Revolution Hawaii celebrates 20 seasons of discipling young adults

To date, 205 individuals from all over the world have participated.

Now in its milestone 20th season, The Salvation Army’s Revolution Hawaii (RevHI) offers young adults ages 18-25 from throughout the western U.S. and beyond an experience of discipleship and service within a community of like-minded believers. 

Held twice a year at Camp Homelani on Oahu’s North Shore, the 14-week immersion program takes young Christians out of their everyday lives, presenting, according to its stated essentials, “an opportunity to practice simple living while growing your dependence on God.”

Long a dream of founder and Director Rob Noland, RevHI held its first session in 2005–2006 with eight participants. He said he was confident this ministry would last.

“God made it very clear from the start that he wanted this ministry to happen,” Noland said. “It has been such a relief to know that RevHI is his plan, not mine, and I just need to remember to continue to trust him.”

Over these 20 years, 250 participants have completed RevHI and returned to their “normal” lives inspired to bring what they learned with them.

Noland said that while RevHI is completely funded and run by The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, it serves as an international program.

“Young adults from all over the world have been discipled at RevHI and then sent back to their homes to live out the Revolution.”

This group includes 149 young adults from every division in the Western Territory, along with 33 from the Central, Eastern and Southern territories, and 68 from other countries: Canada (24), Australia (13), New Zealand (13), United Kingdom ( 6), Japan (3), and one each from the Philippines, Brazil, Spain, South Korea, Denmark, Russia/Estonia, Germany, Republic of Marshall Islands and Chuuk.

During RevHI, some hear and answer God’s call to full-time ministry within The Salvation Army. Noland said 21 alumni have been accepted into officer training school, resulting in 10 active officers—seven in the Western Territory, two in Australia and one in the Central Territory.

“RevHI team members are so immersed in ministry within The Salvation Army while they are with us,” Noland said. “They get to experience many different aspects of ministering and serving and are challenged to step outside their comfort zones on a daily basis.”

Lt. Monique Aviles, Oxnard (California) Corps Officer, said her relationship with God deepened during her time at RevHI.

“I experienced meaningful spiritual growth through discipleship, community and service,” she said. “Through that growth, I recognized and accepted God’s call to officership…I am beyond grateful.”

Captain Jeff Walters said his experience with RevHI in 2007 was key to shaping not only his walk with Christ and understanding of what it means to be a Christian, but also to his discovering his calling to officership.

“Without the intentional discipleship in community, service opportunities, and exposure to profoundly fresh expressions of following Jesus, I would have never thought to pursue full-time ministry in the first place, especially officership,” he said. “It was and continues to be an inspiration for me on the frontlines.”

Today Walters serves at the Salem (Oregon) Kroc Center as Corps Officer and Marion and Polk Counties Coordinator.

After 20 years, RevHI continues to create an environment where young adults can live out their faith authentically. 

“To witness young adults fall in love with God year after year has far exceeded my hopes,” Noland said. 

Regarding RevHI’s future, Noland’s hope initially sounds counterintuitive.

“This may sound strange, but my hope for RevHI is that it would cease to exist,” he said. “We say that the ‘Revolution’ happens when team members return home and start living out all they practiced and learned, discipling others as they were discipled at RevHI. Our hope is that if we can get enough young adults discipled and returning home to make disciples, we would get to a point where there would be no need for our program—in other words, The Great Commission.”

What’s RevHI all about?

Service

RevHI teams have served the community in a range of ways—from providing crisis relief at the Honolulu Airport following a 6.7 earthquake in 2006, to helping prepare and distribute food during COVID-19 and helping individuals and businesses clean up after flooding, among others. “At Revolution Hawaii, they’re signed up for this service and set that example,” then Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Divisional Youth Director Captain Jeff Walters said in the aftermath of 2021 flooding. “It’s important for me to show the young people in this division as well. This is what it looks like to be a servant, to do the dirty work, to just lend a helping hand in a time of need. If it’s not Revolution Hawaii setting that example, if it’s not The Salvation Army setting that example, where are they going to look?”

Outreach

RevHI teams frequently engage with individuals living on the streets in O’ahu, getting to know them and even washing their feet. One outing in Honolulu’s Chinatown led participant Makensy Peiffer to a personal epiphany in 2019. “Gratitude is so important—if you do not have it then how can you spread God’s love to others? It is more than saying, ‘I am thankful for my family, friends and things.’ Rather, it’s, ‘I am blessed in more ways than I can imagine and because of that I need to give my time and talents to those who have less, so that they can experience the joy I have in my heart through Jesus Christ.’”

Discipleship

At its core, RevHI is a discipleship program. Participants commit this portion of their lives to Jesus—to active discipleship through daily group Bible study and prayer; weekly classroom teaching, small group discussion and guest speakers; practical evangelism; and servant leadership training. “Coming here has made me want to know and love God even more,” said 2019 participant Natalie Alonso, from Punta Gorda, Florida. “The officer at my corps said, ‘I don’t want you to come to church to be spiritually fed; I want you to come here to get hungry.’ And that is what RevHI has done for me—I came here thinking I would get fed, but what is so awesome is that RevHI has made me hungry to know God more.”

Christmas help

RevHI participants are dispatched throughout the Hawaiian islands as Christmas Angels to support Salvation Army units. The season is full of delivering meals, organizing gifts and raising money for those in need. “Getting to help the corps officers during one of their busiest seasons, Christmas, was so much fun and so rewarding because we worked so hard…and helped take some stress away from what’s already a super stressful time,” said Hannah Trayler, who took part in Revolution Hawaii from 2022-2023.

Pipeline to officership

While not an official incubator for Salvation Army officers, RevHI’s intense curriculum of discipleship and getting to know people who are suffering on O’ahu has led many to find their calling—21 alumni went on to become accepted as candidates for training, Noland said. “We’re taking young people who have potential coming through our program and creating world-changers,” Noland said in 2017. “It’s creating an opportunity for young people to realize their potential for serving and helping others.” RevHI alumni include Captain Jeff Walters, Captain Travis Yardley, Captain Belle Green, Captain Victoria Mercer, Lt. Monique Aviles, Lt. Zechariah Guess and Lt. Melissa Esquivel.

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