Love God Love People

Beautiful Feet
Well, if you’ve tracked along this far with Pastor’s Perspectives or you’ve popped in every so often, you’ve likely read about the “ambitious” vision God has given KCN. I feel obligated to put quotes around “ambitious” because is there really anything ambitious for the Creator of this World? God’s work throughout history renders our mission of transforming communities on the Big Island with a team of missionaries and pastors as hardly ambitious. Wait, but it is ambitious, at least to the extent that it’s unprecedented–small churches simply don’t multiply themselves this quickly. Moving forward, we see both perspectives, but we’re holding more tightly to the former: God grows the church by giving it a mission to offer salvation, and then God offers the resources to accomplish the task, should we choose to accept it (right out of Matthew 28 then the Book of Acts). At KCN, we’re hoping to continue this mission that began in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. The only difference: we’re on the Bid Island of HI. So our methods, strategy, and approach may be a bit different, but that we are offering the truth of salvation found in Christ is timeless and will not change.

Let me introduce you to some “beautiful feet” that will be part of our team at KCN.

I love this imagery because 1) I think the role of a missionary is captured well in this verse, and 2) the work of KCN to reach the 96,000 that are lost on the Kona Coast is truely a beautiful call:

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

KCN is welcoming two families to join our team in 2013 to proclaim peace and to bring Good News to the Big Island. The first family currently lives in Richland Center, Wisconsin and they have been discerning a call to missions for years. They’ve explored several international placements, but when they were connected to KCN, the lights of their call suddenly shone brighter. Jesse and Tiffany Boyarski have four children, Makayla (9), Ethen (8), Ashlyn (7), and Ellie (3). The call on their lives is to missions generally, but specifically, it’s to live out the transformative love offered through Jesus Christ in a mutlicultural setting. Through relationships in community and through blessing their neighbors, the Boyarskis hope to be a family-of-grace deeply rooted in their community. They are not a “come-in-the-church-and-hear” family; they will hit the streets, bless people along the way, and then offer them the hope of Jesus. We are thrilled to have the Boyarskis on board and (soon) ministering in Ocean View and Miloli’i. We anticipate them laying a strong foundation for God’s work down south.

The second family, the Pauls, are from Nashville, TN. They have one daughter, Justice (1), and are both strong additions to the KCN Team. Eric and Joy have worked extensively in cross-cultural and economically diverse settings. Eric has a heart for the work of the Holy Spirit in diverse neighborhoods. That’s right. His first focus is not large but small; he has a keen sense of how God uses the assets already present in neighborhoods to offer grace. Wherever he is put, Eric will find the seeds of grace already planted and nurture them. Joy has a knack (and a call) for working with underpriviledged children. Where the challenges of life and childhood needs are, there too is Joy’s heart. We look forward to Joy and Eric (and Justice) doing ministry in North and Central Kona.

The call on our church is “ambitious”, but with confidence we’re taking the first few steps. More importantly, the call on our church is beautiful because we believe that we are at the beginning of blessing thousands of neighbors and offering them a different future–a future marked by hope and peace. But our vision is not the only thing beautiful; even more so, the feet of the Boyarskis and Pauls are beautiful because they are responding “YES!” to God who calls them to bring Good News and proclaim salvation on the Kona Coast! We are blessed to have them on board and soon settled in!

Anticipating God’s work,

PASTOR RYAN

The excitement is building as the revival on the Kona Coast of Hawaii is spreading to Wisconsin. What began as God’s vision for the Kona Coast became His vision for our family; His vision for our family has now become His mission for Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s excitement, enthusiasm and support has left us awed and amazed. They have recognized the need for revival in the U.S. and have sensed God’s movement. Their commitment to walk along side us in mission with their support has once again demonstrated His desire for redemption and restoration world-wide, including our very own backyards. A contagious “fresh wind and fresh fire” from the Lord has reached the U.S. and we, including you, get to be a part of it!

Our itinerary:

*If your group or church is not listed, please contact us. We would love to come share what God is doing!

Email: [email protected]

Sunday, May 12- Richland Center

Sunday, May 19 – Beulah Wesleyan

Sunday, May 26 – Columbus

Sunday, June 2 – Racine Taylor

Sunday, June 16 – Spooner

Wednesday, June 19-Saturday June 22 – General Assembly, Indianapolis, IN

Sunday, June 23 – Baraboo

Sunday, June 30 – Forest Center

Sunday, July 7 – Mattoon

Sunday, July 14 – Tomah

Sunday, July 21 – Madison

Monday, July 22 – District Assembly, NMI Convention, Green Lake

Sunday, July 28 – Racine Community

Sunday, Sept. 22 – Mauston, WI

Sunday, Sept 29 – Wheeler, WI

**Schedule will be updated periodically

Why Hawaii?

That is the question that many of you have asked and a question that we, too, asked.

Our journey began with God’s call and desire for us to “go” and “disciple”.    Where?  Who? 

As we began to seek His guidance and direction, we were bombarded with information and statistics in regards to the United States’ decline of church attendance and decline of personal commitments to following Jesus. 

100 million people in the USA have no contact with church (attending church events).

Among this group are an estimated 13-15 million people who express a commitment to Christ.

