News of the Church

Lectio Divina

November 10 at 7 p.m.

(Monthly on the 2nd Wednesday)

Please contact the church office to RSVP by November 9.

Location to be determined by the size of the group.

Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation, intended to promote communion with God and to increase knowledge of God’s Word. It does not treat scripture as texts to be studied, but as living word. As we gather in a small group, we allow a biblical passage to speak to us individually; after hearing the text read several times, there is an opportunity for participants to share their experience.

After a year and a half, we will gather again for Lectio Divina, led by Karen Johnson, our congregation’s “Prayer Leader.”

Everyone is welcome, those who are experienced in prayer and those who are brand new at it.


Church Office Closed on Thursday

The Church Office will be closed on Thursday, November 11


Annual Holiday Outreach

Thanksgiving Food Boxes

Christmas Stockings

We are ever mindful of the many families on the south shore who are less fortunate than many others. We will once again this year deliver boxes of Thanksgiving dinners and also Christmas stockings with presents and gift cards.

Important Dates to Remember:

November 14: Last day to bring in your food and cash donations for this year’s Thanksgiving outreach. Look for the sign-up sheets attached to the Share Aloha sandwich board on Sunday mornings.

November 21: Thanksgiving boxes to be delivered to local families and last day to donate cash for the Christmas stockings.

December 5: Christmas stockings (with gift cards) to be delivered to local families

We pay for this outreach through the change jar, to which people contribute throughout the year, and from personal donations. So be sure to look for spare change lying around at home or in your car. If you are able, please consider a monetary donation.

If you know of any families who could use some extra help during the upcoming holiday season, please pass along their name to the church office. Also let us know if you would like to help prepare Thanksgiving boxes and/or stockings.


Lectionary Readings

Weekly Readings from the Bible

During challenging times, reading the Bible on a daily basis is a great source of inspiration and hope. I encourage you to read and meditate upon the Scriptures of the Revised Common Lectionary and ask yourself how God might be showing up in the Scriptures for you, what God might be saying to you, and what guidance you might find as you share God’s love in creative and meaningful ways.
—Kahu Alan Akana

Each week, Christians throughout the world read biblical passages from the Revised Common Lectionary, including the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospels. After three years, a good portion of the Bible is included and the cycle begins again. RCL passages are often read in church worship services, and Kahu Akana usually includes at least one reading each Sunday.

Readings for All Saints Day (Nov. 1): Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 24; Revelations 21:1-7; John 11:32-44.
Readings for November 7: Ruth 3:1-4:17; Psalm 127; 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44.
Readings for November 14: 1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8.



“News of the Church”
 is provided by Koloa Union Church, an Open and Affirming (ONA) Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.  Please contact the church office if you would like to have our news sent directly to your inbox. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!

A Message from Our Kahu

“God’s Dwelling Place”

The home of God is among mortals.

God will dwell with them;

they will be God’s peoples,

and God himself will be with them!

(Revelation 21:3)

We often encounter God in beautiful places. Last week, I hiked to Waipoo Falls in Waimea Canyon—and God certainly seemed to be in that place. In fact, every time I drive up into the Canyon towards Kokee, I feel Gods’ presence. When the waterfall is full and a rainbow appears, I feel God’s presence all the more! However, I know that God is just as present in our church sanctuary, in my living room, and in my office and art studio. Wherever I may go, God is present there in love, for the Scriptures teach us that God is in Jesus, and Jesus is in God, and they are in us. We carry God with us—and therefore, we carry God’s love wherever we go!

Since we celebrated All Saints Day on Sunday, I reminded the congregation that God is in all places and all people. I also reminded us all that the saints who have gone before us are also with us all, for we carry them with us in spirit and in memory. The key to a deep and vital spiritual life is to be aware of these things.

I also reminded us that we are the saints of today, and how we live our lives makes a difference in the lives of our loved ones and of future generations—for our spirits and our memories will live on in the lives of those younger than us and those yet to be born.

During this week in which we celebrate the saints, let us give thanks that our connection to them all—past, present and future—remains.

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by Koloa Union Church, an Open & Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.

To see a video of this week’s worship service, including the message, click HERE. You may see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see previous worship services and many of Kahu’s past messages. You can subscribe in order be notified when a new message is posted. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. Please feel free to “Like” any of the videos you see and share them on social media, such as Facebook, so that others will notice them.

You are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings! To learn about our Sunday morning worship service, click HERE.

Kahu Akana is also an accomplished artist! He specializes in creating vibrant watercolors of the flowers of Hawaii and hosts a Sunday afternoon reception in a gallery at his home, the Smith Memorial Parsonage. He also meets visitors by appointment. Most of the profit from the sales go for the maintenance and upkeep of the parsonage. To see a video about his art and gallery, click HERE. To see the gallery website, click HERE.