View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
Saturday, July 7, 2001
First exposure to the largest individual church congregation in the islands brings to mind a variation of that real estate sales mantra, "Location, location, location." Committed volunteers
boost Church’s success"Organization, organization, organization" is awesome as the New Hope Christian Fellowship makes the grounds of Farrington High School its own every Sunday.
People arriving for three morning services or lingering afterward find a midway of booths to sign up for men's or women's or teens' ministries, sports teams, a 12-step program, geographically designated small-group gatherings or any number of charitable or community outreach opportunities. There are books and T-shirts on sale, and refreshments ranging from the latte wagon to last Sunday's "Portuguese sausage fried rice" fund-raiser for the outreach ministry.
What's awesome is that there are dozens of people staffing these booths and handing out programs and taking care of kids and a guy taking photos for the next bulletin, not to mention the special-duty police officers hired to manage the traffic jam.
Inside it's more of the well-oiled same thing. While ushers and sound technicians do their jobs, the gathering crowd can watch future choices displayed on the big screens, including seniorobics, dance classes, "ministry" opportunities such as golf, karaoke and cooking lessons, and post-abortion or divorce counseling.
When virtually every seat in the 1,200-seat auditorium is filled, and the overflow sent to the 450-seat gymnasium, the crowd is cranked up to a high pitch of singing praise at the hands of more than two dozen well-rehearsed band and song leaders, followed by the Drama Ministry, a professional-caliber troupe of comic actors who appear as the "Kealoha family" in a skit that underscores the theme of the four-week series, "God's Home Remedies."
By the time the Rev. Wayne Cordeiro takes the stage, he has been teased about yet another of his organizational devices in a warm-up act by musician Ben Vegas appearing as "Camaro Cordeiro" -- a hilarious hit with the congregants.
Organization isn't unusual in a church, but New Hope is the envy of many a long-established congregation not only because of the crowds -- they say 8,000 on a weekend -- but because so many of its members go beyond being Sunday morning spectators to being committed volunteers.
The personable pastor and his team began New Hope nearly six years ago, and it has grown to be the largest of the nondenominational new Christian churches in town. With his skill as preacher -- and singer and comedian -- Cordeiro is the star in what is a big show.
What touched a first-time viewer was his reiterated message that each person should seek a quiet time to do daily "devotions," a time to listen to God inside their own hearts. True to his organizational style, he provides a guide of day-by-day Bible readings to help.
Message: "Don't feed ourself just on Sundays, He'll feed you every day."
Welcome: Yes, from mandated hugs at the onset to an acquaintance's follow-up e-mail.
Participation: Refer to the above!
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Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
