What do you expect?

Churches are as different as snowflakes, so I can only speak for the church I lead.

You can expect a casual environment. That’s an understatement. (“Q: What do you call the guy in the suit at Reunion? A: A visitor!”) Most people dress for comfort. You’ll see jeans and T-shirts, shorts and rubber slippers, slacks and aloha shirts, and pretty much a little of this and a little of that. It has been said of us that we have no dress code. That’s not entirely true: we require that all be dressed… we’re just not real specific about how. Not sure what to wear? Conservative and not-too-revealing would be appropriate, but you don’t need to get all dressed up. Just show up.

You can expect a warm welcome. We’re kind of huggy, but we’ll try to be sensitive to your personal comfort level and need for space. If you prefer a handshake, we’re good with that… but sometimes a hug is just what is needed to express how happy we are to have you. We also know that some people come needing a hug. After a hard week, in which life has dealt some hard blows, that big welcoming hug at Reunion can feel like the arms of Jesus.

You can expect a diverse group of people. There’s an old quote that claims “Eleven o’clock on Sunday Morning is the most segregated hour of the week in America.” Not at Reunion. Look around Reunion and you’ll see faces that reflect an amazing rainbow of ethnicity and heritage; Hawaiian, Japanese, African-American, Chinese, El Salvadoran, Samoan, Caucasian, Ecuadorean, Filipino, Korean, Mexican, and just about  every mixture and combination of those you could imagine. If you think that is awesome on Sunday mornings, you should be here for a pot-luck dinner!

You can expect good music. We’re blessed with a talented group of musicians who make Sunday mornings inspiring and alive. The sound is contemporary, the volume is cranked up, and the lyrics are solidly Biblical. Feel free to clap your hands, raise your hands or dance, if that lifts your spirits. The songs are carefully selected and well-rehearsed, but is is not a show — it is worship. It is the sound of many for an audience of one. We promote excellence but don’t push for perfection. We’re not big on matching band uniforms, intelligent lights, lasers and hazers; they have their place, but Reunion is not that place. If worship-tainment is what you seek, you’re probably at the wrong place.

You can expect teaching from God’s Word. We are not very trendy. We don’t jump on the latest spiritual fads or accept every new trend as “a move of the Spirit.” You won’t hear politics from our pulpit; among our people are liberals and conservatives, Republicans, Democrats and Independents. We believe our mission, our mandate, is to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom to the nations, and God’s kingdom transcends political parties, political boundaries and ideologies. Sometimes the messages are topical, dealing with Biblical teaching on the issues of life. Other times we do expository series, in which we walk through (okay, crawl through) a book or passage of scripture verse-by-verse. We spent about eighteen months in the Gospel of John. Bring your Bible, because we don’t project the scriptures.

You can expect to be family right away. You will seldom hear the term “visitor” used at Reunion. (A visitor is a person from the mainland who drops in while on the island.) We have a lot of new faces and “first-timers” and more and more of them return and bring friends with them. We are inclusive to a fault. Don’t be surprised if we recruit or involve you the second time you show up! There are no name tags, guest books or “visitor cards” at Reunion. Nobody will ask you to stand or point you out as a newcomer… we are here, you are here, God is here: that’s the way we like it. All together. Different. Altogether different.

Reunion. Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School. Sundays at 10 AM.