17 January 2022

For the means of grace and the hope of glory.

That phrase was the theme of our most recent capital campaign. It comes from the General Thanksgiving which may be said every day at the daily offices. When we chose that phrase, we chose it as a refrain of thanksgiving for everything we were hoping to do. Little did we know that it would sum up our efforts during a global pandemic as well. During 2021 we have survived due to “the means of grace,” and we continue to push forward in Christ for “the hope of glory.”

PROPERTY
Despite the pandemic, St. Mark’s has found ways to thrive during this challenging time. The exteriors of the parish hall and church were painted, the Stations of the Cross were refurbished, the landscaping in front of the church was refreshed, new chairs were purchased for the parish hall, the church interior was plastered and painted, the credence table was restored to its original state, the dysfunctional pipe organ (which was actually more of a shell of an organ) was removed, the choir loft was updated to increase space for the singers, storage space was added for the music library, new windows were installed in the rector’s office and working sacristy, new doors were installed throughout the church, and the worship sound system was recessed into the ceiling. So many capital improvements have occurred, that I have probably forgotten to mention something else that was accomplished. As I write this report, the property is again abuzz with workers. The monkey pod tree on the playground is being trimmed, and the lanai railings are being secured. Later this month the railing in the choir loft will be completed.

Additional projects are in the pipeline. The vestry is considering the carpeting of the Parish Hall to reduce the reverberant acoustic, and the hope is to install media equipment for formation and teaching purposes. No doubt someone will complain that they cannot hear when they come to the annual meeting. This is an exhausting mantra that happens again and again, so hopefully the congregation can accomplish a solution. Landscaping work also needs to be completed on the playground, the church needs new flooring, the sacristies need renovating, and the main office needs updating. The good news is that we have made considerable progress on many fronts. The church has accomplished much over the past year when it comes to property needs, and we are beginning to be proactive rather than reactive.

WORSHIP & OUTREACH
All this being said, the church is not merely about property. Worship is the main ministry of the church, and outreach is a close second. I have been grateful for our worship ministries during this pandemic. Special thanks must go to our choirmaster, Michael Dupre, for his flexibility and leadership with the choir during this time. When the choir returned after their pandemic absence, it was as if they had never taken leave. The acolytes, altar guild, and candle guild have also worked steadily during this time. Our attendance at the solemn mass has often surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and this is a testament to the many volunteers who have stepped forward to help. Evensong and Benediction has also witnessed healthy numbers, as have weekday solemn masses for high holy days. Conversely, the early Sunday morning service has become much smaller, and many who attended this mass in the past are now homebound.

As for outreach, the church continues to provide a weekly meal to Youth Outreach of Hale Kipa in Waikiki for homeless children and youth. St. Mark’s provided over 100 gifts for the Christmas party at Responsive Caregivers. Faithful volunteers still prepare meals monthly for Family Promise.

EVANGELISM & DISCIPLESHIP
During the pandemic St. Mark’s initiated an evangelism and discipleship team. This group of dedicated individuals continues to work quietly in the background on growth, stewardship, hospitality, marketing, and discipleship initiatives. They coordinate the ushers and greeters, arrange the aloha hours and receptions, create the name tags, design the stewardship campaign, and brainstorm other evangelism efforts. Beginning every meeting with formation, they are continually working to discern how St. Mark’s might welcome more people, as well as spread the Gospel more effectively. The reception after the Advent Lessons and Carols service is a great example of their work, when the parish intentionally welcomed all the newcomers who have graced St. Mark’s since the pandemic began.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
Every Sunday, Michel Reavis, Erin Richardson Severin, and Nani Lipps faithfully care for the children of St. Mark’s. The Sunday School is a vibrant little band of disciples, and we all benefit from their energy and creativity. I continue to work with the preschool in providing worship services for the upper and middler classes. Every Wednesday these two classrooms come to the church for their own worship services. We sing songs, say prayers, and learn about Jesus and the church. They are eager to learn, as many of them come from unchurched families, having little reference for God, faith, or institutional religion. The pandemic put a stop to many of our plans for ministering to the preschool families, as the preschool had to adopt very strict controls for who could interact with the children. Hopefully, once the pandemic becomes endemic, the church may resume many of the wonderful events of hospitality that were done pre-pandemic.

ADULT FORMATION
This year has seen the flourishing of two adult formation programs. The Education for Ministry class, that meets at St. Mark’s under John Condrey’s leadership, has grown. Where there were two, now there are three. They meet every Monday night after attending the weekday worship services.

On Wednesdays we commenced the Rector’s Study Group. This group also gathers for worship in the evening, followed by dinner and study, and sometimes we have had more than twenty people in attendance. We have had to start and stop a couple of times due to the pandemic, but ultimately, we used the surges as excuses to take some breaks. Regardless, the response from the congregation for the Wednesday night study sessions has been marvelous.

TRANSITIONS
In the months ahead there will be some transitions. Erin Richardson Severin has successfully reached postulancy for the ordained ministry. She will be moving to the mainland this summer to commence seminary studies, which means we will be losing our organist, Steven Richardson Severin. Steven plans to do some graduate studies as well. Both Erin and Steven have richly ministered to the congregation in multiple ways, and they will be missed. Very soon St. Mark’s will begin the process for securing a new organist, and we will also need to find a new use for our 3307 Campbell Avenue property. Organists are a rare breed these days, so it is going to take some time and creativity to fill Steven’s (organ) shoes. Thankfully our music program at St. Mark’s always attracts quality musicians. There are only a few places in Honolulu that do the type of music we do, and that bodes well for our church.

KAPAHULU NEIGHBORHOOD
We continue to try to shine the light of Christ in our beloved neighborhood of Kapahulu. Kapahulu has come upon hard times with many homeless and addicts living on our streets. It has been a struggle for the local businesses, residents, and houseless. We continue to balance the needs of providing a safe place for the preschool children and our parishioners, while being compassionate for those on our streets, some who can be extremely troubled at times, if not dangerous. Once this year we had a stone thrown at our Queen Emma window. Plants have been uprooted and thrown into the street, strangers have disturbed our worship while going through withdrawal, tourists passing by the church have been attacked, and preschool staff and church volunteers have been threatened. Removing litter and waste along Kapahulu Avenue and Herbert Street are non-stop efforts. We do our best to meet these and other challenges with patience, compassion, and reserve. We continue to study ways to help those in need while providing a safe space for those who come to the church and preschool.

CONCLUSION
No annual report can effectively communicate everything a parish does within a year. There are countless acts of ministry that go unnoticed, and many efforts that fail to receive thanks. Suffice it to say, I am grateful for every member of our church who works to make St. Mark’s so vibrant and healthy. We continue to be blessed by a vestry that asks the right questions and is mission focused. We are also fortunate in that our Anglo-Catholic identity helps us to consistently steer a clear path for the parish. So many churches are quick to run after the most popular shiny objects that are placed before them. We have not had that problem at St. Mark’s. We continue to witness to each other and our community using the immense resources of the catholic tradition, and fortunately, God continues to bless the church and our efforts.

May 2022 be another year of fruitful ministry at St. Mark’s in the Name of Jesus Christ despite the challenges we continue to face.

Father Paul Lillie +
Rector
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu