ST. NICK’S NEWS D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

S T . N I C H O L A S

E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H

Join us on the Journey!

“If we do not actively seek God early in the morning, it will be very unlikely that we meet him later in the day.”

Brother Andrew / Anne van der Bijl (b. 1928)

It’s no secret . . . I like a good novelty t-shirt more than most. My collection has grown over the years. In some ways it’s self-

perpetuating. Once people know that you appreciate this niche they will add to your collection.

A few of my church favorites include “WARNING: If rapture should occur, I will claim anything still in your pockets.” And

several featuring Jesus, one of him riding a T-Rex with the caption “Like a Boss”; Jesus on a hang-glider, “what wouldn’t Je-

sus do” and Jesus with a Hockey stick, “Jesus Saves! . . . He passes to Noah, he shoots, he

scores!!!”

I enjoy these shirts for their humor, lest we take ourselves too seriously. I wear them often,

enjoying the smiles and laughs they evoke, but also because they create an opportunity to

talk faith with other people. How else do you start conversations with strangers about faith?

Another that I love (but don’t own yet) exclaims, “I found Jesus!” . . . he was behind the

couch the whole time . . .”

The implications of playing hide and seek with Jesus makes me smile. How great is

that? Behind the humorous presentation rests the notion that we should indeed always be in

pursuit of Jesus. Were you ever left hiding at the end of a game of hide and seek? Perhaps

you were the one who got distracted, or simply “forgot” to find one of those playing.

Amid the busyness of life, particularly the busyness of the season ahead, I hope we remem-

ber to seek Jesus. It’s not that Jesus is hiding; in fact, I believe that more often than not we

realize that Jesus is in continual pursuit of us as well.

What does this pursuit look like? It takes a great many forms, but like a good game of hide

and seek it is best with a group of people. Don’t be mistaken; I believe we need to seek God individually as well!

Prayer. Individually many pray daily, for guidance, comfort, wisdom and more. Together we pray and receive the sacraments

of the church. Ideally prayer fuels our connection with God and enables us to follow God’s call in our lives.

Scripture. As individuals scripture has never been so readily available as it is today. Not only can we own our own bible, there

are numerous translations and presentations of God’s word. It’s online, on our phones, tablets, iPods and more. Together we

read scripture to develop our understanding of it. In worship and in times of study scripture can help guide us.

Outreach. In the Gospel we are told that in so far as we help the “least” so too we help God. Individually we make commit-

ments of time and money to help those in need. In pursuit of Jesus? Buy a homeless person lunch; you may be surprised what

you find. Together our outreach can make a lasting impact for those we serve and as we reflect on these actions they will form

our community too.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks re-

ceives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8

Blessings -

Fr. Paul

THE VICAR’S VOICE

P A G E 2V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

St. Nick’s Ministers:

Vicar: Father Paul Klitzke

vicar@stnickschurch.org

Bishop’s Warden: Bob Windisch

Bishop’s

Committee: Tammy Bruce

Tom Gatti

Cathe Portillo

Treasurer: Doug Brown

BabyZone: Linda Aga

Samara Burnett

Alicia Quinata

KidZone Leaders: Kerry Shiroma

Dawn Villanueva

KidZone Aides: Vacant

EDGE Sarah Klitzke

Shana Ikeda

Newsletter: Bob Windisch

gigatt99@hawaiiantel.net

Photography: Dave Jones

Sarah Klitzke

Kevin Shin

Bob Windisch

St. Nicholas is a joyful church in-

tent upon finding God in ourselves

and others through fellowship,

teaching, reaching out, and grow-

ing disciples of Christ. We have a

special love for youth and chil-

dren, and we invite you to join us

on our spiritual journey.

OUR MISSION St. Nicholas Vision:

St. Nicholas is a place that is welcoming to all and offers:

Programs to encourage fellowship and teach lessons of the Bible

Outreach to the community through servant evangelism

Worship styles that are liturgical and incorporate contemporary

influences

Vital ministries for youth and children in a safe and inclusive

environment that fosters spiritual growth

ADVENT

A time for preparation, hope and the joy of Christ’s light that dispels the darkness.

