Nightly, at least a half-dozen homeless people are finding a corner to sleep on the grounds at Makiki Christian Church.

They’re admitted on a case-by-case basis, said Wayne Ibara, the church’s senior pastor. They may stay overnight if they don’t cause a disturbance and leave before the preschool opens in the morning.

Still, Ibara said, some neighbors "are not all thrilled with this. When they walk their pets at night or park and head for their residences, they are afraid and afraid for their children."

Makiki Christian is one of the few churches allowing overnight stays while many others cite safety and liability risks as reasons not to let the homeless sleep over.

How church staff should respond to the homeless was the subject of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ’s annual ‘Aha Mokupuni workshop held last week at Makiki Christian.

The keynote speakers were Lani Tsuneishi Frederick, director of nursing at Leahi Hospital, who has long worked with homeless who are mentally ill; and Jerry Coffee, clinical director for the Institute for Human Services, who "did a great job helping us to see things from the perspective of the homeless," Ibara said. "They opened up a complex issue that we all face, and gave pastors and church members a chance to have our stereotypes and misconceptions challenged, if not corrected."

Makiki is just a few blocks from Ala Moana Beach Park, where homeless people usually congregate, and the city’s sweeps of the parks and sidewalks have "made it more likely for them to wander into our neighborhood,"Ibara said.

Ibara, who lives in the pastor’s cottage next to the church on Pensacola Street, said he understands neighborhood concerns. "But I also understand that every homeless person is unique. Turning our backs on them or just pushing them along to another neighborhood doesn’t solve anything."

Associate pastor Brad Smith, who also lives next to the Makiki church, said conduct among homeless guests has ranged from a couple who argued loudly enough to bother neighbors in the early morning hours to a man who has expressed his appreciation by keeping the church gardens tidy.

Regarding the overnight policy, Smith said, "It’s a tricky thing, because there’s also enabling, which isn’t healthy. We don’t always know if we’re doing the right thing or not. We’re sort of feeling our way."

Gloria Imamura, an associate minister at Central Union Church in the Punahou area, said her church also struggles with how to help the homeless.

"It’s a very hard balance. … But when it comes to shelter and sleeping, that’s probably one of the hardest things to do. There’s a park near here that’s often being swept (of homeless campers), and they’ve had some violence there, so you hesitate opening yourself to any of that on your own campus," Imamura said.

Central Union does not allow homeless people to sleep on its grounds, mainly because of liability and security concerns. However, the church partners with Family Promise of Hawaii, through which it takes turns with other churches to provide homeless families with a place to live for a week until they find permanent housing.

In addition, Central Union congregants hold a weekly outdoor service and dinner at Kakaako Park and serve up hot meals at the Next Step Shelter monthly. Imamura said Central Union staff will follow workshop recommendations to partner with organizations such as IHS to help address health and safety issues tied to homelessness.