Sponsor A Youth for 2024 ‘Aha Pae‘āina

To all churches and members of the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ:

Aloha kākou!

Throughout our Hawai‘i Conference churches, there is a collective love for and commitment to our youth! Our youth aren’t merely the church’s future; they are leaders now. We firmly believe they have wisdom and insights that can inspire our spiritual growth. In Initiative #4 of our Conference’s Strategic Plan, we commit to ensuring that young people are “welcomed, inspired and free to give full expression of their faith (even if it looks different).” Our hope is that the upcoming ‘Aha Pae‘āina Youth Event in June will provide a sacred space to embrace and celebrate the diverse faith and witness of our young people! We are excited to partner with you to help turn this vision into reality.

We invite you to:

Promote the event within your community and encourage your youth (entering 6th grade – finishing 12th grade) to attend. We aim for representation from every mokupuni, and your support in spreading the word and ensuring registrations by May 13 is invaluable!
Support a young person’s participation through financial sponsorship (details below).

Let’s work together to make the Youth Event accessible to every family in our Conference!

Here’s how our Sponsor A Youth Program will work:

By May 10, complete this form and mail it to the HCUCC Office along with your check for $125 to sponsor one youth. (Should you wish to sponsor multiple youths, your generosity is most welcome!)
In early June, we will share the name of the youth you are sponsoring, allowing you to uplift them in your prayers leading up to, during, and after the ‘Aha.
Post-event, sponsors will receive a recap of our time together, along with some photos and reflections from the youth.

A few important points to note:

Random Matching: We will assign each registered youth to their sponsor. You will be paired with a youth from a different church or mokupuni, so we can foster connections across our HCUCC ‘ohana.
Affordable Participation: Each youth participant will pay only $50, which covers all costs, including airfare from neighboring islands. Your sponsorship plays a crucial role in making this feasible. We also hope to offer additional need-based scholarships, which we can provide through your support.

Mahalo for prayerfully considering this opportunity to invest in our youth’s spiritual journey! Please direct any questions to Rev. Mary Herbig at mary-herbig@centralunionchurch.org or (808) 440-3048.

Blessings,

Your ‘Aha Pae‘āina Youth Event 2024 Planning Team

Rev. Lauren Buck Medeiros, Rev. Malia Galindo, Rev. Irene Hassan, Rev. Mary Herbig, Tiffany Marrotte, Joan Sakaba, Rev. Ben Sheets, Nate Timoteo, Kristen Young, Danielle White, Lori Yamashiro