Your current and future gifts to ministry help bring peace, justice and righteousness to the world

CHRISTMAS AT ONEMALU from Bob Holden for Kala

It’s that time of year again! St. Nicholas, in partnership with ‘Ahahui Siwila Hawaii O Kapolei, Na Wahine O Kamehameha I, EDGE Youth and the Aloha City Rollers, will be holding our annual Christmas party for the families at Onemalu Transitional Shelter in Kalaeloa. It takes place on December 21, 2013 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Set-up will begin at 9 AM with the main program, games and lunch beginning at 11 AM. There is plenty of work to be shared to make this a fun event for the resi-dents (and it is always a fun and fulfilling event for all of the volunteers).

We need helper elves to: Set up and take down tents, booths, tables and chairs. Organize and run games. Take family photos throughout the day. Serve the food. And other things we haven’t thought of yet!

New this year is the need for us to prepare the food to be served. In the past it was catered but that fell through at the last minute due to schedule conflicts. Dot Shigemura is pulling a team together for those who would like to join this effort. The preliminary menu is pulled pork, rice, salad, dessert and hot dogs! If you’re interested in joining the team please contact Dot at info@stnickschurch.org

Sign-up sheets for the various tasks will be coming out December 8 at the greeters table. There is also a sign-up sheet to purchase a gift for an Onemalu child to be given at the party.

For more information contact Kala Holden at 672-4692 or kala3@hawaii.rr.com

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

St. Nicholas is embarking on a new phase in its journey! We have temporarily relocated our Sunday morning 10:00 AM ser-

vice to Christ’s Gathering Place, (also St. Timothy’s EC, 98-939 Moanalua Rd., Aiea, HI 96701) and added a new second ser-

vice on Friday evenings at Island Pacific Academy. The Sunday morning 8:30 AM service at IPA has been discontinued, but

St. Timothy's celebrates an 8:00 AM service. All of this begins on December 1, 2013.

As was noted in the letters mailed to each of us, the search for a new location has been going on for

years, literally. Prior to Fr. Paul’s arrival, a team of folks had been scouring the communities for 2-3

years, looking for a place that could be “ours” on a more consis-

tent, 24/7 basis. Almost as soon as he landed, Fr. Paul took the

reins on that effort and continued searching in our community

for space that (1) was affordable and (2) could be rented on a

more permanent basis. When no space could be found within

our community, the thought process turned to the closest Episco-

pal churches and a partnership was struck with St. Timothy’s

Episcopal Church which meets at Christ’s Gathering Place

(CGP) in Aiea.

Sunday services will begin there effective December 1. The

service will start at 10:00 AM, and the style will be what we've been used to at IPA. The

biggest difference, other than the surroundings, will be a respite from setting up and taking

down chairs! Our service will follow the St. Timothy's service which is at 8:00 AM. An-

other church will come into the space shortly after our service ends, so the worship space is being well utilized.

We will have storage at the church so, for the most part, we will not need to haul things back and forth (the trailer will not be

coming to Aiea; it will be used for the Kapolei service). BabyZone, KidZone, and EDGE will all be in various classrooms on

the CGP campus; we will have signs directing folks to the various areas. Hospitality will be held in Sumida Hall across the

courtyard from the church. Our band will be playing at this service, and CGP has built-in projectors and screens, as well as a

sound board for the podium microphones. We will use our sound board for the band and will bring in our computer to hook up

for the service projection. We will continue to live stream this service. We will also continue to have Ice Cream Sundays, HI-

5 recyclables and our food drive, with the first Ice Cream Sunday taking place our first Sunday at CGP on December 1.

(NOTE: Don’t forget to allow some extra time to get to Sunday service during the December shopping season!)

