Puna Covenant is dedicated in following Jesus and to love the people of Puna, Hawai’i

About Puna Covenant Church

Our early history - Our Japanese Plantation workers start it all.

Puna has been a place of historical importance throughout the history of Hawai’i. From the days of the monarchy, Puna provided agricultural and human support to the people of Hawaii. Around 5000 people lived in Puna from the time of the monarchy until the mid 1980s when the population grew to over 10,000 people. It has always been an hub for agriculture.

In 1912 Japanese plantation workers in Puna invited a Christian minister of the Gospel of Jesus from Japan to move to Puna and help pastor them and they formed a church. 15 years later, Filipino plantation workers invited a minister to shepherd them, also. In 1954 these two congregations merged to form what is known today as Puna Covenant Church. Several members of our congregation still remember their great grandparents and the Kahu of those early years that provided guidance, leadership and direction the churches and the communities within Puna.

Our history - Our filipino families extend the church

1927 was an important year for Puna. Celebrating and worshiping Jesus is a vital part of Puna Covenant’s DNA. Every generation and people group has unique ways to express love and worship for Jesus. When Filipino families moved into the district and were seeking to worship Jesus in ways that were important to them, they quickly planted a new church. This significantly increased the opportunity for people to hear about Jesus and see Jesus through personal relationships. Families still living across the globe trace their heritage to these Filipino Kahu, parents, plantation workers and church pioneers.

Our heritage and our legacy

Both the Japanese and Filipino congregations that merged in 1954, known today as Puna Covenant Church.

Original members of the Japanese Congregational Church in 1912, today known as Puna Covenant Church.

The Filipino Christian Church that started in 1927. Known today as Puna Covenant Church.

This is a photo of the original combined churches from the original Japanese and Filipino Congregational Churches in 1962 and the Anniversary service.

Welcome to Puna - A Time To Celebrate Jesus in the islands of Hawai’i

Painting of the First Christian Missionaries arriving in Hawai’i

It all started for hawai’i when…

The history of Hawai’i is very fascinating and quite exciting. Throughout 2020 and 2021 we have celebrated the arrival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 1820. The first Christian missionaries to Hawai’i traveled the ocean on the ship Thaddeus. The Thaddeus left New England, USA on October 23, 1819 bound for Hawai’i. It arrived on March 30, 1820 at Kawaihae, Hawai’i and anchored in Kailua-Kona on April 04, 1820. To learn more about our history and culture you can go to the American Minute

Oral tradition, as well as contemporary archeology, tells us that the Hawaiian people migrated from Polynesia, and likely Tahiti around 600 AD. There is also considerable oral tradition that tells us that the original people of New Zealand, the Māori people, migrated from Hawai’i a few hundred years after the Hawaiians started living in the Hawaiian islands.

A great seafaring people, the Hawaiians, have always impacted and been impacted by the ocean. In 1818, the first known Hawaiian Christian, Henry Opukahaʻia, found himself homeless on the Big Island and jumped on a New England whaling ship bound for Massachusetts, USA. When he arrived in the United States he expressed his desire to become a Christian and share his faith in Jesus Christ with his Hawaiian family. His memoirs initiated the greatest missionary effort the world has ever seen. By the middle of the 1800s, Christianity had become the predominant cultural faith in the South Pacific. This was due to Henry’s desire to evangelize Hawai’i with the Gospel of Jesus. He did this by starting the first alphabet of the Hawaiian language and translated Genesis and two of the Gospels books from English into Hawaiian. His memoirs became a world best-seller in 1818 and greatly funded the missionary efforts throughout the South Pacific. He died at Yale University shortly after initiating these works and never saw his beloved Hawai’i and people again.

But his dying wish was fulfilled and by 1850, 98 percent of Hawaiians had heard the Gospel of Jesus and could also read and write both Hawaiian and English languages.

To read more about Christian missionaries to Hawai’i and the great evangelistic efforts that were undertaken in the name of Jesus within Hawai’i and also mirrored other mission works around the Pacific Ocean. You can also read more here https://www.hcucc.org/bicentennial or google it online.

