Mindy Padayao saw a vacuum and wants to fill it.

"Farrington (High School) closed its program for pregnant teenagers," said the Kalihi Union Church member and social worker.

Padayao hopes to help create a program to serve those teens by teaching parenting skills and perhaps offering a preschool for their children.

She joined hundreds of other local participants at yesterday's Hawai'i Faith-based and Community Initiative Conference at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall to hear how to go about getting a piece of the federal funding connected to President Bush's faith-based initiatives. Local representatives, Gov. Linda Lingle, the regional director of the federal Department of Health and Human Services and a former associate director of outreach at the White House faith-based office gave presentations.

Padayao, one of 394 conference participants, also was able to network with others from faith-based and community service groups who were interested in helping at-risk teens.

While presenters were quick to urge the group of faith-based organizations and community service helpers to apply for funding, there was also the sounding of a caveat: The money is not to be used for proselytizing.

The federal initiatives are meant to make social service money available to a range of private groups, including faith-based organizations. However, ensuring the separation of church and state has been an issue.

Jeremy White, a former outreach director for the White House office under Bush, used examples of acceptable practices to explain the rules. He said faith-based groups are allowed to use the federal money to create, for instance, a meal giveaway, but they can't mix the event with overtly religious uses. So a church can have a food giveaway at 9 a.m. in its hall, then announce a devotional service at 10 a.m. in its sanctuary.

Not everyone thought that was enough separation.

"That sounds like using my tax dollars to advertise religion," Douglas Pyle, a Buddhist, told the panel at a question-and-answer session. "Couldn't that be intended or unintended coercion of people?"

White responded that he recommends those who are applying for the money "don't cross lines." Under the guidelines, no government funds can go to inherently religious activities; there must be a clear separation between religious and nonreligious uses of federal money; and there has to be an accountability for that money.

Legal challenges have clouded prospects for funding, and some cases must be settled before the faith-based initiatives expand further, said Anne Farris of the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy in Washington, D.C.

She noted that many large-scale faith-based initiatives have failed to garner congressional support, and instead became established through executive order by President Bush.

"Each president who comes to office can instigate policy," Farris said. That's why some in the faith-based community are adopting a wait-and-see approach before going after the funds.