WAILUKU- The Maui Kosrae Etawi will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the group's regular 4 p.m. service Sunday at Iao United Church of Christ.
For 10 years, a group of Christians from Kosrae, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia, has gathered at Iao United Church of Christ to worship in their language and in a style that they knew from their home.
On March 2, 2002, a group of church leaders from the Kosrae Honolulu Congregational Church arrived on Maui with the purpose of helping Kosraeans on Maui to organize a new congregation. Because of the lack of church leadership, the Kosraeans decided to start their ministry as an Etawi - a Christian endeavor society that reaches out to new people and trains them to be leaders in the church.
With the help of David Murata, a sponsor for many Micronesian Christian ministries, the group held its first worship service March 3, 2002, at Iao United Church of Christ.
To celebrate with the host congregation on Maui, the members of the Kosrae Maui Etawi will participate in the 9:30 a.m. worship service of Iao United Church of Christ and offer two songs to express their appreciation to church members and to Pastor Jack Belsom for their continuing support and kindness.
The celebration in the morning is open to the public, and most of the service will be in English. The afternoon service will be mostly will be in Kosraen.
The church is located at 2371 W. Vineyard St.
