our mission statement, we hope to add younger singers to our group who can learn not only the contemporary anthems in our repertoire, but also the historic Hawaiian anthems.