The Friday services will be more contemplative in nature. The service will be held in the elementary school’s foyer. A

hosted fellowship meal will begin at 6:00 PM and the service itself will start at 7:00 PM. This will give folks a chance to take

a breath from work & traffic as well as enjoy a meal in fellowship, and allow for those who may be running late at work or

stuck in our infamous traffic to be with us when service starts at 7:00 PM.

Friday Fellowship setup will begin no later than 5:30 PM, with the goal of being ready to greet people by 6:00 PM. All items

for this service will be stored in our trailer, and we will use the chairs from the multi-purpose room. As dinner wraps up, eve-

ryone who is there will help transform the space from the meal to the service space.

Music will be provided by members of the band, but initially will be “unplugged” with the music being provided acoustically

for the most part. The service will be projected, but will not be streamed live. Worship will begin at 7:00 PM and will include

some time to reflect and respond to the message and the prayers. Everyone is welcomed in worship as there will be no nursery

initially. This service is being designed to be slightly shorter than the Sunday morning service.

The hosted fellowship meals will initially rotate among volunteers from the Bishop’s Committee. It is hoped that this may

become a ministry for one of the Friday evening attendees, not necessarily having to provide the meal each week, but oversee-

ing the schedule of volunteers who will do so. The cost of the meal will be reimbursed by the church.

Join Us On the Journey takes on a whole new meaning as we embark on this new phase in our church life. We hope to be

able to reach more people with God’s message with these changes and continue to grow our church so that we may soon be

able to seriously work on a plan for building permanent space in Kapolei!

Invite your friends and neighbors to either service!

St. Nicholas Church: Our New Services from Dot Shigemura

P A G E 4 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

She’s quiet and reserved, perhaps a little shy, but Cheryl

Chee is an essential gear in the machine that is St. Nicho-

las Episcopal Church.

Cheryl is a true “local”, born in Honolulu and growing up

in Kapahulu. She’s the middle of three sisters and at-

tended St. Andrew’s Priory from first grade all the way

through high school. In high school she was an honor stu-

dent and worked on the school newspaper. When asked

about sports her answer was a simple “HA!”

After graduation Cheryl attended University of the Pacific

in Stockton, California as an undergraduate and then in the

Pharmacy School where she earned her PharmD (Doctor

of Pharmacy) following several years of grueling study!

Cheryl returned home and began her pharmacy career

working for Kuakini Hospital supervising a clinic phar-

macy for 15 years. In 2004 Cheryl decided it was time for

a change and a big challenge and went to work for the De-

partment of Veteran's Affairs as a clinical pharmacist at

Tripler Hospital. Recently, the VA moved their operation

to Queen’s Hospital West, formerly Medical Center West,

and she can now literally walk across the street to her job

as a pharmacoeconomics pharmacist”! (That’s a mouthful

and you’ll have to ask her to explain it!) She says her job

is not boring but it can be very stressful even though she

doesn’t have to count pills anymore. Her dream job?

RETIREMENT

Cheryl and her late husband Greg are

the proud parents of two wonderful

daughters. Alyssa (Makamae) gradu-

ated in June from Willamette Univ.,

Oregon and currently is living and

working in Portland. Amanda

(Pualei) graduated from Kamehameha

Schools and is attending Concordia

Univ. in Portland. Both Maka and

Pua were volunteer aides in KidZone

and BabyZone and were loved by all

their charges. They also helped dur-

ing service as projectionists.

In her free time Cheryl enjoys music, her tastes leaning

towards easy listening like Kenny Loggins or Hall &

Oates, “New Age piano, Hawaiian contemporary or Chris-

tian contemporary. She also enjoys shopping and reading

but doesn’t have a “favorite” author. Right now she’s

reading “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. And she likes to play

“7 Little Words”. In TV and film she enjoys suspenseful

or “feel good shows.” She recently saw “Captain Phillips”

which she describes as “awesome”. Lobster, steak,

BEHIND THE SCENES

from Bob Windisch

salmon, Hawaiian food or junk food—she can’t pick a

favorite. Her peeves? Sitting in traffic or standing in

lines. Amen to that!

