7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Irene Matsumoto, Convener

“Aid in Dying in Hawaii – An Update” Scott Foster and Juliet Begley

 Scott Foster is the communication Director of the Hawai’i Death With Dignity Society and Media Coordinator for Compassion & Choices Hawai’i. He is pictured here with Kathryn Tucker, JD, Director of Legal Affairs for Compassion & Choices, at a conference last year at the Hawai’i State Capitol. Juliet Begley is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Compassion & Choices Hawai’i.

 Hawaii is the fourth state in the US where terminally ill patients can openly ask their doctors for aid in dying, and doctors may openly respond. Scott & Juliet will bring us up to date on the current status of this important end-of-life option.

“A Pastor’s Perspective” Rev. John Heidel

 Rev. John Heidel is a United Church of Christ clergy and the President of the Interfaith Alliance of Hawai’i.  John is a member of Christ Church Disciples and Presbyterians, Kailua. He is a founder of Religious Leaders for Assisted Dying.

 John will share his perspective as a pastor.

Open Discussion.

 8:15 Other Social Issues and Concerns 

8:30 a.m. Adjourn. Networking

Where: Harris United Methodist Church, 20 South Vineyard Blvd.

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto (or Sam Cox)

“Caring for our Family Members with Alzheimer or Dementia; How our Churches and Temples Can Best Assist” Jody Mishan and Elizabeth Stevenson.

Jody Mishan has been a writer/producer and voice talent in Hawaii for over 20 years until her career was sidelined when her father, a retired Navy captain, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She brought him to Hawaii to live with her for his remaining 7 years.

During this time, she worked for Kokua Mau, a coalition to improve care at the end of life. She worked directly for the state hospices, building awareness about hospice, advance directives and pain & palliative care issues. She is presently on the State Task Force for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia’s, representing family caregivers.

Elizabeth Stevenson is the Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Association, Aloha Chapter. Previously she served as Director of Development and communication with the Institute of Human Services in Honolulu.

Elizabeth serves on the Task Force to Develop a State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia.

Jody and Elizabeth will share their experience and their insights on how best the churches, temples and community can best assist with this growing problem.

 8:30 a.m. Adjourn. Networking

Note change to 2nd Wednesday for this month only

Where: Harris United Methodist Church, 20 South Vineyard Blvd.

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

CODE BLUE! “Can Christianity be Resuscitated to Live Fully in an Exponentially Changing 21st Century Culture?”Guest: Rev. Dan Hatch

Using Christianity as a spring board, Dan will facilitate a dialogue on the challenges faced by all faith traditions in meeting the challenges of an increasingly “wired” and rapidly evolving global society.

Dan and his family became Hawaii residents in 1970 following two years of Peace Corps service in Fiji. He is a member of the United Church of Christ, ordained in Hawii in 1986 to Intentional Interim Ministries on the mainland. He returned to Hawaii to Hawaii in 2002 to continue interim ministries. He was a founding member of the Interfaith Alliance Hawaii and an active social justice advocate. He recently retired to minister to the needs of his grandchildren in California.

In Dan’s words, “I have always been a generalist, a big-picture thinker and, others say, prophetic. I have a passion for justice, especially as a straight advocate for GLBT rights, economic justice at all levels, and strengthening interfaith relationships. I am strongly committed to the counter-cultural hard work necessary to become a global society that lives in harmony with the resource-rich environment of this infinitesimal speck of celestial real estate we call Earth.”

8:30 a.m. Adjourn. Networking

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

“Faith is a Moving Target” Guest: Sandra Theunick

Sandra Theunick (Sandy) is the Head of School at St. Andrew’s Priory.

Sandy was raised in a rural Midwestern Roman Catholic family. Her high school years, however, were spent in “Washington DC, where she met the women’s religious community that she was later to join – the Religious of the Sacred Heart, an international community establish in close to 50 countries. She spent 28 years in religious life. While in the order, she served as a teacher, campus minister, School Head and congregation administrator. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Masters of Divinity from the Washington Theological Union. After departing the order in 1993, she became interested in interfaith studies and ultimately pursued a two year “ordination track” program in interfaith studies at the New Seminary in New York, NY.

