by Victor Chen

Let’s play an association game.

What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the following words?

Playground.
Toy store.
Library.
Classroom.
Church.

What words come to mind? What feelings come up? What memories are triggered? What associations are revealed?

If you couldn’t guess, all the words provided describe places from our childhood. The associations with these words come from years of repeated experience and ingrained messages, whether realized or not. 

The first two words could elicit feelings of joy and fun. These are places that encouraged play and enjoyment. 

The next two places could elicit feelings of boredom or obligation. We had to go to those places to read, study and pay attention. 

The final place is a toss-up. Though church may bring feelings of joy, that is not always common. More likely, our childhood experiences of church elicited feelings of duty and obligation, much like going to the library or to school. 

What associations do children have with church today? What associations are they making when church service comes via live stream?

These are the questions that haunt me as a Family Pastor. Frankly, these are questions that haunt me as a parent. 

Yes, we cannot always control what associations our children have with “church.” But, we can control the message they are receiving from us when it comes to “church.” 

As a parent, as a Church School teacher and as the Family Pastor, the message I want children to associate with church service is “listen.” I can’t control the hearts of children, but I can instill the call to “listen” during church service. From the children’s bulletin to the children’s messages, from the Church School points for completing sermon notes to prizes that reward listening during service, there is a constant battle to instill the association of “listening” with “church.” 

But if we don’t intentionally fight these battles, we lose our children and don’t relegate them to negative associations with “church.” We relegate them to ambivalent associations with “church.” 

Our children will learn to check out. Our children will learn to do their own thing as long as they keep quiet and don’t bother Mommy and Daddy. 

And what is the scariest word our children will associate with “church?”

Nothing.

by Ron Miyake

Last year, I met with the core group of Tender Loving Caregivers (TLC) to hear about the support group they have for people who are helping care for their aging parents. I saw at their gathering how important such a support group is for these caregivers. 

I also thought about the Morning Glory support group for widows. I also learned from Gary Murakami about the GriefShare ministry, held at another church, for those who lost a loved one. 

Hearing about these groups made me wonder about what other support groups would be good to have at our church?  

Fast-forward to March and the COVID-19 pandemic. After talking with one of my daughters, who is an Emergency Room nurse, and hearing about the stresses that she and her colleagues were going through with COVID-19, the idea of having a support group for healthcare workers in our church came to mind. After compiling and contacting 45 people, we had our first Zoom meeting on April 7. The purpose of this support group was to have a place for healthcare workers from our church to share, get support and to receive prayer. For the prayer portion, we have four people from Prayer Ministry (Fred and Irene Kawashima, Virginia Cho, and myself) as part of the group to listen and pray. 

Another Zoom support group we started on April 30 is for single parents.  During this time of distance learning for students and parents, balancing work from home or at a work location, this would be an even bigger challenge for single parents. Naomi Sakata and I facilitate this group during our Thursday evening meetings.

A support group for chronically ill people began on June 11. The name of this ministry is PEARL (Prayer, Encouragement, Acceptance, Receiving, Listening). The core team is Joyce Inouye, Patti Yung, Joyce and Frank Salgado. Their last meeting was on October 15. They are evaluating what will happen next. 

It’s been neat to see how these support groups were started for these particular groups of people in this particular season: to be a place to share, get support, and to come to the Lord in prayer. 

by Pastor Victor Chen

When my children go in for a checkup, our pediatrician always asks two questions. I believe these two questions are relevant for adults now, especially during this “stay at home” order.

How much screen time do you have each day?

Screen time needs to be limited; otherwise, a child’s development is stunted. There are attention issues that can develop that make it more difficult to focus.

With school coming from a screen, work coming from a screen and even church service coming from a screen (!), one might ask whether we throw this question out.

But I believe now, more than ever, we need to monitor our screen time. 

Our pediatrician will recommend reading as a good alternative to screen time and I would agree with that for adults, too. 

Reading can help develop critical thinking and spark creativity by unlocking the imagination. Reading also helps your writing, which in turn can help you communicate better.

How much time do you play outside?

I could not imagine my pediatrician telling me to play more outside 30 years ago!