Except for her time at college Cheryl

has lived her whole life in Hawaii but

has done extensive travel throughout

Europe including visits to England,

France, Germany, Austria and Italy.

The only other place she might like to

live would be Portland to be near the

kids.

Like many of us who have been with St. Nick’s for awhile

Cheryl became aware of St. Nick’s after receiving a post

card talking about a new church in Kapolei and came to an

Easter service. She been here ever since. Over the years

she has become an extremely important part of the St.

Nick’s worship team.

On Sunday mornings

she’s like a dynamo

with only Darrel Sny-

der, maybe, working

harder to set up for

service. After help-

ing unload the trailer

she’ll help the band

set up, get the projec-

tion system up and

running and some-

times even set up

chairs! She is one of those go-to people who will jump in

and help wherever or whenever needed.

Cheryl has served on the Bishop’s Committee and helped

out when we did our Hulu Huli chicken fundraisers. She

is on the greeter’s team and no doubt you have been

greeted by her smiling face many times and she is also a

chalice bearer at the Eucharist. Cheryl was also on the

clergy search team that brought us Father Paul. Currently

she is the head programmer and projectionist, a job she

thoroughly enjoys, making sure that the songs, prayers and

videos are ready for Sunday.

Though nervous about our big move Cheryl enjoys St.

Nick’s. She loves the people, our rock star priest, the

band, the music and the great presentation team.

PS from Cheryl: I welcome all who are interested in

being a projectionist and, or programmer. The job is

easy to learn and it’s fun to do, and it will only get

more exciting with our big move and added evening

service!

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

Applications for EYE'14 Now Being Accepted

Deadline to apply is Friday, December 20, 2013

The Triennial Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) will be taking place July 9-16, 2014, at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and the Diocese of Hawai'i will be putting together a delegation of 24 high school youth to attend the Episcopal Church's largest and most anticipated youth event.

All Episcopal youth in the Diocese that are in grades 9 - 12 during the 2013-14 school year are eligible to apply. Cur-rently, the estimated cost to attend will be $1,500 - $2,000 per person that includes air travel, lodging and most meals. The Diocese is planning to cover a small portion.

To learn more about EYE’14 or to register visit the Episcopal Diocese website at http://www.episcopalhawaii.org/ through the diocesan event listing. You may also contact the Diocesan Youth Leader, Sarah Klitzke at (808) 536-7776, ext. 309 or email her at youthdirector@episcopalhawaii.org . Deadline to apply is December 20 and applicants will be notified in January

December 1st marks the beginning of a new year in the church calendar. As this new season of the church begins, we should be thinking of the resolutions that we would like to make in our faith lives for the coming year. Similarly to the secular new year, it is a time for us to reflect on where we have been and where we, spiritually, would like to be. Having just passed Thanksgiving, remembering all that we are thankful for, it is now time to move forward, make promises to our-selves, to our families, and to God. As we prepare for the celebration of Jesus’s birth, we must look for ways to empower ourselves as Christians, deepening our faith and spirituality.

Maybe it is more time spent in devotional prayer, maybe it is more time teaching your children or grandchildren how to pray, maybe you need to read scripture more or be more generous. What-ever your spiritual goals are for the new year, let your family here at St. Nicholas know so we can help support you. For myself, I know that I need to find solace in the craziness of working, running errands, being a wife, a mom, and a dog-owner. Being an extrovert, I struggle with being by my-self and taking time out to talk to God. I find myself forgetting to listen to God and hear what God is trying to say in my life. I strive to find this balance in life and resolve to work towards this in the coming year.

If you are like me, these things may be easier said than done. I often have to intentionally set re-minders to spend time in spiritual practice. I have looked at resources, websites, and books to help me achieve my goals. I’m happy to share some of my favorites that I hope can assist you in developing and attaining your own spiritual resolutions in this new year of the church.