She was ordained to interfaith ministry in 2005. Sandy came to Honolulu in 2007 to serve at St. Andrew’s Priory School as Head of School; a position that she continues to hold. In her spare time she sings in the St. Andrew’s Cathedral choir and serves as a volunteer chaplain for Hospice Hawaii.

8:30 a.m. Adjourn. Networking

When: First Wednesday, September 7, 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Where: Harris United Methodist Church, 20 South Vineyard Blvd

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

“ The Critical Needs of Our At Risk Youth in Hawaii Today” – Jaque Kelley-Uyeoka with Alika Campbell with Hale Kipa Youth Services

Jaque Kelley-Uyeoka is the Deputy CEO of Outreach Services for Hale Kipa Youth Services. Hale Kipa is a private non-profit forty-one year old agency that provides a continuum of services to youth who are at-risk and their families.

Starting out from a shelter for runaway women and girls on the grounds of St. Andrew’s in 1970, Hale Kipa has grown into a Statewide organization which has responded to community needs by adding foster care, independent living, street outreach, prevention and early intervention, police diversion, transitional living and other services to meet the needs of Hawaii’s youth and families.

 Jaque will give an overview of Hale Kipa services and the pressing needs of our At Risk Youth today, particularly with cuts in social service funding. How can the community help?

Alika Campbell is the Program Coordinator for Youth Outreach and Transitional Living Program. Since 1989, Hale Kipa and the Waikiki Health Center have been providing services to runaway and homeless youth and young adults on Oahu through the Youth Outreach (YO!) program. The program provides street outreach, Drop-In services, case management, counseling, and health/medical services to street/street-identified youth on a referral and walk-in basis.

Each year, YO! serves thousands of youth by providing these basic survival needs and assisting them to find permanent housing. YO!’s staff develop relationships by effectively engaging a range of youth with differing ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and cultures in a sensitive manner. In this way, YO! clients are introduced to a wide range of services that are critical to meeting their most basic needs. Alika will give an update on their services to date.

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

Ending Human Trafficking in Hawaii” Kathy Xian with Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery and Dominic Inocelda with Susannah Wesley Community Center.

 ”Human trafficking” is an umbrella term for activities involved when one person obtains or holds another person in compelled service. This may include involuntary servitude, slavery, debt bondage and forced labor. In 2009, Hawaii had approximately 10 percent of all human trafficking cases certified by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the United States.

The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery (PASS) is a Hawaii-based not for profit whose mission is to stop Human-Trafficking in Hawaii and the Pacific. Kathy Xian is the Executive Director. PASS provides services and advocacy for survivors of Human-Trafficking, education and training on the identification of victims of Human-Trafficking and public awareness and prevention education.

 The biggest human trafficking case in U.S. history is currently in federal court in Honolulu, Hawaii. Susannah Wesley Community Center played a major role in helping the victims find legal support, and the center continues service with ongoing aid. Dominic Inoceldo, is the Program Director. In 2008 he was named Social Worker of the Year in Social Justice and Advocacy.

This year Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie signed two important bills HB 141 (labor-trafficking) and HB 240 (promoting prostitution law reform) which went into effect July 1. Even though passing laws to address Human-Trafficking have been realized in the state of Hawaii, the battle has just begun. Further collaboration and education is needed to successfully combat trafficking. PASS is very hopeful for the future. “We are convinced that, through commitment and working together, Hawaii’s island communities can end trafficking in the state within 10 years”.

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. –  Rev. Irene Matsumoto

“How Best to Meet Our Mission to Care for the Homeless in Hawai’i”  – Marc Alexander with Connie Mitchel

Governor Abercrombie recently declared “We are going to end homelessness in the state. It’s a crime against humanity — this is Hawaii, this is paradise, there will be no homelessness in Hawai’i.”

Marc is the Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness. He is the lead person on Governor Abercrombie’s efforts to end homelessness. He is committed to working with state and federal agencies, community programs and foundations, and the business community to find opportunities and solutions to address homelessness collaboratively.

The most controversial point so far in Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s 90-day plan to address homelessness, announced May 17, is one that encourages charitable organizations to review their current practices, especially in regards to certain food distribution programs, in order to gauge their effectiveness in helping to move people out of homelessness. Marc will give an update on the 90 Day Plan and lead a discussion with Connie Mitchell on how the churches and non-profit organizations can be most effective in our mission to care for the homeless in Hawaii.

