Who is ready to GO to Hawai'i?

That's the "Big Ask" who wants to spend life with Layne, myself, and the people of Hawai'i in making Christ known?

For 6 months now we have had hundreds of people from all around the world faithfully praying for our journey and the start of a new church in Hilo, Hi.  Since then the vision God has planted in our hearts has become so much clearer.  God has faithfully revealed to us a deeper desire and calling to reach the people in Hawai'i, the Pacific, and the World with the Gospel.

For some of you, God has made it clear to you through your time of prayer what the next step for you is.  Others need some extended info on what life in Hilo, Hi looks like.  It is my heart to be honest and upfront with you on the challenges church planters and fellow churches in general come against while living in the beautiful state Hawai'i.

What to expect...

::  Cost of living is very high

::  There is a shortage of jobs, so unemployment is high

::  95% of the people in Hilo are unchurched

::  The percentage of those living on Government assistance is higher than ever


::  2-3 generations of family members live together due to the high cost of living


::  There is a great need for foster care families

::  It’s a very dark place despite the beautiful tropical atmosphere it provides

But God is at work in Hilo…

::  A new network of church planting has just begun

::  We are seeing many come to faith in Christ

::  Many fellow churches from the mainland is in support of fellow local works

::  Hilo was not hit by the rescission

::  Jobs are beginning to raise

::  The Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Livestock industry has been a success for the people

::  The University of Hawai’i, Hilo is a mission field to students

::  The city is filled with community events, and local sports that allows Gospel living to take place

I am a native of Hilo and I have never been so passionate about my hometown than now.  If you sense God’s call to minister and live life with the people of Hawai’i starting in fall of 2013, go a head and contact me (zeke@ohanachurch.com) and we can begin to help you prepare for this new journey.

For some of you, God is calling you to just continue to Pray for us.  We encourage that.  Prayer is the work.  Others, God may stir within your heart to financially give to Ohana church, if so, go to the following link to begin the process http://www.ohanachurch.com/support/give/

God is good, and he desires to see people in Hawai’i, the Pacific, and the World to come into an intimate love relationship with Him through Christ.  Christ will be made known through God's people!

Who is ready to GO to Hawai’i?

Pastor Zeke

Developing Leaders

God has inspired me to work on my communication skills, and as I have prepared to grow in this area, I have made action steps to get counsel from other mentors.  One mentor encouraged me to use my church blog to encourage leaders, and focus on specific principles.

I am a living product of someone who believed in me, and put their money were their mouth was.  I am thankful for people like my father Frank Tomaselli, and mentors such as Vance Pitman, Jeff Riley, Mike Laughrun, Tim Frank, and Scott Nesbitt.  These men lived life with me, and thought me what it looks like to follow Christ, and lead people to Christ.

When developing leaders, the key is not to give them a lot of tasks, though that has been our down fall.  The key is to encourage them and identify their strengths first.   If a leader is not equipped to carry out a task, then the mission of the task is pointless.  One of my strengths as a young leader was in the form of a talent.  God blessed me with the ability to sing, and play instruments.  Each mentor God placed in my life used this musical ability as a platform, but that also allowed me to discover some new and potential leadership qualities that I did not know I had.  This is key.  Maximize from your strengths, not weakness.

From this development, I have grown with a desire to teach the bible, create and lead ministry teams, and God has specifically given my wife and I a vision to plant a new church in Hawai'i, that involves so many different areas of leadership competencies.  What an honor!

As leaders in an organization, we must also realize that with new leaders come new models of ministry.  Not every leader functions the same way.  So the organization may have a mission in place, but it may be fleshed out differently based on the new leaders personality, skill, experience, and personal conviction.

From a Christian view, let's develop leaders that lead from the talents and gifts that the Lord has blessed them with.  Let's be flexible to punt from past leadership/tradition, and move forward with the provision God gives us.  Let us look at change as a GIFT of God, and not opposition.


Let's develop healthy leaders!