Vibrant Faith at Home: A great site with tons of resources for couples, families, youth, children and parents. Spend a few min-utes exploring this site for prayers, conversation starters, outreach, and activities. http://www.vibrantfaithathome.org

Three Minute Retreats: Check out this site when you are sitting at your desk working or need a short mini-vacation to release tension and stress. It is a short devotional site that reminds you to take a deep breath and remember God in all you do. http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm

Explore Faith: This is a very useful and powerful site full of information for anyone seeking a closer relationship with God. There are resources to help you explore and deepen your faith life and spiritual journey, devotionals for people in all walks of life, and articles on every topic imaginable from dreams, to forgiveness, to labyrinths. http://www.explorefaith.org

There are so many great resources available, and I am happy to pass along more at any time. I encourage each of us, at any age, to strengthen our relationships with God in the coming year, reflecting on how we can live and walk more closely with God. I pray that each of us may be able to share with the youth and children of St. Nick’s as well, modeling for them the importance of strong, mature, faith. If anyone is interested in sharing during our EDGE youth time about their own spiritual practices, please contact me. Throughout the coming year, I hope to focus on spiritual journeys and practices with the wonderful youth in our church community.

Advent; A new Church Year from Sarah Klitzke

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

DECEMBER 2013

December: Friday/Sunday

29 / 1

6 / 8

13 / 15

20 / 22

24 (7 pm)

27 / 29

Greeter Friday Cathe & Mario Portillo

Cathe & Mario Portillo

No Service Cathe & Mario Portillo

NA Cathe & Mario Portillo

Sunday Dot Shigemura Dot Shigemura Dot Shigemura Dot Shigemura Dot Shigemura Dot Shigemura

Chalice

Bearer

Friday

Sunday Sarah Klitzke Shauna Jones

Dot Shigemura Luella Windisch

No Service Cheryl Chee

Kala Holden Kerry Shiroma

Sarah Klitzke Kala Holden

Shauna Jones

Scripture

Reader

Friday Bob Windisch Isaiah Chong No Service Cathe Portillo NA Kala Holden

Sunday Christine Connell

Bob Windisch Philip Moyle Bill Bruce Christine Connell Noah Klitzke

Isaiah Chong

Prayer

Reader

Friday Bob Windisch Isaiah Chong No Service Cathe Portillo NA Kala Holden

Sunday Ariel Villanueva, Jr.

Cheryl Chee Deidre Harris Bob Windisch Christine Connell Dot Shigemura

Announce-

ments

Friday Bob Holden Dot Shigemura No Service Kala Holden NA Bob Holden

Sunday Bob Windisch Deidre Harris Cathe Portillo Bob Holden Kala Holden

KidZone

Teachers/

Sunday

Kerry

Shiroma Dawn

Villanueva Kerry

Shiroma NA Dawn

Villanueva

EDGE/

EDU-678

Sunday

Shana Ikeda/ Sarah Klitzke

Shana Ikeda/ Sarah Klitzke

Shana Ikeda/ Sarah Klitzke

NA Shana Ikeda

Counters Friday

Sunday

Bob Holden/ Dot Shigemura

Bob Windisch/

Bob Holden

Grace Peacock/ Dot Shigemura

Shauna Jones/

Heather Jablonski

No Service

Shauna Jones/ Mike Coullahan

Bob Holden/ Grace Peacock

Heather Jablonski/

Bob Holden

Bob Holden/

Dot Shigemura

Bob Holden/ Grace Peacock

Bob Windisch/ Mike Coullahan

Projector Programmer:

Cheryl Chee

Friday

Sunday

Dot Shigemura

Noah Klitzke/ Luella Windisch

Trey Bruce

Sarah Moyle

No Service

Luella Windisch

Dot Shigemura

Pua Chee

Diana Worth

Luella Windisch

Rose Shin

Sound

System

Sunday Dustin Stacy Jeff Harris Bob Windisch Philip Moyle Jeff Harris Bob Windisch

Friday Trailer Tom Gatti Tom Gatti No Service Mario Portillo NA Tom Gatti

Ice Cream Sunday

Jeff Harris Ice Cream Sponsored by Cheryl, Makamae & Pualei Chee—mahalo!

