A Message from Kahu Akana

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It was a joyful day being back in church on Sunday after a 3-week break of vacation and study leave. It was a special Sunday for me, as I celebrated my 3-year anniversary as the kahu of Koloa Union Church, and as my son Palani and I hosted around a hundred people at the grand opening of Alan Akana Gallery in the afternoon. The gallery is the fulfillment of a dream I have had for many years to have my own space to share my watercolors with others. I am especially pleased that the church will benefit from the profits of the sales. Please drop by if you weren’t able to attend on Sunday.

The theme of our worship service on Sunday was “joy,” and I shared a bit about my journey with joy and some of the things I learned about joy in The Book of Joy, written by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The thing that stands out most to me is Tutu’s quote that we are “reservoirs of joy” and we allow ourselves to experience joy in our own lives, that joy has a ripple effect and continues to touch the lives of people even far beyond our vision or knowledge. I encourage you to pay attention to the possibilities of joy for you and allow your joy to ripple throughout the world!

I hope to see a lot of people on Tuesday as we gather at 6 p.m. in Moore Hall for our Mardi Gras Pancake Supper, and then again on Wednesday evening at 6 for our weekly Lenten Soup Supper, followed by our Ash Wednesday service at 7. I have a feeling that this year’s service will be especially meaningful to a lot of people.

As a reminder, this years Lenten Season will focus on the beatitudes—Jesus’ “blessings” in Matthew’s Gospel. I invite you to join us on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings as we consider the many ways of blessing and being blessed!

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

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Click HERE to see a video of Sunday’s sermon. Videos of Kahu’s sermons are available most weeks. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. You can also subscribe on YouTube anytime you watch a sermon; that way you can easily watch any past sermon and even receive a notification when a new sermon is posted.

Weekly News of the Church

MEN’S BREAKFAST The men of the church are invited to breakfast on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 during the winter months at the Olympic Café in the Poipu Village Shopping Center. (The Café is right across from Keoki’s.)

SHROVE TUESDAY/ MARDI GRAS/PANCAKE TUESDAY  Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. Traditionally, Christian “get rid of last minute indulgences and use up fatty foods” such as milk and butter. We are offering our annual “pancake supper” on February 28 at 6 p.m. in Moore Hall. Join us for “breakfast at dinner!”

ASH WEDNESDAY Join us on March 1 (the first day of Lent) for dinner at 6 p.m. in Moore Hall and our Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary, where we will have the traditional marking of the ashes.

LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS From March 1 through April 5, at 6 p.m. Koloa Union Church will host soup suppers in Moore Hall. On Ash Wednesday, the service will take place in the sanctuary. During the other Wednesdays, Kahu Akana will lead a discussion on the beatitudes, based upon the previous Sunday’s sermon. Please contact Penny or sign up on the bulletin board if you are able to bring soup, salad and/or bread on any of these Wednesdays.

SUNDAY SCHOOL & YOUTH Starting on Sunday, March 5, the children will begin practicing for their Easter play (“You Can’t Have Easter Without….”) to be performed on Palm Sunday, April 9. Decorating Easter eggs & pizza lunch will be on Friday, April 14, 11 a.m.; please sign up if you plan on attending. The youth are looking forward to another retreat at Waineke in Kokee on June 9 – 13, 2017. Details to follow.

CHURCH ON THE BEACH Our worship service will begin at 11:00 am.m on Sunday, March 12, at the main pavilion at Poipu Beach (across the street from Nukumoi Surf Shop). Sign up to bring something to share for our potluck luncheon. Bring your beach chairs, too. There will be no worship service at the church that day.

MEMBERSHIP GATHERING On Sunday, April 2, Kahu Akana and the Deacons will meet in Moore Hall with people who are interested in learning more about Koloa Union Church and what is involved in becoming a member of our congregation. The gathering will take place after Aloha Hour, approximately 12:30 to 3:00. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board. Child care will be provided.

PRAYERS & SQUARES Future meetings have been postponed until further notice.

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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!

Weekly News of the Church

GRAND OPENING OF ALAN AKANA GALLERY  You are invited to the Smith Memorial Parsonage this Sunday, February 26, 1-5 p.m., for the Grand Opening of Alan Akana Gallery. The gallery is a fund raiser for the church and will feature the original watercolors of the flowers of Hawaii, painted by our Kahu Alan Akana. There will also be prints, posters and greeting cards for sale. Drop by, have some refreshments, and see Kahu’s paintings, including his most recent ones!
HENRY OPUKAHAIA SUNDAY  On Sunday, February 26, we will be collecting the Henry Opukahaia Scholarship Offering. This special offering is collected in United Church of Christ churches throughout Hawaii every year at the end of February. Henry was a young Hawaiian who sailed to New England, converted to Christianity and encouraged missionaries to come to Hawaii in order share the Gospel and establish churches. Although Henry died before the missionaries left in 1819, he is remembered today through the offering, which assists church leaders to attend seminary, post-graduate studies and continuing education. Checks should be made out to “Koloa Union Church” with “Henry O” in the note section. Offering envelopes will be provided on Sunday as well. You are invited to give generously in order to assist pastors and future pastors with their education.
AND COMING UP….

MARDI GRAS PANCAKE SUPPER  Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. Traditionally, Christians “get rid of last minute indulgences and use up fatty foods” such as milk and butter. We are offering our annual “pancake Tuesday” on February 28 at 6 p.m. in Moore Hall. Join us for “breakfast at dinner!”

ASH WEDNESDAY Join us on March 1 (the first day of Lent) for dinner at 6 in Moore Hall and our Ash Wednesday service at 7 in the sanctuary, where we will have the traditional marking of the ashes.
LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS  From March 1 through April 5, Koloa Union Church will host a soup supper in Moore Hall. On Ash Wednesday, the service will take place in the sanctuary. Durning the other Wednesdays, Kahu Akana will lead a discussion on the beatitudes, based upon the previous Sunday’s sermon. Please contact Penny or sign up on the bulletin board if you are able to bring soup, salad and/or bread on any of these Wednesdays.
MEN’S BREAKFAST  The men of the church are invited to breakfast on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 during the winter months at the Olympic Café in the Poipu Village Shopping Center. (The Café is right across from Keoki’s.)
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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!

Weekly News of the Church

YOUTH CAMP                                                                                                                                                                             Our church youth will be spending 4 nights in Kokee, Waineke cabins, February 16 – 20. Youth in middle and high school are invited to attend. We are asking for help with prepared foods and/or donations for all meals. Please see Penny for the food list.

MEN’S BREAKFAST                                                                                                                                                                   The men of the church are invited to breakfast on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 during the winter months, beginning January 24, at the Olympic Café in the Poipu Village Shopping Center. (The Café is right across from Keoki’s.)

PRAYERS & SQUARES.
Future gatherings will be held at the church, 3rd Saturdays, 4th Tuesdays. The first one will be on Saturday, February 18, 10am – 2pm, the 2nd will be Tuesday, February 28, 2 – 5 pm. Please come when you can, stay as long as you wish. Bring your sewing machines and associated tools and any fabric you can gather.

VILLAGE HARVEST. Have leftover produce or fruit tree droppings? Don’t waste it, get a tax deduction. They will pick up or harvest your unwanted still-fresh produce and deliver it to those who need it most, through schools, afterschool programs and food banks. You will receive a donation receipt. Call 828-0685 x20 or VillageHarvest@malamakauai.org.