Pastor Zeke

Our Journey Update

Hello friends,

WOW! Preparing to plant a church is a blessing, but very overwhelming.  I thank God for the North American Mission Board, Hope Church Las Vegas, and Launch Network for the training we have received over the past two months.  Very blessed to have been chosen by these ministries to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through church planting.  Praise God!

I think this process of training is so humorous.  When God called us to plant a church in Hilo back in May, I immediately began working on our missions statement, core values, strategy, fundraising, and community needs plan.  As I began to seek counsel on this plan, I realized how much I did not know about planting a new church.  The truth is, I need God more then ever in my life.  A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege to lead 2000+ of our church members in a song called "I Need You Jesus".  The first verse and chorus says this...

I am frail, broken easily
Without fail, my strength keeps failing me
All alone, I'm powerless
To lift myself from the pit that I am in
I need You, Jesus
I need You, Jesus
I need clean hands
I can't, You can
I need You, Jesus 

Those words say it all!  Apart from God I can do nothing, but through him I can do all things.  Here at Hope Church we call this God Dependence.  My goal is not to plant a church.  My goal is to grow deeper in a intimate love relationship with my God/Father.

As Layne and I continued though our church plant training, we were so convicted by God to erase everything we have written down, stop looking at other planters strategy, and just seek God and desperately cry out to Him for forgiveness, and restored fellowship.  Following that sweet time of meeting with the Lord, He just revealed Himself to us, and refreshed us.  Its good to know that the Christian life is not based on our efforts, but rather what God does in and through us to showcase His glory.  When we are intune with God through intimacy with Him, He presses His mission out of us to the ends of the earth.  Thank You Lord for being so good!


Grace and Peace to you all!


Pastor Zeke


Prayer Needs...

• Launch Network Training
• A clearer vision and strategy for Hawai'i, the South Pacific, and The World
• Partners - Church/Family/Individua/ (Prayer, Financial, and Missional support needs)
• The Collins Family - They are planting in Las Vegas.  Jim Collins and I serve together as the resident church planters at Hope Church.  We have become close friends.
• The 43,000 people who live in Hilo
• The 95% lostness in the State of Hawai'i
• The unreached/unchurched Nationals that live in Hawai'i (People from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the rest of the South Pacific)

Praising God On The Journey

(Hope Church Worship)

The Psalmist writes...

PSALMS 150
Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

    Praise him in his mighty heavens!

 

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

    Praise him according to his excellent greatness!

This Psalm says it all.  This is where Layne and I are living at this very moment, PRAISING GOD!!!  We are in all of God right now.  He is worthy to be praised, and high and exalted.  He is so good, and we are so thankful for God in allowing us to be a part of this glorious journey we are on.  Thank you Lord!

Since God has called us to church plant in Hawai'i, He has answered so many of our prayers.  We would like to share with you all that He has answered and revealed to us since He called us on May 1.

• The Lord connected us with Launch Network (May 1)
• We needed a sending church:  Hope Church Las Vegas committed to be that to us within 24hrs our Calling. (May 1)
• We were low on funds to get to a Church Plant Assessment Retreat in June.  God provided those funds immediately after we prayed.  We were also approved at that retreat by LAUNCH in June to plant in Hawaii in 2013. (June 13)
• Upon Approval to plant, we were also offered a year paid church plant training position through the North American Mission Board with Hope Church in Las Vegas. (June 13)
• As we got ready to move, we had no money to move across the country from TN to NV.  Our home church in Carthage went over and beyond in giving us a HUGE love offering. (July 15)
• NAMB also provided us with a 3bed 2bath home in the Silverado Ranch area of Vegas for the next year. (Aug 1)
• Our house in Carthage sold within 30days for the price we asked for. (Aug 30)
• We have 10 churches that has committed to partner with us through this Journey (July).
• God has blessed us with a Prayer Coordinator and a prayer team of over 100 partners (Aug 1).
• Layne was offered a job as soon as we got to Vegas (Aug 20)
• Our first individual has committed to being a part of our financial support team.  The cool thing is that she lives on the Big Island, where we are planting. (Aug 28)

PRAISE GOD!

