Vision Update Part 1

DEAR FRIENDS & FAMILY,

We are filled with faith and vision for the future. We are grateful for the local community who have put their hands up to launch this church with us.

Katie, Noa, Izzy and I are settling in well to our new home. We are loving it! Guys, MANGOS fall from our tree in our yard and we make MANGO SMOOTHIES! I digress… We have spent the past four months listening to where and how God is calling us to launch this church. The past several months we have been having “family dinners” at our house. Last week we had about 40 people there and I shared the vision for the church and we worshiped. Right in our house! It was really special. There is something about the beginning…

As a church, we feel called to go to the East side of Oahu, to a place called Waimanalo. The island community affectionally refers to it as “God’s Country,” because of the majestic mountains, sprawling farmland and the ocean.

We have a faith vision to own farmland in Waimanalo. We believe God has called us here to take care of both the lives and the land. We want to own farmland where we can not only meet as a church but also grow organic food for the local community. Food insecurity is a massive problem in Hawaii. More than 85% of the food is imported in. Waimanalo has some of the most rich soil in the entire world, but sadly Hawaiians have been stripped of the land and it’s not being used today to give back a great harvest. Unfortunately, it’s used to benefit the needs of those who can afford to own it. We want to change that. We will start with giving all the food we grow away. We will partner with local food organizations to get organic, rich food into the hands of those who lack the means to purchase it. Dr. Katie would tell you that there are massive mental health benefits to eating food grown from the ground. We have plans to do a lot of good, having a mental health facility, helping with housing for the homeless, open a retreat center but that all starts by restoring the land, planting seeds in the ground and sharing the hope we have in Jesus.

Again, Waimanalo is on the East side of the island. I love what it says in Genesis 2, the FIRST thing God did after creating man, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” Coming out of Covid, we have a unique opportunity as the church to return back to the beginning. To return to the garden, the simple, strong, and spiritually sustainable.

Now it’s time for me to ask those who believe in us, to partner with us in the vision we believe God has given us. We are asking for you to sow financial seeds into the ground with us to reap a supernatural harvest. We have a goal to raise 1.5 million dollars to launch our church. Katie and I, 10 months ago, made a decision to take a massive step of faith, to leave NYC and everything we knew. God spoke to us so clearly, to follow peace over provision. That’s what we have done. And we aim to continue to walk in that peace. We want you to know that this has not been easy, but my God it’s been worth it. We are so grateful for what is ahead and we want to ask you to join us and be a part of the beginning….

We will be sending out video updates along the way. This is the first one ever!

Thank you for being a part of THE beginning. As my Hawaiian family says, mahalo!

Katie and I are eternally grateful for your love and support,

John
Lead Pastor