Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Church Leaders Event - Workshop 6
Facing the Future Together With hope
Churches are facing similar challenges: decreasing membership, aging and tired leadership, and costly facility maintenance. What are the options and stories of some churches in our conference that have made significant decisions? What can God do with our churches? Is the future bleak? Guided discussion, with an opportunity for audience participation.
Moderator: Josh Hayashi, the principal consultant for Hoku‘iwa, a business that has a passion for the church. He is also a chaplain for the middle school at Punahou School.
PANELISTS:
• Wayne Ibara, Makiki Christian Church (O‘ahu Association)
Books referenced:
(1) “Leadership, God’s Agency, and Disruptions” by Mark Lau Branson & Alan Roxburgh
(2) “Beyond Resistance” by UCC president John Dorhauer; more accessible as to the challenge facing churches today, and written from the context of UCC churches nationally.
• Robb Kojima, Wailuku Union Church (Tri-Isle Association)
• Sage Chee, Hau‘ula Congregational Church (Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches)
More about the situation with Hau‘ula Congregational Church:
hcucc.org/single-post/hcf-executive-director-discusses-hauula-congregational-church
Hau‘ula under construction:
hcucc.org/single-post/hauula-church-under-construction
Comment recorded in chat:
"The Hawaii Conference Foundation was founded in large part in recognition of the fact that we all benefit from combining resources to leverage benefits and opportunities for our church as a whole. HCF is still here to help with that and we invite further discussions about how we can facilitate that." —Andrew Bunn, Executive Director, Hawaii Conference Foundation (hcucc.org/hcf)
(The original video recording of this presentation has been slightly edited for YouTube.)
This presentation was made possible by generous contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission.
Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ
hcucc.org
Church Leaders Event - Workshop 6
Facing the Future Together With hope
Churches are facing similar challenges: decreasing membership, aging and tired leadership, and costly facility maintenance. What are the options and stories of some churches in our conference that have made significant decisions? What can God do with our churches? Is the future bleak? Guided discussion, with an opportunity for audience participation.
Moderator: Josh Hayashi, the principal consultant for Hoku‘iwa, a business that has a passion for the church. He is also a chaplain for the middle school at Punahou School.
PANELISTS:
• Wayne Ibara, Makiki Christian Church (O‘ahu Association)
Books referenced:
(1) “Leadership, God’s Agency, and Disruptions” by Mark Lau Branson & Alan Roxburgh
(2) “Beyond Resistance” by UCC president John Dorhauer; more accessible as to the challenge facing churches today, and written from the context of UCC churches nationally.
• Robb Kojima, Wailuku Union Church (Tri-Isle Association)
• Sage Chee, Hau‘ula Congregational Church (Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches)
More about the situation with Hau‘ula Congregational Church:
hcucc.org/single-post/hcf-executive-director-discusses-hauula-congregational-church
Hau‘ula under construction:
hcucc.org/single-post/hauula-church-under-construction
Comment recorded in chat:
"The Hawaii Conference Foundation was founded in large part in recognition of the fact that we all benefit from combining resources to leverage benefits and opportunities for our church as a whole. HCF is still here to help with that and we invite further discussions about how we can facilitate that." —Andrew Bunn, Executive Director, Hawaii Conference Foundation (hcucc.org/hcf)
(The original video recording of this presentation has been slightly edited for YouTube.)
This presentation was made possible by generous contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission.
Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ
hcucc.org