Thank you for your prayers, God is using you greatly in our lives as you cry out to him on our behalf and the needs of Hawai'i, The South Pacific, and The World!

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Pastor Zeke

50-50-30 Journey

Our Church Plant training here in Las Vegas has been so rewarding.  God is at work in our lives and we are excited to be a part of this Journey at Hope Church.  Thank you to all our partners all around the world for your co-labor in the faith.  Christ is being made much of because of your efforts in being intentional about the Gospel.

Yesterday, our church fellowship kicked off an intentional Gospel message called The 50-50-30 Initiative; which means we want to personally reach 50 thousand people, and 50 thousand households within 30 days with the Gospel of Jesus.  We have created strategies on how that would look like from baking desserts for our neighbors, taking them to lunch, being heavily involved in community events, etc.  From there, we will invite them to our 3 week series where our messages will be surrounded by one phrase "GOD, I've got a question..."

Sept 9 | Question 1:  God, can I really trust the bible?

Sept 16 | Question 2:  God, do all religions ultimately lead to Heaven?

Sept 23 | Question 3:  God, why does bad things happen to good people?

We have discovered that 95% of our city is lost, and that the 3 zip codes we are serving in are the most unchurched communities in the city.  Like I said from the beginning, us planting a church in Hawaii is not the main goal, it is all about the Kingdom of God and pointing those who are lost to Christ.  Sharing Christ with others should not stop for us after this initiative, it will continue because God WILLS it too!

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

- Be intentional about engaging your city with the Gospel
- Be ready to live generously
- Be aware of the lostness that's around you
- Be dependent and desperate for God


Glory to God, FOREVER!


Pastor Zeke

The Journey of His Faithfulness

Well, as I sit here our moving truck is completely packed - in one day, thanks to some amazing friends - and we are set to leave Tennessee on Wednesday headed to Las Vegas for one year of church planting training then on to Hawaii.

I am so amazed at how God moves! I remember when we first got to Carthage. I remember when our house here was as bare as it is now. I remember knowing very few people, and starting out on this new journey God had called us to. Now, as I look back I am thankful for all He taught us. It hasn't been easy. We have been through, and will go through again, some rough seasons in ministry, but God is faithful!

Right now I am sitting in the basement of a house that God provided for us! Ministry has taken place within the walls of this home! I am so thankful for the lessons learned in hearing my mom say over and over again "This house isn't ours, it's His! It is a tool for ministry." I have been able to see that in this home! I am listening to the sounds of a washer and dryer run. The first appliances Zeke and I ever bought as a couple! I remember thinking "I cannot believe we bought this!" But God provided! I hear the dishwasher running upstairs - this will be hard to part with (: - that was a Valentine's gift from Zeke because we had gone almost 2 years without one! But God provided for that! He has absolutely blessed us beyond what we can comprehend!

I think back to today and how we went to pick up our rental truck, and because they didn't have the car dolly ready, they gave us a discount on the whole rental! Which pretty much covers one of the many fill-ups we will have to do between here and there! I think about how packing the truck started a little slow, but within minutes we had so many people in our house packing, loading, and cleaning. How even the lunch that we were going to provide for those who helped ended up being provided to us! He is so faithful! I think about the fact that clothes that didn't need to be packed on the truck, got packed on the truck, but in a couple loads of laundry I had kinda slacked on we have what we need to make it there! The same goes for towels and blankets! He is so faithful!

It is easy at a time like this to get overwhelmed with all that will be missed - and please don't misunderstand me, there is a cost involved for those who are Christ followers! There are birthdays we will miss, but there are also birthdays we will get to celebrate! There are big life events we will miss, but there are also big life events we will get to be part of. There are people, places, and things that will be missed, but we have been called by a faithful God to go, so we will go. We could think about all these things we will miss, or we could count the ways He has been overly faithful to us during this time!

