A record audience is expected for the annual Hawaii Island Ministries Honolulu Conference on March 19-21 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center — a cross-generational event that will offer seminars covering topics especially problematic to middle- and high-schoolers, says the Rev. Dan Chun.
More than 5,000 people have signed up — the highest number of participants ever in the conference’s 27-year run — but attendance is expected to climb higher with the registration deadline extended to March 17, said co-founder Chun, longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu. Some 400 Christian and Catholic churches and nonprofit organizations are joining in, including delegates from several foreign countries.
A youth worship concert from 8:30 to 10 p.m. March 20 stars the Jesus Culture, one of the top Christian bands in the country. The cost of the concert, $45, is included in youth rates for the conference.
Most of the speakers, headlined by internationally known faith leaders like Tony Campolo and Ravi Zacharias, are evangelicals with moderate views, but Chun promised a range of perspectives. There will be myriad workshops and seminars over the three days, led by dozens of national and local speakers.
Among Hawaii’s inspirational speakers will be Bryan Clay, who won the world decathlon title in 2005 and the Olympic gold medal in 2008. He will talk about “Setting Yourself Up for Success.” His Bryan Clay Foundation provides students in need with academic and athletic scholarships.
Zacharias has spoken at the annual prayer breakfast at the United Nations in New York and at the 2008 National Day of Prayer at the White House. He is the author of more than 20 books, including “Has Christianity Failed You?” Zacharias’ weekly program, “Let My People Think,” airs on 2,087 radio outlets worldwide; his weekday program, “Just Thinking,” on 706 stations; and his one-minute “Just a Thought” on 414 stations, according to HIM’s website. His television program is broadcast in several countries, including Indonesia.
Campolo is founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education and the author of 38 books, including “Choose Love Not Power,” “Connecting Like Jesus” and “Stories That Feed Your Soul.” Chun said Campolo is well known for his work to help the poor and other social justice issues.
At the HIM conference, “We encourage delegates to sponsor children through Compassion International, as the best way to (alleviate) poverty in the world is through child sponsorship, because none of the money is taken by the government,” Chun said. “There are more children sponsored in Hawaii per capita than the rest of the U.S. except for its Colorado headquarters.”
Other featured speakers include Chun, who will speak about his recently released book, “How to Pick a Spouse”; Kevin Kim, executive director of Crazy Love Ministries in California; Mark Labberton, co-founder of the Christian International Scholarship Foundation; and Gabe Lyons, whose work represents the perspectives of a new generation of Christians.
Chun, a former television broadcaster with KGMB-TV, has helped produce and direct several award-winning Christian films. He will be interviewing Kara Powell, “who is on the cutting edge of how to reach youth,” and Shaunti Feldhahn, who is “one of the top best-selling authors on how men and women can communicate better,” he said. Both women will also conduct seminars.
Powell is executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and author or co-author of a number of books, including “Sticky Faith.” Feldhahn is a social researcher about relationships both at home and in the workplace, and has been featured on “The Today Show,” Focus on the Family, The New York Times and iMom.
