WHERE WE WORSHIP
Church reaches out to young adults
By Mary Kaye Ritz
Faith Editor
 |
| About 50 people turn out for pastor Daven Hee's church services at Dave & Buster's. "Our vision is to help the economy and businesses of Hawai'i by planting churches in restaurants and shopping areas in every community," he said.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Our denomination: Morning Star International, based in Nashville, Tenn., a Pentecostal Christian denomination started by evangelist Rice Broocks.
Where we are: The church meets in the second-floor showroom of Dave & Buster's in the Ward entertainment complex at 9 a.m. Sundays, as well as at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa athletic lecture hall, next to the Stan Sheriff Center, at 6:30 p.m. Sundays. The administrative office is at 2065 S. King St., Suite 303.
Our pastor: Daven Hee.
Our numbers: The Dave & Buster's service normally draws about 50 people; another 70 to 80 attend the UH service, Hee estimated.
What's special about us: "Our vision is to help the economy and businesses of Hawai'i by planting churches in restaurants and shopping areas in every community," said Hee. They target the young adult, professional and college generation, he said. "We believe they are the next generation of leaders that will soon be making critical and significant decisions for our state and nation."
Our history: Innovative Concepts is an offshoot of Grace Bible Pearlside, which was an offshoot of Grace Bible Honolulu, Hee said.
They were an extension service for years, meeting at Mid-Pacific Institute's Bakken Hall and then the Japanese Cultural Center, he said. In November, the church began meeting at its current locations.
What we believe: Innovative Concepts is a Christian church. Members consider the Bible to be the literal word of God. "We believe the word is the absolute truth," Hee said.
They baptize people ages 5 and older and hold communion services monthly. Baptisms are through "cell" groups and occur about twice a year, Hee said.
What we're excited about: The next idea is to create a weekday lunchtime church service at the Plaza Club "for busy executives who cannot make church on Sundays or simply want to use that day to relax before they start another hectic week."
They hope to see executives "share their own testimony on how they survive in their environment of work, family, relationships and juggling multiple priorities effectively," Hee said.
"I feel we have to do church differently if we are truly passionate about reaching people. Jesus always hung out in the marketplace."
The other project the church will launch in the next few months is a volunteer program, "Operation Business Help," in which small groups volunteer in businesses by stocking shelves, cleaning, doing inventory.
"We have a lot of professional business people that are willing to help," Hee said. "That's why we are called Innovative Concepts."
He said the church is also looking for a gym for a basketball league, and envisions planting churches "in different cultures ... eventually, I see a hip-hop church, a beach church, a dive church. We're trying to break the box of how to do church."
Contact: Davin Hee. 265-1528 or 944-4669.
If you would like to recommend a faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 525-8035 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.
