United Methodist Throws Community Luau

“Today is a part of us reaching out to the community. We want to take the church to the community where we can reach out and apply our motto of ‘Open doors, open hearts, and open minds.’ In throwing this event we are trying to establish a connection with the people neighboring our church in the hopes of welcoming new faces and possibly gaining more members,” said Lead Pastor Dr. Martin Niponi Finau with a smile that reached from ear to ear, so infectious it made others around him smile too. On the evening of July 13, the United Methodist Church in Moreno Valley welcomed the community to join in a luau. The event started at 4:30 that afternoon on church grounds where the public was invited to come to drink, eat barbecue and enjoy entertainment. The fundraising event cost $15 dollars to attend, in which all the proceeds went to rebuild the church along with their mission trips. “Most of the funds will go to the mission projects. Some of the mission projects include supporting veterans and their families, feeding the homeless, and adopting a school. There are many more. We have approximately 200 church members. That number has gone up in the past several years and with this event today we are hoping that the membership will keep growing. We are a church that prides itself on bringing others in so we can flourish and grow,” said Pastor Finau. The night featured a performance from church members Anna Paea and Moanna Paea. The girls performed a traditional Pacific Islander hula, which brought forth the audience to donate money while they danced. The audience was made up of a variety of races from the community who came out to support the church. Vera Rodiguez, a member of the Welcoming Committee, said, “We like to throw these events so that we can get new people to our church. This year the money raised will go towards some projects such as things we need to do around the church and the rest will go into our general fund for the church. We basically use the money for wherever the needs are [greatest]. Really, we are having this barbecue for anyone who wants to come out and have a good time. We would love for our church family to grow.” The church not only throws luaus but the list of activists includes exercise groups, Bible study, Family Game Night, and many more activities.