There is a verse that is on our living room wall here at the house that says "What then shall we say to these things? If GOD is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 This has been a reminder to us through seasons of blessings and seasons of difficulty that if God is for us, if He is leading us and we are following after him living out of the relationship we have with Him, who can be against us! Who can come against our God? Who can be victorious over Him? And if He is the one that is guiding us, leading us where He wants us, who can come against that? Oh yes, there will be difficult circumstances we face, but we can face those knowing that our God has the victory! I think about 1 Thessalonians 5:24 that says "He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it." He will accomplish His purpose! I am so thankful that as believers we get to be part of that! I am so thankful that I cannot stop what I did not start! He started this! He has called us, and He will complete it, because He is so faithful!

Prayer Requests:
*Please pray for us as we travel to Las Vegas.
                       -The plan is to leave Wednesday morning and arrive in Las Vegas Friday afternoon.
                       -We are driving a 16ft rental truck that is going to pull a dolly with one of our cars and                         then we will also be driving a separate car.

*Two of our friends from Carthage will be traveling with us to Las Vegas.  Pray for their families as they are away and their travel back to Carthage.

*Pray for our house here in Carthage to sell! We have had a few people look at the house, but no offers yet.

*Pray for our family here as we get ready to leave. Pray for peace for them about this journey.

* Pray for FBC Carthage as they continue to seek after the heart of God for His guidance during this time of transition.

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement during this time! We are so blessed by you all!
Layne

-Also, we are forming a prayer support team for Ohana Church. If you would like to be part of this team, please leave a comment with your email address, or you can email us at ohanachurchonline@gmail.com.

The Joy Is In The Journey

(Layne and I, 8 years ago)

We had a saying in Las Vegas which said "The Joy Is In The Journey".  For Layne and I, that has been a statement we lived from the inside out.  Our faith in God made us totally dependent on Him.  We would have never known that our journey in life would bring us to the spot we are at right now.  Layne and her family moved from TN to Vegas in 2001, I arrived in Vegas in 2002.  Our paths would cross, and we began courting in 2005.  On August 8, 2008 Layne and I were married, what a great day!  The following year we would move to Layne's home state of Tennessee.  After our arrival I would accept a Pastoral position with First Baptist Church in Carthage, TN.

After 10 years of being a part of this journey of faith, God has affirmed our long term goal of planting churches all over the state of Hawai'i and through out the world.  On Monday, our few friends from Carthage will help Layne and I pack a 16ft Budget moving truck.  We will say our last good byes to a few loved ones on Tuesday, and head back to Vegas on Wednesday.  We plan to arrive in Vegas early Friday afternoon.  We will do a year of training in Las Vegas, and then move to my homestate of Hilo, Hi.

The joy in our Journey is this...

We surrendered to the will of God, because of His spirit that indwells within us.  We understand that this life is not about us, but about the one who gave us life.  We are looking forward to both our good and challenging times that are up a head.  We are also looking forward to seeing people transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is a whole lot of uncertainty when you follow Christ, but that's what faith is for;  believing even when it does not make sense, in time it will.

Journey Partners, you will receive a prayer email soon from our Coordinator Kandy Smith.  Please pray for us faithfully, we are more desperate for God then we have ever been.  We do all of this because of Christ!

Make much of Him!

Pastor Zeke

The Journey Of Prayer

 (Baptizing 4 teens on my last Sunday)

Grace and Peace to you the Saints of Jesus Christ,

Layne and I are on an emotional journey as we said farewell to FBC Carthage on Sunday.  We felt so loved and appreciated by them as they honored us with many gifts of encouragement.  Our fellowship also commissioned us in each service, and our Pastor preached through Colossians 1:24-29 entitled PREACH CHRIST!  That is why we breathe, it is to make much of Christ in fulfilling the great commission.  Thank you FBC Carthage for your co-labor in the faith, and being a sending church for the Kingdom of God!

