Update Letter from our Pastor

Al and I have had the privilege to serve alongside our, Pastor Ray Palmopo, for 20+ years. The majority of those years was at our church in California, Community Bible Church.  Now, here in Hawai'i, we again have the privilege to serve alongside him at Island Grace Church.  Here is his most recent update on the church plant. If you get a chance, please remember us in your prayers. You can also find the letter here. Mahalo!

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Dear Recipients of The Gospel of Grace,

Greetings from Island Grace Church!  It’s the first week of August, the kids are back in school, and it feels like the end of summer, though we still technically have two months to go.  But short as it was, we had a full summer.

In May I began preaching a series on Discipleship (taking a break from I Thessalonians).  With this series, and the leadership going through the book The Trellis and The Vine, we are hoping to get the church to seeing discipleship as the means to fulfilling the mission of Island Grace Church.  Our way of getting the gospel to our community and beyond will be by growing, maturing, and reaching out in the manner of Christ and His disciples.  It’s been a wonderful time in this study and many new discipleship relationships have begun as a result.

Over the summer our Women’s Ministry, young professionals ministry (CORE), and youth ministry (Crosswalk) have all taken a much-needed break in order to regroup and plan for the future.  But our Sundays have continued strong and have seen many visitors as well as new regular attenders for whom we give our God praise.  The great Shepherd has blessed us with many military folks from the surrounding bases.  There seems to be a great outreach among our service men and women at Island Grace.

In July I had the great privilege of preaching at Sea View Baptist Church in Pacifica, California.  Pastor David Yeeles invited me at last year’s Community Bible Church Pastors Conference to share about our ministry in Hawaii to his church.  It was a time of wonderful worship and fellowship.  Sea View is a great testimony of Christ-honoring hospitality and love. In the evening I was honored to preach at Community Bible Church of Vallejo (our sending church).  It was a great reunion with old friends and I was in great awe of all that the Lord continues to do through CBC.  Speaking of which, my two teens had a wonderful and encouraging time at CBC’s youth camp.  The staff there continues to tirelessly serve the Lord Jesus by bringing the Gospel to the youth of Vallejo and beyond.

I’m thankful to be back in my Starbucks office here in Mililani where I had a chance meeting with a local youth pastor (one of the minority young, restless, and reformed here).  We talked about life, preaching Christ, and ministering in Hawaii.  He continued to tell me how churches in Hawaii have left their confidence in preaching the Word of God and instead chase the latest fad to invigorate their churches (a tale I have heard many times before, not just in Hawaii, but in America).  We both recommitted our resolve to preach Christ crucified in His word, for that is the only thing that reaches the lost and feeds the sheep.  Two hours later I left that conversation greatly encouraged by my brother and reminded why our Lord has sent me here.

I would be very appreciative if you could please remember us in your prayers.

1.     For continued fruit in reaching out to the lost and in discipling His sheep.

2.     For our first ministry workers appreciation lunch this weekend, that our hard working ministers would know they serve Christ first and foremost and that the church is greatly blessed by the exercise of their gifts.

3.     For the continued healing of my wife, Lirio.  All those who came to plant here from California have paid a price (job, finances, homesickness, etc.).  For my family our trial has been the health of my wife.  Though God continues to restore her, give her wise physicians, and bless her with the support of friends, her healing has been in stages and very slow.  Sure, but slow.  Therefore the Lord has seen fit to use this trial as a means of transforming into Christlikeness not only her, but myself and the kids as well.  It has been difficult at times, but we see in it His merciful and gracious hand.  Lir, especially, credits this trial with the reason why she can more clearly hear the voice of Christ in her Scripture reading.  So please pray for Lir’s continued healing and for the kids and me as we continue to serve her and love her.

4.     Praise to the Lord for bringing Island Grace Church to a place of independence from our sending church where we can now support my salary and benefits (as well as existing ministry needs) from our giving and the generosity of supporting churches.  Since I left California two years ago, Community Bible Church of Vallejo lovingly continued to support my salary and benefits until we could stand on our own feet.  That time has come.  The combination of our own giving and the support of partner churches now makes it possible for me to be supported without the extra help.  We praise God! 

However, we continue to be in need of a building and our current finances would not be able to support my salary and a building’s rental costs.  So we are back on our knees.  We know that if God opens the door for a building we could only pay for it by God’s provision.

So I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued financial and prayerful support of Island Grace Church.  As I said earlier, all of the families that made the move here from California have paid a price.  But none seem discouraged.  Why?  Because we did not come here to get rich, have a nice house, or get healthy.  We came to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost and see disciples of Christ grow in His image.  That task continues.

For His glory,

Ray Palompo (Psalm 28:7-9)