Rock Church Oʻahu, which gathers weekly to worship at Artistry Honolulu in Kakaʻako, is bringing back its free lei-making event for the community to celebrate May Day Lei Day.
The event slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, at Magic Island Lagoon, will include a lei-making workshop, hula demonstration, pūpū and refreshments, and more.
“This ladies-only event is free and open to the community,” organizers said. “Friends, sisters and children are welcome to participate, and alohawear is encouraged!
“Please bring any flowers or leaves to contribute to our leis. We can't wait to hang out with you!”
No experience is required. For more information and to RSVP, click here.
"We are a ‘Do Something Church’ – we like to get involved in the community,” Rock Church Oʻahu Campus Pastor Mark Richardson told Aloha State Daily.
He added, the church serves in prison and homelessness outreach, at-risk youth leadership training and community cleanups, with its members volunteering for nonprofits such as River of Life Mission and AccesSurf.
For 13 years, Richardson was a part of the Rock Church in San Diego, led by former NFL player and pastor Miles McPherson, before heeding a call to plant its only campus outside of California in Hawaiʻi. He said the church started out meeting at Magic Island in 2022.
“Seven or eight years ago, God gave me a dream to plant a church, but I didn’t know where, so I asked for prayer. A pastor said to me, 'Hawaiʻi,' and it’s been an incredible journey ever since. We uprooted our life to be used to help people and be apart of something bigger than just us.”
Richardson and his wife, Kristle, had their first date at a lū‘au in San Diego 19 years ago, got married in Kaua‘i one year later and now have five children. She will be hosting the church’s upcoming Ladies Lei Day Celebration.
“My wife has Polynesian dance and cultural experience, and she even competed in Merrie Monarch this year. Hawaiʻi has always been a part of our marriage,” he said.
“As a church, we always want to be relevant. Lei Day is a big event here, so we decided to go for it, and this will be the third time,” Richardson said of how the event came to be. “The ladies who have gone in the past seem to have had a great time hanging out and connecting.”
Rock Church O’ahu is a 501(c) nonprofit that is funded through tithes and offerings, Richardson told ASD. It has more than 100 attendees who come for live worship and teachings Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with parking and child care available at both services.
“It’s great to have a location in town, but in the future, as we raise more funds and bring on more staff, my goal is to have multiple locations on Oʻahu and the Neighbor Islands,” he said. “Continue to pray for Oʻahu and the Islands, for hope and healing – that’s one of the biggest things we can do.”
CONTACT
Rock Church Oʻahu
Mark Richardson, Oʻahu campus pastor
Address: 461 Cooke St., Honolulu
Email: info.oahu@sdrock.com
Phone: 808-439-9681
Website: sdrock.com/campuses/oahu
Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