This still leaves 85 million Americans who are unchurched and unbelieving.  [i]

Then, as we spoke with other missionaries and pastors, specifically the pastor of Kona Coast Nazarene, we began to “zoom in” a bit more.

Hawaii ranks 6^th among states in lowest weekly church attendance.

Taking into consideration the number of churches, church attendance, and church size, less than 10% of the residents on the Kona Coast of Hawaii attend church weekly.[ii]

 

This means roughly 96,000 people along the coast (from Hawi to Ocean View) are in need of life, hope, grace, peace and love.

 

Zooming in a bit more and we see that Milolii (village of roughly 400 people) has one church building in the community with a handful of attendees.

 

And Ocean View, our other mission zone, is the home to roughly 12-15,000 people (although census data reports 4437) with just a few churches located within the town.

 

So why Hawaii?  Why not Okinawa, Thailand, or Africa?  Because it became clear to us that the USA needs missionaries and the Kona Coast is a field ready for harvest. 

Our official title = Missionary Pastor.

What is that?
What does that mean?
What will our ministry look like in Hawaii?

Well…..

Missionaries are those called to vocationally respond to the Great Commission, making the Gospel contextually relevant and meaningful. Pastors are called to shepherd believers, share life in fellowship with a flock and guide them through growth in the Spirit. A Missionary-Pastor (MP), then, specializes in translating the Good News into unique contexts and developing relationships-of-discipleship in the process.

We will focus our time on three primary tasks within our Mission Zone: witnessing to the lost, discipling the found, and modeling the kingdom.

Witnessing: We will be engaging in relational-evangelism—using relationships as a vehicle to offer the Good News.

Discipling: We will be shepherding believers to be kingdom-focused disciples.

Kingdom: Our life and ministry will be a holistic representation of the kingdom of God, which will serve as a model of faithfulness for our community-of-influence.

Put in more “pracitcal terms” –

We will be sensitive to the cultural milieu of Hawaii, assimilate into the local context of ministry, and begin to build relational bridges with local residents.

We will observe and invest in the unique community development needs in our Mission Zone.

And we will  witness to the Good News through responding to and offering solutions for acute social problems.

We will establish and work towards bible study, prayer gatherings, discipleship clutches, missional communities, compassion projects, etc.

So that is a little glimpse of how our life as missionaries on the big Island of Hawaii will be lived.

THE VILLAGE OF MILOLI’I

 

Miloli’i is 33 miles south of Kailua-Kona. Uniquely located at the base of the 1926 lava flow, and at a 1,500 ft decent from Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy, Miloli’i is distinct from the greater South Kona District. Geographic seclusion is not the only distinction of Miloli’i, the village is relatively untouched by the tourist industry, has experienced very little development and growth in the last 20 years, and it’s per capita poverty rate is among the highest on the island.

 

Miloli’i is affectionately known as the last fishing village in Hawaii. This is not cultural nostalgia; instead, many of the people that still call the village their home depend on the ocean for sustenance. Further, the natural elements are the framework for village life. Without immediate access to a grocer and without electricity, all villagers depend on the sun (solar panels on each home), the ocean (fishing, diving, “throwing net”), and the rain (water catchment tanks) for their livelihood.

 

A steady fixture in village life and culture for more than 150 years has been Hauoli Kamana’o Church (“Blessed Assurance Church”). One of 20 Hawaiian churches built by John Parish, Hauoli Kamana’o is perhaps best remembered for the day it “surfed” intact 300 yards to its current location. It was the year 1868 when big seas hit the coast of the Big Island. Tremendous destruction occurred and many lives were lost in villages along the coast; Miloli’i and Hauoli Kamana’o Church were spared. While the original site of the church is still submerged under the sea, the current building—just like the people of Miloli’i—stands tall and blessed.

 

Miloli’i Beach Lots Subdivision is an exception to every Village rule. The subdivision—which resembles rural community—descends the mountain four miles along the Miloli’i Road. While the villagers are predominantly working and lower class Polynesian-Hawaiians, those that call the subdivision home are of a drastically different socio-economic and socio-cultural “heritage”. Distinct from the village, the subdivision and the village are immediate neighbors and is therefore included in the scope of ministry in this mission zone.

 

*Information taken from Kona Coast Nazarene

 

 

OUR FAMILY:

We would like to share with you an exciting opportunity that God has opened up for us.We have been approved by the Church of the Nazarene, World Mission Department, to serve as part of Mission Corps in Hawaii for a period of 5 years.  We are partnering with an already established, thriving church community, Kona Coast Nazarene, in reaching the unreached along the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

HAWAII:

Although Hawaii may not seem like a “mission field” upon first glance, take a closer look and you will find a plentiful harvest waiting for laborers.  As we continue to move forward with this opportunity, we will try to paint a picture of what this mission field looks like and how God is moving in the hearts of the people along the Kona Coast.

 

YOU:  

We believe that ministry is best done through community, and that you can be a part of this ministry that touches lives around the world. Please consider supporting us as a prayer partner in this ministry. Please pray that God would prepare our hearts and provide for our needs. Also pray that God would bless the people with whom we will be serving and that God would use us to further his Kingdom in that place.

 

So, until our next update…