About Us

Meet Our Staff - Debbie Lawton

Associate Pastor: "Connect!" Ministry
debbiel@hopechapel.com

Hometown

Kalihi Valley, Oahu

Family Info

Married to a wonderful husband, Marc (met through MiniChurch). We have two beautiful teenage daughters, Tatiana (born in Kailua)and Tiana (born on the island of Kauai) Both daughters have had the privilege of growing up with the influence of theHope Chapel Kaneohe Bay staff as their uncles and aunties. We call the HCKB our second home. It's not unusual to find them riding their bicycle, skateboard or scootering around the church campus during the weekdays.

How did you come to HCKB?

Back in 1983 I had been working for an architect in the Pali Palms Plaza where the first Hope Chapel office was located. Pastor Aaron came in to use our copier machine to duplicate the weekly church bulletins. Later they sent Pastor Ralph's secretary Suzie to make friends with me. They told me about the church gave me a copy of Pastor Ralph's "Let Go of The Ring" book that explains the history of the Hope Chapel movement. God knew that I had been searching for a church since I was a fairly new Christian looking for a church to be rooted in. His timing couldn't have been better. The church met at Heeia Kea State Park on Kaneohe Bay which was very close to where I was living at the time. I'd leave home early on Sunday mornings, pull into the parking lot and wait for the big white truck to arrive, and watched them unload the church equipment. At that time I thought it was very unconventional to see this church-on-wheels transform to a lively rock-n-roll church with a Pastor that gave a simple and practical teaching of the Bible. One Sunday I decided to join in and helped with carrying boxes for the book table and also helped with setting-up rusty metal folding chairsin the hall. They brought a new meaning to weekend service. It's been 23 years and I'm still lovin serving this church!

Ministry Passion

My passion is to encourage people to dig into theBible and find the multitudes of treasure that allows the essence of God's Word to transform you into the person God intended you to be.

Biggest influence in your life over the past year and why:

For the past year the biggest influence in my life would be my husband Marc who continues to encourage me daily of how much we have to be thankful for. He rises early to spend time with God by praying and reading his Word.

Fun Stuff

Travels
At a young age I traveled often to Las Vegas and San Francisco to visit relatives. At age 10, my family and I drove across the US from Seattle to Maine in a station wagon. My senior year in high school, we traveled on a chartered bus with our Glee Club to do Polynesian and Christmas road shows in Washington State, Oregon and Canada. Traveled to Ohio to visit relatives; Nevada, Florida, Washington DC, Philadelphia, (Hokkaido, Sapporo, Kobe) Japan, (Banff, Lake Louise) Canada. I love to travel and visit new places and cultures. I would love to go to Switzerland, Tuscany-Italy, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, Belize, Dominican Republic, Xian-China.

Hobbies
My hobbies include watching cooking shows, and I love to cook, painting with oil or watercolor, photography, surfing, hiking, traveling, herb vegetable and flower bed gardening, landscaping, needlepoint, quilting, baking, fishing, snorkeling, reading, shopping and camping.

What you do for fun
Hang out at the beach and picnic, explore tide pools and watch all the sea creatures or picking up tinny tiny shells in the sand with my kids, surfing with my kids. Having fun at the water park. Going shopping with my kids. Have Saturday barbques with my parents, my brother and sister. Go to the Humane Society and check out the dogs and cats. Go to the pet store to check out the animals and fishes. Check out the different plants in the local nurseries. Go hiking in the rain. Camp at the beach.

What makes you laugh
Little kids saying innocent but funny things. Funny entertaining movies make me laugh. Watching my youngest daughter dance or cat-walk in front of a mirror. Watching my kids interact with their grandmother. Watching my mom get impatient.

Favorites

Books
Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee; A Woman'sHeart: God's Dwelling Place; Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith by Beth Moore; Releasing Your Spirit: Keys to Spiritual Freedom by Jessie Penn-Lewis, Broken Trust.

Music
Jack Johnson, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Alica Keys

Favorite City
Tuscany, Italy

Movies
A Walk to Remember; The God's Must Be Crazy; Pay It Forward; Lady Hawk, Road Warrior, Little Rascals

TV
Home Edition - Extreme Makeover, Discovery Channel, History Channel.