Connie Mitchell is the Executive Director for the Institute of Human Services, one of many community agencies working to care for the homeless in Hawaii. The mission of IHS is to “provide respite for those who are unsheltered and solutions that transform the lives of homeless and at-risk people”.

Currently over 40 churches are working with IHS delivering services to more than 1800 homeless annually. Services include emergency food & shelter, case management, housing placement and employment support. Connie will give an update on their services and share her take on the most critical needs of our homeless in Hawai’i and how we may help.

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking

7:00 a.m. Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

“My Social Justice Journey” -  Retired Justice Steven Levinson

Justice Levinson’s 40 years of legal experience include 3 years as a circuit court judge of the Hawai’i First Circuit Court and 17 years as an Associate Justice of the Hawai’i Supreme Court, from which he retired at the end of 2008.

During his tenure on the Court, he authored 231 published opinions of the court, including Baehr v. Lewin (1993), which was the first appellate decision in American history to hold that a state’s marriage laws were presumptively unconstitutional for discriminatory prohibiting same sex couples from marrying.

He also authored numerous opinions addressing the lawful limits of governmental intrusion into the private affairs of individuals, the legitimacy of police interrogations and searches and seizures, and other related subjects.

He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Temple Emanu-El for 10 years. He is presently a board member of the ACLU of Hawaii as well as a board member of Equality Hawai’i the state’s largest LGB YT advocacy organization.

8:00 am ”Social Justice and Legal Issues in Hawai’i Today”. Open Discussion and Sharing.

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking

7:00 am Opening. Introductions. Rev. Irene Matsumoto

“My Spiritual Journey”. Bishop Eric Matsumoto, M.A.

Rev. Matsumoto is the recently installed Bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

Bishop Eric Tatsuo Matsumoto was born 51 years ago in Kona, Hawaii to Glenn and Ann Matsumoto. His parents and brother Alan are active members of Kona Hongwanji.

His family is comprised of wife Tamayo Sasaki who was born and raised in Miyazaki, Japan where her father, the Rev. Yoshimaro Sasaki heads Anrakuji temple. Their children are Chika Archisha (11) and Caden Kei (5).

A great influence in the new Bishop’s life was his grandmother. “As a young child, I was very close to (her). She was a very religious person and she always took me along with her to various services.”

As a student of Konawaena High School (class of 1977), Rev. Matsumoto served as Senior Class President and was a National Honor Society member. He obtained his Bachelor’s degrees from UH-Hilo, he studied at and graduated from Ryukoku University with a Master’s degree in Shin Buddhist studies. He was ordained (tokudo) in 1988 and received full certification (kyoshi) in 1991.

His ministerial career includes Honokaa Hongwanji resident minister (also in charge of Kohala, Paauilo and Kamuela Missions) for 8 years and Moiliili Hongwanji resident minister for 8 years. Bishop Matsumoto just returned from a visit to Japan.

8:00 am   “Engaged Buddhists – Hongwanji Perspective”.  Discussion.

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking

7:00 am Pilgrimage to Bhutan –  Rev. Alan Goto
Rev. Alan Goto and his wife recently visited the exotic country of Bhutan as a pilgrimage, visiting its many temples and cultural heritage sites. Bhutan is known for its guiding principle of “gross national happiness” which was coined in 1972 and is measured every five years.

The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of sustainable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.

The concept of GNH is trans-cultural. The eight general contributors to happiness are (1) physical, mental and spiritual health; (2) time-balance; (3) social and community vitality; (4) cultural vitality; (5) education; (6) living standards; (7) good governance; and (8) ecological vitality. It is solidly based upon the empirical research literature of happiness, positive psychology and wellbeing.

7:45 am Hawaii tops list of happiest US states - Alan Goto and Sam Cox. 
The Aloha State came in first in a national survey of happiness. The survey — which included a random sample of 352,840 adults ages 18 and older living in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia — looked at six categories of well-being.

These categories included life evaluation ; emotional health; work environment ; physical health; healthy behavior; and basic access (access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, as well as community satisfaction)

8:30 am Adjourn. Networking