The following is a recent article from Br. Jack Isbell OFC that sums up beautifully the values of the I-ECC.
I’ve been interested in reading about the “Emergent Church Movement.”This new formula for church growth teaches that churches should not be
interested in numbers, but rather in the quality of the member’s life and ministry. It also teaches that churches should not own buildings or
property. Instead it encourages little cell type churches to meet in homes or other borrowed spaces. When they grow bigger, than such small
spaces can accommodate, they should attempt to share the building with other larger established churches.
Most large institutional churches use their large buildings mainly for worship only on one day each week. They are often very happy to rent out
their sanctuary or smaller rooms to other churches that are in the “Emergent Church Movement”. Our little church here in Honolulu, Hawaii
has followed the advice of the Emergent Churches in meeting first in a small space and then moving to larger quarters.
We were founded in 2006 and for 3 years we worshiped at the Episcopal Student Center at the University of Hawai’i. In 2009 we moved to our
present location at Queen Emma Gardens. This is the condominium where another clergy person and I reside. We now worship in a Japanese style
Tea House (designed for parties at our condos) which is located next to a “Koi” Pond surrounded by Monkey Pod Trees and Norfolk Pine trees and
beautiful Hawaiian plants and flowers. We have over 1,000 brightly colored Koi in the pond and a family of Teil Ducks with several
ducklings born each Spring. Since we are an I-ECC Parish in the Franciscan Tradition, our congregation of 8 loves all the Fauna and Flora! Most of
the members of our church live at Queen Emma Gardens Condominiums. Sr.Barbara rides her bike each Sunday to our Mass. The other clergy take
turns preaching and celebrating the Eucharist. Fr. Nick brings a guided meditation each week from his Unity Church background. We are blessed
with a Homily “Talk Back” time after each short talk about the Gospel for the Day. The members of the church always ask great questions of the
clergy and of each other. Fr. Nick is the timekeeper to keep us on track and we manage to do the worship in about an hour each Sunday. Some
members and visitors stay behind to ask additional questions and usually they get answers too. I say ‘usually’ because we all know that some
Spiritual Questions need further time and reflection to find answers that fit each person’s pathway and beliefs.
Sr. Barbara was ordained a priest at our church in 2011 and Fr. Carl Matthew-Naylor was ordained a priest at our parish in 2008. Our church
just had two of our number move back to the U. S. mainland recently and we are now to 6 members. Word of mouth seems to work best in attracting
new congregants. Diversity in Spiritual belief, action, and ministry also seems to mark such ‘Emergent Churches.” Our youngest member is in
their twenties and our oldest is in his eighties. That member has lived at Queen Emma Gardens for over 35 years. We believe that God always sends interested persons and possible future members! We have decided that if our numbers ever get below 5 we will move up to an apartment and be a “House Church” again. The emphasis is on Quality not Quantity!
Our members come from different races, cultures, and religious traditions. We see our self as Independent Catholic and are open to
other faiths represented in our Islands. Buddhism seems to have a real influence on our lives and worship as well. Queen Emma Gardens is
located in the shadow of 3 Buddhist temples (Kwan Yin Temple, a Chinese Temple, and a Japanese Temple. This spectrum of influence from world
religions is also present in many “Emergent Churches.” We are also very proud of the social activism of many of our members. We have interesting
political discussions also—most of our members are Democrats (as are most people in this very Democratic State of Hawai’i) but all are
welcome and none are ever turned away because of political beliefs. We just seem to respect one another’s diversity in age, race, gender,
sexual preference, culture and spirituality. The One Spirit seems to call our little church to continue being the “Servant Church” by
becoming more visible in our social activism and testimony to a living Gospel of Love. We are so proud to be an “Emergent Church!”.
I’ve been interested in reading about the “Emergent Church Movement.”This new formula for church growth teaches that churches should not be
interested in numbers, but rather in the quality of the member’s life and ministry. It also teaches that churches should not own buildings or
property. Instead it encourages little cell type churches to meet in homes or other borrowed spaces. When they grow bigger, than such small
spaces can accommodate, they should attempt to share the building with other larger established churches.
Most large institutional churches use their large buildings mainly for worship only on one day each week. They are often very happy to rent out
their sanctuary or smaller rooms to other churches that are in the “Emergent Church Movement”. Our little church here in Honolulu, Hawaii
has followed the advice of the Emergent Churches in meeting first in a small space and then moving to larger quarters.
We were founded in 2006 and for 3 years we worshiped at the Episcopal Student Center at the University of Hawai’i. In 2009 we moved to our
present location at Queen Emma Gardens. This is the condominium where another clergy person and I reside. We now worship in a Japanese style
Tea House (designed for parties at our condos) which is located next to a “Koi” Pond surrounded by Monkey Pod Trees and Norfolk Pine trees and
beautiful Hawaiian plants and flowers. We have over 1,000 brightly colored Koi in the pond and a family of Teil Ducks with several
ducklings born each Spring. Since we are an I-ECC Parish in the Franciscan Tradition, our congregation of 8 loves all the Fauna and Flora! Most of
the members of our church live at Queen Emma Gardens Condominiums. Sr.Barbara rides her bike each Sunday to our Mass. The other clergy take
turns preaching and celebrating the Eucharist. Fr. Nick brings a guided meditation each week from his Unity Church background. We are blessed
with a Homily “Talk Back” time after each short talk about the Gospel for the Day. The members of the church always ask great questions of the
clergy and of each other. Fr. Nick is the timekeeper to keep us on track and we manage to do the worship in about an hour each Sunday. Some
members and visitors stay behind to ask additional questions and usually they get answers too. I say ‘usually’ because we all know that some
Spiritual Questions need further time and reflection to find answers that fit each person’s pathway and beliefs.
Sr. Barbara was ordained a priest at our church in 2011 and Fr. Carl Matthew-Naylor was ordained a priest at our parish in 2008. Our church
just had two of our number move back to the U. S. mainland recently and we are now to 6 members. Word of mouth seems to work best in attracting
new congregants. Diversity in Spiritual belief, action, and ministry also seems to mark such ‘Emergent Churches.” Our youngest member is in
their twenties and our oldest is in his eighties. That member has lived at Queen Emma Gardens for over 35 years. We believe that God always sends interested persons and possible future members! We have decided that if our numbers ever get below 5 we will move up to an apartment and be a “House Church” again. The emphasis is on Quality not Quantity!
Our members come from different races, cultures, and religious traditions. We see our self as Independent Catholic and are open to
other faiths represented in our Islands. Buddhism seems to have a real influence on our lives and worship as well. Queen Emma Gardens is
located in the shadow of 3 Buddhist temples (Kwan Yin Temple, a Chinese Temple, and a Japanese Temple. This spectrum of influence from world
religions is also present in many “Emergent Churches.” We are also very proud of the social activism of many of our members. We have interesting
political discussions also—most of our members are Democrats (as are most people in this very Democratic State of Hawai’i) but all are
welcome and none are ever turned away because of political beliefs. We just seem to respect one another’s diversity in age, race, gender,
sexual preference, culture and spirituality. The One Spirit seems to call our little church to continue being the “Servant Church” by
becoming more visible in our social activism and testimony to a living Gospel of Love. We are so proud to be an “Emergent Church!”.
