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