Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce Hilo?

“Hilo” is pronounced “HEE-low.” It rhymes with kilo, short for kilogram.

Where is Hilo?

Hilo is known as the main city of Hawai‘i Island, or the Big Island of Hawai‘i. It is a bay city located on the northeast side of the island.

What does Hilo mean?

Hilo may have gotten its name from a famous Polynesian sailor of the same name. The word hilo can mean a kind of grass, or to entwine. It can also mean the start of a new moon.

What is that symbol, ‘, I notice on your site in Hawaiian words that looks like an upside-down apostrophe?

The ‘ symbol is called an ‘okina. It represents a glottal stop or pause used in pronouncing Hawaiian words.

Is there really an active volcano in Hilo?

Hawai‘i Island is made up of five volcanoes, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Hualalai and Kohala. Hualalai, Kilauea and Mauna Loa have had the most recent eruptions, within the past couple of centuries, with Kilauea being the youngest and most active volcano lately. Rather than a volcano being in Hilo, it is more accurate to say that Hilo is on volcanoes. Hilo lies on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, but Kilauea is only a few kilometers away, with the most activity taking place about forty kilometers away.

Why is your church sometimes referred to as the Hilo “International” Church of Christ?

There is another church in Hilo called the “Hilo Church of Christ.” Some people insert the word “International” in our name simply to distinguish us from that church. We are a church that welcomes all peoples and cultures, and we would like to travel around the world, so we do not mind being called an international church. And with the Internet, we are even more international than ever!

Where do you get your animated “advertisements?”

We made the animations ourselves. We actually do not advertise any commercial products, but we enjoy making these “advertisements.”

Why does your web site have movie quotes?

Movies can have terrific quotes. Even a little nugget of goodness can be taken from movies that are bad, good, cheap, impure, violent or boring.

What exactly is an “awesome” movie quote?

We define an “awesome movie quote” as a quotation from a movie that can glean a positive, an inspirational or a spiritual message.

Does your church have a campus ministry?

Yes, we do. Our campus ministry focuses on the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and the Hawai’i Community College.

What does your church believe?

In a nutshell, we are a Christian church that believes in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Bible is God’s word, and that it should be applied to our lives. For more information, see our Beliefs page.

What happened to your church in the fall of 2006?

To make a long, and complex, story short, the Hilo Church of Christ essentially split in the middle of September over a number of issues. The split happened the same weekend that Kip McKean from the Portland International Church of Christ, Dave Kim from the Los Angeles International Church of Christ and Rhys Kiaaina from the O‘ahu Church of Christ visited our church. For more information, see our History page.