The life of a follower of Jesus must be one that is completely dependent on God through prayer.  My mentor Vance Pitman adopted a quote by Oswald Chambers that has impacted the people of Hope Church in Las Vegas, NV.  The quote states "We don't work before we pray, prayer is the work then God works".  This puts all the attention on the Glory of God.  As we pray and place our dependence on God, His glory is then pressed out of our lives in transforming many other lives.  God is making a name for Himself globally, and He is doing it through Prayer.

Part of our journey is to invite families to join us practically.  Right now, Layne and I have sought out a few families to pray about joining Ohana Church as staff partners.  We have also invited families to join us as layman supporters on the Big Island; where they would relocate to the Islands, find jobs there, and be a part of the Journey of Ohana Church.  These are huge request to ask people, but for believers in Christ our main goal is seeing the Great Commissioned fulfilled.  Let's continue to call people to give up their possessions, and leave comfort for the sake of Christ (Luke 14).  This is not just for Hawaii, but this is a challenge to the ends of the earth.

Lastly, I want to introduce you all to Dr. Kandy Smith.  Layne and I met Kandy through FBC Carthage.  She serves on the Worship Team as our Organist, and also serves in our Library ministry.  Over the past 2 1/2 years God has developed in her heart a missions cry for prayer.  I have personally seen God move mightily through Kandy and her desperation for God through prayer.  God placed Kandy on our hearts to be the Prayer Coordinator for Ohana Church locally, and globally.  Beginning August 1 (the day we leave TN), Kandy will begin emailing out prayer needs and request.  You can partner with us by emailing Kandy at ohanachurchonline@gmail.com, and requesting to be on our prayer chain team.

Mahalo Nui Loa, Kingdom Partners!


Pastor Zeke

Our Last Week Serving at FBC Carthage

   Last week was a great week at Student Life summer camp with our students! The theme for the week was Audacious. We looked at 1 Corinthians 16:13 that challenges us as believers to "Be on 'our' guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong." God was at work in amazing ways during our time at camp. It was amazing to see Him reveal Truth from His word, and then give us the opportunity to put this into practice. We also got to experience a very sweet time of worship. One night a big storm came through the area and knocked the power out during our evening worship service. After a little while of trying to gain back power, the house lights were brought back up and one of the lead singers of the band came out and led us in worship. I cannot begin to describe how incredible the sound of 2,000 people praising God in the midst of a storm is! It was absolutely overwhelming! I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of that sweet time!
 
    It has been an interesting week since we have been back from camp. Bittersweet is the best we can describe it. This has been our last week serving at FBC Carthage. We have enjoyed the last two and a half years as we have built relationships with some amazing people and seen God move in amazing ways! This coming Sunday will be our official last day. Pray for us as we say our good-byes, and pray for FBC Carthage as they seek direction from the Lord for this time.
  
   This Saturday we will have an orientation meeting for our Launch training. We are excited about all that is in store for us through this training! We got back from summer camp Saturday to find our launch packet on our doorstep! Needless to say the next few months will be filled with reading for both of us! :) (Fortunately more for Zeke than for me!) :)
  
   We have also begun the packing process! This is probably my least favorite part of the journey! We are at the stage that we have to begin packing, but there are also many things we cannot pack until time gets closer for us to leave. It is never easy to pack up and move, but God has blessed us to be able to look back on 2 years of great memories, and also look ahead to all that He has planned for us! We are so excited to begin this time of training for the work He has called us to in Hawaii.
  
   Please continue to pray for us during this transition. We are absolutely dependent on the Lord during this time, just as we are at any other time in our lives. Thank you for your continued love and support of us during this time!

Prayer Needs:

• Pray for us as we travel to supporting churches to share with them the vision God has given us for   Ohana Church.

• Pray that our house will sell. We have had some interest, but nothing serious.

•  Pray for our move from Tennessee back to Las Vegas. We will leave August 1st.

• Pray for our Launch training. Pray that God would speak to us through this training and refine the vision He has given us for Ohana Church.