Puna Covenant’s Mission

We exist to help people come to God. Friendships are vital to our life as a church. Jesus loves us and wants us to share His love with people. That is how we Gather. As part of loving people, Jesus has given us the mission to make disciples, which is known as the Great Commission. As people become followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, the last part of our mission becomes a reality. That is it. Gather! Grow! Go! Our mission is the commission Jesus gives to the whole church. We GATHER out of love for God to worship, encourage each other, and recharge our life in this world. We GROW because we want to become more like Jesus and live fruitful lives. And, we GO to share Jesus with friends, neighbors, and people beyond our homes because that is Christ's mandate to his church. Not just go out to go out, but to be the hands and feet of Christ, loving those around us. And we go bringing His words of hope to a world in need of our Savior. To Go is not the mission, just part of it. Gather, Grow and Go is the co-mission that Jesus has given to the church. The active part of the mission is being like Jesus to people. Puna, Hawaii, and the world is where we are to be like Jesus. Our first mission is to Puna, then to Hawaii and then to reach our world to fulfill the command of Jesus to His church in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1.8. "make followers of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do all the things I have told you. And I am with you always, even to the end of the world...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Our Purpose

We believe that everybody needs Jesus. Especially, to experience God’s love. So, we want to show Jesus’ love in very practical ways in every day, throughout each year.

We exist to express Jesus to the communities of Puna. Jesus is known as the greatest servant the world has ever seen. He gave His life willingly as payment for the sins of the whole world. He willingly was baptized in water by John the Baptizer. He willingly submitted to His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, and never ridiculed the political leaders of His day and never resisted physical trials. He lived this way because He wanted to please His heavenly Father through His whole life.

Our purpose as a church is to live the same way as Jesus, so people in our community can see Jesus and not us or anything else. One of our most prominent expression of serving our community is our Puna Covenant Community Bazaar. Donations come from our covenant members and sister organizations throughout Puna in the form of clothes, plants, vegetables, home goods, food and other special items to bless Puna. These donations are sold at a very discounted rate and the profits go to support our Puna Emergency Support Fund to help people and families who are in critical or immediate need. If you or someone you know has an immediate need that we can help or assist you, please call us at 808.966.9622 or fill out the request form on our transform page.

COMMUNITY MINISTRY

Ministry to parents, youth, and children makes up our largest segment of ministry. Women, men, college and young professionals are vital parts of our ministry also. PCC partners with Young Life, Hawai’i throughout the year to reach high school student with the love of Jesus in practical and specific ways.

COMMUNITY Ministry & the BAZAAR

We host the Puna Community Bazaar at Puna Covenant Church to help support people with goods, produce, and plants at low prices. The profit from our bazaars are used to assist those in our community in emergency situations and care.

We have senior’s ministry, women’s ministry, men’s ministry, youth ministry, children’s ministry and support other local ministries like Youth Life, Alcohol Anonymous, Hai'li Christian School, and Christian Liberty Academy, Kea’au

INTERNATIONAL Ministry

As part of our international ministry we are supporting missionaries throughout the world. Also, we take small teams to other parts of the world to share Jesus with people and to encourage other Christians in their faith.

INTERNAL MINISTRY

Our pastoral staff and leaders care for the spiritual needs of members, visitors and attendees through Sunday worship services and weekly activities. Having faith in Jesus ensures we serve those in need at Puna Covenant Church

Some of the best moments of our community bazaars.

**Just helping and serving others is a huge blessing for our members.**

More of our great volunteers who donate their time and money to make the Bazaar a community service event.

Support for the American Red Cross because they help so many at crucial times and natural disasters.

“Serving is act of love regardless of the cost.”

John Kane| volunteer

Our Story

Puna Covenant Church has been a member of the Puna community since 1912. Plantation workers and families wanted to establish a Christian church and out of that desire, two churches were established. The first was planted in 1912 and the second in 1927. These two churches later merged. In 2004, this church became the Puna Covenant Church of today. Many kahu and leaders have helped developed our church and we have embraced the call of Jesus to make disciples of our community and people across the globe. Since 1912, we have been involved in the life of plantation workers, families, professionals, teachers, businesses, students, youth, and children. We like to celebrate our legacy by acknolodging our kahu, church pastors/shepherds and members over the past 107 years

They are part of our heritage and legacy of Puna and Puna Covenant Church.