First time that I went to church services and I join with all of my friends and I enjoy come to…read morethis church because I love meeting new friends and everyone that attend this church services and I enjoy it!!!

New hope is a seeker friendly church that has good music and sound teaching. Although the teaching…read moreis not expository, I often come away having heard that I need to deepen my reliance upon the only true God.

I got a nice warm welcome here when I visited…read more Their sanctuary is modern but very attractive; they also host a lot of classical concerts here. Their pastor seemed very cool and smart.... one lady was telling me she first met him while on a pilgrimage or something in Jerusalem and then found him again in Hilo after she moved to Hawaii, she seemed to regard him very highly. Their music was a mixture of traditional organ and piano, with four Praise-type singers who performed up front, instead of a choir. I didn't really like that they do this "passing of the peace" meet-and-greet in the middle of the service where everybody gets up and walks around and hugs people and chit-chats-- to me this is a waste of service time and should be done as part of fellowship before or after the service, not during. They're United Church of Christ, which is the coolest contemporary Christian denomination...a much smarter denomination than the "Christians" you usually hear spewing hate on the evening news. On the national level, UCC was the first Protestant denomination to ordain an African-American pastor in 1785, the first woman pastor in 1853, and the first openly gay minister in 1972.

Unexpected visit created a memory that we will treasure…read more My wife and I saw a sign for a Catholic church while walking to the nearby beach from the cruise port in Hilo. So as we were walking back, we made a small detour, expecting to see the outside only. As we were admiring the Alter of Our Lady garden, we were invited by a genial older couple to admire the inside of the church. They told us about the church and the murals inside. It is the only Catholic church in Hawaii with a Hawaiian name, 'Malia Puka O Kalani' meaning 'Mary, Gate of Heaven'. It is one of two Catholic churches in Hilo, and is part of the Diochese of Honolulu. It's a small chapel, with a mural near the roofline on both sides. We learned that the murals were painted by the local artist, Ken Charon, representing the full cycle to night. It shows as if the viewer is in a Mauloa Canoe, going towards the islands. As we were admiring the inside, the pastor of the church, Father Niko stopped in for an enlightening conversation. We learned the couple (role of music directors) had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The priest is of Samoan heritage and had spent parts of his life in the area where we currently live. He mentioned that the parish tries to transport people coming off of cruise port to come to Sunday service at 9am. They also have a 5pm Saturday mass as well. As we were finishing, Father Niko asked multiple times if he could drive us back to the port. We didn't want to take up any more of his time, so we politely declined and said our goodbyes. As we walked back, it began to rain (as it often does in Hilo). We decided to take a different route back, and moved to the side to let a lone SUV drive by. Nope..it was Father Niko, and he had come to give us a ride since it had begun raining. Obviously, we couldn't decline that... That simple act of kindness from Father Niko was one of the main things I will remember from our trip. This church (along with the nearby beach and the general store) really made me want to come back to Keaukaha again. Here's hoping that it's possible.

Two years ago I flew to Hilo to meet my childhood friend who had travelled from the East Coast' for…read morea taiko conference at the Pahoa Bon Dance, The outpouring of energy taiko talent blew me away. This summer I unexpectedly ended up at the Hilo Meishoin Bon dance when I found out my aunties and uncle were working there. . Like the other neighbor island Bon Dances I've been to this one impressed me with the efficient and well staffed volunteer support. There are many hands that go into making these cultural events such a success. The food, including smoked meat, fried fish, anadagi, and many other delicious offerings puts Honolulu temples to shame. Though Hawaii bon dances generally follow the same structure, there are many variations . The dancing here was energetic, fast paced and mostly synchronized with experienced dancers in the center. They were well rehearsed and helpful to those not in the know. The mix of modern and traditional dances made for an interesting contrast allowing dancers of all ages to do their thing. But what impressed me most was the kalua pig and cabbage bentos that were passed out at the end. At first I thought it was only for volunteers. Then when we were given some, I though they had too many leftovers. I was informed that it's tradition there to feed all the participants who make it to the end of the night at 10:00. I've been to many many Bon dances in my life, but this was a first! Only in Hilo Hawaii!

I used to come here for church when I was little. Now, I come during bon dance. This is a good…read morechurch with a lot of parking, and good people. I like it here, no pressure or strict rules. Now that I live in hilo again, I'll be visiting more often!

Always a pleasant experience coming here. The people who attend are full of love and acceptance…read more I've dropped off attendance, but look forward to returning sooner rather than later

great people and the pastors are ve down to earth...I enjoy spending time there!!..the y make me…read morefeel like family!!

Engage Church is a vibrant community of families and young adults seeking to love God and serve the…read morecommunity. The earlier service at 4:30pm draws many young families, and the 6:30pm service has mostly college students and young adults. Located in a strip mall at the corner of Lanikaula and Laukapu, Engage really does seek to engage people with the love of Jesus. Services have energetic worship with contemporary Christian music in English, and sermons feel very relevant. They are directed mostly toward the millennial generation, but people of all ages can benefit and relate. When I visited recently, Pastor John was going through a series from Francis Chan on his book "Forgotten God." The message felt clear and challenging, and the pastor really encouraged the congregation to consider how to put scripture into action in our lives rather than just hear what's being said. We had an opportunity to write down our thoughts on a response card. Engage Church feels very welcoming to newcomers! They take a break after the first worship set, and people can grab snacks, which included chili nachos and watermelon when I visited. Surprisingly, the church encourages people to use their phones during service, whether to look up scripture or even post their thoughts to social media using a church hashtag. I work with college students, and this is a church in encourage my students to attend.

Faith family oriented church. Sundays 945a and Wednesday's 630p service. Come join us to learn more…read moreabout Jesus.