• Pray for us as we say good-bye to family and friends here in Tennessee. Pray that these relationships would only grow as we follow God's call on our lives.

Layne

The Journey Continues

Aloha,

Layne and I are so encouraged and blessed by what God is doing in our lives and how He has called us to be a part of what he is doing in Hawaii.  Here is an update on how our Journey is moving forward.  Thank you for your support and partnership in God's activity in our lives.

Yesterday we announced to our Church Family that our final Sunday with them will be on July 15th.  God has blessed Layne and I with great friends in our last 28 months of serving at FBC Carthage.  We have seen God move mightily within this fellowship.  Many have come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.  We have seen 6 High School and College students except the call to ministry, Praise the Lord!  God has allowed Layne and I to also build tight relationships among families within our community and county.  We will miss the people we got to live life with here in Smith County.

We will spend a few weeks packing and preparing to relocate to Las Vegas.  We plan to move from Carthage to Las Vegas during the first week of August.  There are many things we must sell.  Please pray for us, as we need to sell our home and a few small items.  The Home is a huge prayer request.  Our plans are to move whether or not we sell our home before August.  God has Called us, and we are confident that He will accomplish the details.

Why move to Vegas?

Our past home church (Hope Church LV) has offered me a residency position for a year.  With the support of the North American Mission Board, we will be equipped and trained in church planting.  We will also continue our partnership with Launch Network.  While we are in our year of training, we plan on inviting families and people we are connected with in praying about moving with us to be a part of what God is doing in Hawaii.  We cannot do this by ourselves, and we understand that the success of the church in reaching people is going to happen because of Godly families joining together and living life together.

Thank you again for being so faithful in your prayers for us.


Glory to God, FOREVER!

Zeke

Our New Journey

The Psalmist in scripture says that...

"The works of God's hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy"

This is very true in our lives as we speak.  Many of you have heard about God calling us back to my home town of Hilo-Papaikou, Hi to be a part of what He is doing through church planting.  Last week Layne and I attended a church plant retreat through Launch Network.  We went through many assessment training, meeting with professional Christian counselors, pastors, and fellow church planters.  This retreat focused on our strengths and weaknesses in our leadership areas.  They also determined if we were practically ready to plant a church off strong.  After 2 days of assessments and evaluations, we received a message stating that we were APPROVED and ready to take the next steps towards church planting.  Praise the Lord!

At the assessment, we were able to cast vision for what we believe God is calling us to be in Hawaii.  Our fellowship will be focused on engaging families in Hawaii, the south pacific, and the world.  God has given my wife and I the name Ohana Church for our fellowship.  Ohana means family in Hawaiian, and we will exsist to...

HONOR GOD, ENGAGE FAMILIES, and EXPAND THE KINGDOM!

Lastly, we have many prayer needs.  Here are some specific things to pray for us for...

1. Need to sale our House.  Jason Martin from Heartland Reality is our contact.
2. Our possessions in our home.  We don't need many of our furniture or entertainment items.  Need to sale or give away.
3. Pray for our transition from Carthage, to Las Vegas.
4. Pray for our 6 to 8 month training in LV.
5. Pray for Layne as she leaves her family behind as we pursue God's calling to Hawaii.
6. FBC Carthage, our church family.  They will also be in transition as they seek God for direction in Youth and Worship ministries.
7. Pray for all the people that we will depart from here in Carthage.  We will miss them very much.
8. Pray for my Pastor Tim Frank and his family as they continue to serve at FBC.  We have become very close over the last 2 and a half years.
9. Pray for Zach and Andrew Layne.  I have really come to love these boys as my own sons.  They recently got saved, and I foresee challenges in the future for them with out consistent discipleship and mentorship.  Gonna miss them.
10. Pray that Ohana Church will be a fellowship that will invest in planting more churches around the world.

This is the beginning of a great Journey.  I will share more on our journey in a week or so.  Thank you for being a part of our lives.  We love you all!

Glory to God, FOREVER!

Zeke