The Professional Administrators in Lay Ministry (PALM) Conference took place on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in the Davies Hall of the Cathedral of St. Andrew. All parish administrators, secretaries, lay leaders and those involved with church administration were invited to attend a day of informative speakers and to meet the staff of the Diocesan Support Center (DSC). Representatives from churches around the Diocese were in attendance, including Kaua'i and the Big Island.
Although the conference was set to begin at 9:30 AM, participants were invited to come earlier and view a live webinar put on by Church Insurance that ran from 8:00 AM-9:30 AM.
After the webinar, the Rev. Cn. Alexander "Sandy" Graham welcomed everyone and talked about the recent switch from the term "Office of the Bishop" to the "Diocesan Support Center." He explained that the Diocese is all of "us," the Episcopal Churches in Hawai'i, and that the staff was there to support them. Sandy, who is the Canon for Congregational Life and Leadership, then introduced part of the support team that was there to take part in the PALM Conference: Rae Costa, Business Manager, Denise Esposito, Executive Assistant to the Bishop, and Sybil Nishioka, Communications Contractor.
Leading off the conference was the Diocese's Chancellor, Wayne Yoshigai, who spoke about Employment Law. He touched upon several important laws dealing with timekeeping, overtime, discrimination, benefits, independent contractors and more. Rae Costa followed up with a stack of forms that every employee and new hire should complete, and talked about recent changes to church policies that could affect the processing of an employee.
Lisa Chun Fat from Worklife Hawai'i, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, did a presentation on the "Irate Customer" that could be applied to many scenarios in the church/school workplace that might include dealing with a disgruntled church member or an upset parent or co-worker. She offered tips and practices to help diffuse situations and how to control your own emotions in volatile situations. She also covered stress management and the need for everyone to take time out every day to release and relax. Their services are offered on all islands.
After a delicious lunch and time to fellowship, participants got to meet the Diocesan Support crew one-on-one in breakout groups covering various topics: Rae Costa discussed contacts, licenses vs. leases, and budgets; Denise Esposito talked about Safe Church Training, and Sybil Nishioka spoke about websites and social media.
The final guest presenter was Connie Mitchell, the Executive Director for the Institute for Human Services (IHS) who addressed a very pressing issue that many of our churches face; the homeless on church grounds. Churches are often torn by the compassion they should be showing and the safety concerns of others, especially children. Mitchell talked about creating a physically safe environment around the premises through lighting or clearing of debris and potential hiding places. She also spoke about different ways to remove trespassers, and depending on the situation, could involve calling the police or (for those on O'ahu) calling IHS, who will dispatch an outreach team. IHS and other community partners have formed trained teams who can offer homeless individuals temporary shelter, food and most importantly, services that will help them get back on their feet.
The day ended with an open Q&A, facilitated by Canon Sandy, but not before the final "grand prize" was awarded! Earlier in the day, participants had put their names in a prize drawing, and throughout the day, Subway or Burger King gift cards were being awarded. The final drawing was for the grand prize that any office person would love-- a one-touch stapler! The lucky winner was Linda Taepan of St. Stephen's!
All churches should feel free to contact the Diocesan Support Center with questions on any church matters at (808) 536-7776. The staff will do their best to answer your questions and provide the information you need. You may also visit the Diocesan Support Center webpage HERE to contact a specific individual by phone or e-mail.
Sybil Nishioka, Editor and Communications Contractor, Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i
