The Vision

Eight years ago, God provided us, His faith-filled children, the perfect piece of land for His rescue station called Waikoloa Lutheran Church. Over the next several years, He has placed a growing and passionate vision on our hearts to see what is coming; to envision what He has planned. He alone knew way back over fifty years ago, when Waikoloa truly was just a village, as He first gathered a handful of Lutheran families together in their homes to worship and study His Word, that Waikoloa Village would someday start to grow, and expand. Out of His deep and abiding love for all those who are already living in our village and the thousands that are moving “next door” in the years to come, He has planted in each one of our hearts His Vision for them to be saved by His grace through the gift of faith in His beloved Son, Jesus! You can see our village growing and expanding everywhere, from hundreds of new condos and apartments being built, to vast single home developments being planned, to all the new retail stores opening, and to large hotels being built. This is why God has chosen this time to launch His vision – all for the sake of those who do not yet know Him like we do. His vision for us is born out of His love and compassion for them. That’s the loving God that we serve and adore! Amen! And His vision, those plans, that mission is about to become a reality. Can you envision our future? Can you imagine what is coming? Can you see with your eyes of faith what God desires all of us to see? The vision God has placed on all our hearts in the near future on His land of promise - the one acre of perfectly-located property, on the busiest street in town, next to the elementary school and nearby parks – looks like this to us:

Sunday services packed with worshippers, many of which are in the overflow seating outside our beautiful new sanctuary. Our small but gifted worship team leads us in singing glorious hymns of praise as the Lord’s Supper is shared with kneeling worshippers in front of the altar. Fellowship Hour is a coveting time to catch up with each other over coffee and donuts in our spacious covered Lanai. Delicious-smelling hot dishes are brought out of our very own large and modern kitchen as we sit down to enjoy our monthly Pot Blessing together. Children of all ages run out of the sanctuary, through the lanai and into the large classrooms excitedly talking and laughing as Sunday School is about to begin. The sanctuary on the opening morning of a wonderful week of Vacation Bible Experience is packed with excited children and loving volunteers as they sing and dance to a Jesus song! A long line of happy elementary students are led down the sidewalk from the school every weekday afternoon to “Walther the Whale’s Winners” afterschool program for snacks, games, songs, homework help and “Jesus time”! On Saturday morning our growing middle school youth group kids wave large signs along Paniolo Blvd. inviting passing cars to come get their car washed to raise funds for next year’s LCMS Youth Gathering. Almost every evening the sanctuary lights are on with cars parked in the lot for Bible studies, youth group events, worship team rehearsals, and even perhaps AA/NA meetings as we serve our community in meaningful ways. Our sanctuary becomes an ongoing sacred place for heart-felt and grateful memories of baptisms, confirmation. Neighbors driving by see all the activity every day and God starts to nudge them to check it out for themselves. This is the life-changing ministry vision God has placed on our hearts in the near future. Can you see it with your eyes of faith?

 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10

This Vision chapter, written by God on the hearts of all of us who love Waikoloa Village and desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone who calls this growing village their home, is so thrilling, capturing our attention with each new paragraph, that before you know it, we will have read it to the end, turning the page to God’s next chapter for His faith-filled Waikoloa Lutheran Ohana with the heading “THE VOYAGE” !