Hospitality Shigemura Signaigo/Shin/

Patrick

Friday

Sunday Bruce

Signaigo/Shin/Patrick

No Service

Signaigo/Shin/Patrick

Gatti Signaigo/Shin/

Patrick

NA Portillo Signaigo/Shin/

Patrick

Altar

Service

Friday

Sunday

Luella Windisch

Kala Holden

Kala Holden

K. Holden/L. Windisch

No Service

K. Holden/L. Windisch

Kala Holden

K. Holden/L. Windisch

Kala Holden

K. Holden/L. Windisch

Kala Holden

K. Holden/L. Windisch

Onemalu

Monday Readers B. Crider, B. & L.

Windisch D. Villanueva, T.

Akana, L. Windisch P. Klitzke, K. Shiroma

Holiday NA Holiday

ICE CREAM

SUNDAY

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 9 , I S S U E 1 2

Calendar

Sunday, Dec 1, First day at Christ’s Gathering Place! 10:00 AM service. Sunday, Dec 1, Ice Cream, HI-5 Recyclables & Food Drive Sunday Saturday, Dec 7, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, St. Nicholas Day Event, Christ’s Gathering Place - Sumida Hall Thursday, Dec 12, 7:00 PM, Bishop’s Committee meeting, Vicar’s Office, Kapolei Sunday, Dec 15, after 10:00 AM service, Ministry Meeting over lunch, Christ’s Gathering Place-Sumida Hall Saturday, Dec 21, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Christmas Party at Onemalu Tuesday, Dec 24, 7:00 PM, Christmas Eve Service @ Christ’s Gathering Place 10:00 PM, St. Timothy’s candlelight service Wednesday, Dec 25, 10:00 AM St. Timothy’s Christmas Day service @ Christ’s Gathering Place Tuesday, Dec 31, New Year’s Eve—Party safely and responsibly!

Color vibe 2013

St. Nick’s “Team Technicolor

Dreamcoat” participated in the Vet-

eran’s Day 2013 Color Vibe 5K fun

walk/run. Let the pictures speak for

themselves!

JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY!

Phone: 808-753-7788 E-mail: info@stnickschurch.org Website: www.stnickschurch.org

FRIDAY EVENING SERVICE

@ IPA

909 HAUMEA ST., KAPOLEI

6:00 PM FELLOWSHIP

7:00 PM WORSHIP

SUNDAY SERVICE

@CHRIST’S GATHERING PLACE

98-939 MOANALUA RD.

AIEA, HI 96701

10:00 AM

CHRISTMAS EVE

@CHRIST’S GATHERING PLACE

7:00 PM FAMILY SERVICE

10:00 PM CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

CHRISTMAS DAY

@ CHRIST’S GATHERING PLACE

10:00 AM

St. Nicholas Day Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, 10-12:00 pm

Calling all keiki! Come join in the annual St. Nicho-las Day celebration, this year to be held at Christ’s Gathering Place on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Craft activities will be followed by a visit from the REAL St. Nicholas, who will share his story of how he became a bishop and why he was named a saint. Pic-tures with St. Nicholas will follow and a yummy snack will wrap up the morning. And once you’re done, you may want to head on over to Pearlridge to begin, or finish your Christmas shopping!

ON-LINE SHOPPING?

Go to the St. Nick’s website, click on “Support”, Do-

nate to St. Nick’s and then amazon.com. If you make

purchases through the St. Nicholas link amazon will

donate a portion of your purchase to the church. It’s a

win-win-win! Amazon makes sales, you have the con-

venience of shopping at home and mostly free shipping

and St. Nick’s receives a donation.

If you’re truly stuck for a gift for that hard to shop for

person on your list, St. Nicholas has t-shirts for sale at

the ridiculously low, low price of $10. All sizes to 3X

are available. Get yours now!