Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 5, 1 May 2002 — Indigenous Christian gathering will inspire [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Indigenous Christian gathering will inspire

w ^ku i luna i mālamalama - #-/ arise anā shine. For your Ē light has eome, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you ( Isaiah 60:1-2). This is the theme for the 4th World Christian Gathering on īndigenous People that is slated for Oct, 5-9 in Hilo, and Oct. 11-17, 2002 in Honolulu. Aloha Ke Akua (God is Love), presented to me by Kalani Po'omaihealani, Helene Waihe'e and Sandi Oguma began in 1992 with a few people who had a passion to see the Hawaiian people eome to Christ in the fullness of who God made them to be, I am taken by the fact that in these very troubled times around the world, people of all origins will gather together in dance, song, and worship, No matter what your religious preference, I truly believe that this gathering provides a venue to bring all people together and is an

extraordinary gathering that provides an opportunity for eaeh group to share their unique culture as well as their love of God, The goals of the Honolulu gathering are: ♦ To encourage diversity of cultural expression in worship among indigenous people; ♦ To continue reconciliation through constructive exploration of indigenous history and the issues related to injustice; ♦ To effect change through education; ♦ To discover how to effectively live as indigenous people and contemporary Christians; ♦ To bring the light of Christ to all, īndigenous Christians throughout the world will have an opportunity to celebrate their faith while reintegrating their rich native heritage, This is an unparalleled time to heal wounds inflicted by the insensitive

actions of the early missionaries, īn the name of Christ, this is an effort to reclaim indigenous Hawaiian beliefs, values, and traditions that were compromised with the discovery of our islands in the late 1700s, More than 2,300 people from 30 different countries attended the first gathering in 1996 in Rotorua, Aotearoa (New Zealand). īn 1998, the Lakota Sioux hosted the second gathering in Rapid City, South Dakota, īn the year 2000, delegates from six continents attended the third gathering in Sydney, Australia, Events planned for the Honolulu gathering include: ♦ A grand opening ceremony welcoming the indigenous dignitaries and delegations of eaeh nation in attendance followed by a traditional lu'au to include indigenous cultural entertainment; ♦ A prayer march down Kalākaua Avenue to Kapi'olani Park eulmi-

nating with indigenous cultural praise entertainment; ♦ An arts and crafts fair at the Kapi'olani Bandstand featuring the wares of participating countries; ♦ Outreach to various loeal churches on Oahu by visiting dignitaries and their ministry teams; ♦ A Windward cultural praise at Waimānalo Beach Park; ♦ General sessions featuring renowned speakers such as Tony Campolo and Shelley Meeum; ♦ Cultural workshops and praise sessions, Event discount incentives are being offered to encourage early registration, For a full listing of events, schedules, on-line registration, and general information, visit www, wcgiphaw aii.com or contact John Carpenter at 808-921-0364 or Helene Waihe'e at 808-261-0559.«

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