Playing outside helps the physical development of a child and is the natural way to develop hand-eye coordination. It also helps us rest our eyes from all that screen time.

Spending time outside also has an effect on our mood. Seeing creation outdoors reminds us that we are not in control and cannot click or swipe to manipulate the flowers of the field or the birds of the air. 

Take a walk around the block or a bike ride around the neighborhood. Put a bird bath in your backyard or create a vegetable garden on the side. Discover ways to get outdoors regularly.

With these two questions, I give no correct answer. Everybody’s situation is different.

However, these two questions are important and timely questions to ask ourselves.

And don’t be surprised if your doctor starts asking you these two questions.

by Steve Ogata

The senior staff came to me in mid-September - when temperatures were consistently in the triple digits - with a proposal to purchase and install canopies to shade worshippers during the outdoor Sunday Services, as well as for future church activities.  A quick proposal for six 40-foot equilateral triangular sunshades from Amazon.com for $1700 each with hardware and labor totaled over $13,000. I brought forth this plan to the Board of Trustees for their approval. Extensive discussion ensued regarding various issues. Was this a good investment? Did the shades fit the overall aesthetics of the church? What were the long term goals for ministry utilization? How long will the shades last? Are there any maintenance concerns?

I called for an onsite PAATT meeting after the outdoor Sunday Service on Sept. 20. I shared that a few days before, Yets Saguchi had called and said that Atherton had just installed sunshades over a small outdoor dining area. Jerry, Irene, Yets and I went over to the patio and spent an hour checking out the look and feel of the space. Yets, in her infinite wisdom, had obtained a copy of the invoice for the canopies. Based upon this report, the PAATT decided to check out the vendor, ColourTree, and possibly purchase a few sunshades, install them and see how they looked.

Jerry (my go-to guy) and I made an appointment a couple of days later with ColourTree. We were able to obtain sample color fabrics, and get prices on different size shades as well as the necessary hardware. ColourTree had four 32-foot triangular shades in stock. Normally $900 each, we were quoted at $229 each (75% off). Seriously. And they were green, as in Evergreen.

We decided to buy three of the four canopies and install them. This was on a Monday morning, and while the shades were being installed, I believe Jesus told me to buy the last shade that was in stock. I called ColourTree and the guy said that he had just found FIVE more green shades the same size as ours. And for the same discounted price. I told him I would call him back immediately.

We had to make a quick, executive decision. Ultimately, we purchased them all. I told Jerry this is like the boy with the five loaves and two fish. 

Long story short, the cost of eight 32-foot canopies, hardware and installation came out to $4,000. As David Miyahara said at the last Trustees meeting when this whole saga was reported, “Praise God!” Yes indeed. 

by Victor Chen

In this current “stay at home” season, people are consuming social media, internet news outlets and streaming media more than ever.

With opinions regarding COVID-19 being disseminated, dissected and dismantled in a divisive political climate, we need to be careful. Information is being thrown our way in bite-sized, hourly updated portions that we don’t have time to digest the content we’ve consumed before more is thrown our way. 

To top it off, this is election year. We should not be naive in thinking the messages we see aren’t meant to sway us one way over the other.

If your head is spinning, you’re not alone. What are we to do?

A journalistic principle rings true during this time: Don’t forget to check your primary sources. 

Take the time to investigate and check your primary sources. Don’t take secondary sources at face value. Beware of any claims made without any cited sources.

For Christians, we need to constantly check our primary source. I’m not talking about public health reports, scientific journals or statistical research data.

I’m talking about the Word of God.

God’s Word is our primary source. How often do we refer to it throughout the day? Is it the dominant voice in a sea of voices occupying our mind? Do we give it more attention than the latest clickbait headline that pops up on our feed? Is it the lens through which we filter everything we take in?

Brothers and sisters, more than ever we need to ensure that we are not swayed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that comes our way (Ephesians 4:14). Let the Word of God be the rock upon which we build our lives (Matthew 7:24-27). We, the people of God, should be steadfast in our trust and unwavering in our faith.

Will you check everything against your primary source — the Word of God?

 “… until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:13-14 ESV)