Church News: Sep 29th, 2022

Our Centennial

100 YEARS OF ALOHA – PREPARING FOR OUR CENTENNIAL

This year’s stewardship theme is “100 Years of Aloha!” Each year in the fall we focus on the importance of stewardship in our lives. In October we will share stories and give thanks for the past century of faithful churchgoers who have shared their gifts. We will also look forward to how we might begin Koloa Union Church’s next century in 2023 with that same spirit of generosity!

We mailed a letter explaining our theme, along with a prayer card with this year’s stewardship prayer, to all of our members and friends who are on our stewardship mailing list. (If you didn’t get the mailing and would like to receive it and be added to the mailing list, just contact the church office.) Please pray the prayer on the prayer card (also printed below) in the coming weeks as you determine your financial commitment to our beloved church in 2023. We ask our members and friends to let us know your giving plans for the coming year in order to prepare a realistic budget. 

We will be mailing commitment cards for 2023 in a couple of weeks. Your commitment card is very helpful for our finance committee and Church Council as we prepare next year’s budget and bring it to the congregation at our annual meeting in January. Please bring your completed commitment card with you to church on Sunday, October 23 so that we can bless all of our commitments and consider what our ministry might look like in 2023 as we begin the next 100 years of Koloa Union Church.

Our Stewardship Prayer

O God, just as your faithful servants
have so freely given to our church
over the past century, may I carry
on their tradition of generosity
as I prayerfully consider my
commitment to this
church in 2023.

May my gifts to Kōloa Union Church
truly express the gratitude I have
for this congregation and all
you have done for me.
Amen.

Planned Giving Luncheon

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Building a Strong Foundation for the Next Century

Date & Time: Sunday, October 23 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Smith Memorial Parsonage 3281 Waikomo Road, Koloa

Every church has its ups and downs when it comes to income versus necessary expenditures, including Koloa Union Church. One of the reasons we have made it through the difficult times as a congregation over the past 100 years is because of the legacy gifts that people have left us in their estate plans.

As we plan for the future, we are asking our members and friends to consider a planned gift to the church. You can leave the entirety of your estate to the church or decide upon a specific amount or a percentage to the church, thereby leaving an appropriate amount to your heirs and others as well. Many people are not aware of tax advantages and high bank fees that sometimes eat up a significant portion of an estate gift before it ever gets to the recipient.

If you are interested in learning more, please attend this free planned giving luncheon. After a delicious meal, Norma Doctor Sparks will lead a brief workshop on how to leave the church in your estate plans so that the church will benefit from the maximum amount that you intend to give.

RSVP by contacting the church office by October 16.

Prayers and Squares

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Prayers & Squares

Tuesday, October 4 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Prayers and Squares is a ministry promoting prayer by creating beautiful hand-tied quilts and offering them to people in crisis or those whom we wish to offer a special aloha. A prayer is said with each knot that is tied in the quilt. When recipients put the quilts it over themselves, they are covering themselves with our prayers. Our motto: “It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.”

To request a quilt for church members or friends in crisis, call Debbie Gunning at 808-652-7899. No experience in quilting or sewing is necessary. There are jobs for everyone to help in the making of the quilts…and everyone is invited to pray!

Service of Installation Of Reverend Robert Bork

You are invited to Kapaa United Church of Christ as they install Reverend Robert Bork as Pastor and Teacher Sunday, October 9, 3 p.m. Please RSVP to Koloa Union Church office by October 2.

Youth Halloween Party

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

BOO!!!!

Sunday, October 16 4:45 – 7:00p.m.

Don’t forget to RSVP by Wednesday, October 12!

Lectio Divina

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 12 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Smith Memorial Parsonage

Lectio Divina is a time to silently reflect together on a repeated reading from the Bible and then share with one another about the experience (if so desired). RSVP by Sunday, October 9!

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

Stop Covid Sign

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

You can click the button below to watch a video of a recent worship service:

Watch the Worship Service

Watch ALL of Our Worship Services

Please Share!

Our online worship services are a great way to introduce people to Koloa Union Church…and provide inspiration and hope to friends and family!

Feel free to forward this email or send the YouTube link to anyone whom you think would enjoy watching our online worship service.

Share our worship service with even more people! You can also put the link of any video of our worship services directly onto your Facebook page and thereby introducing every one of your Facebook friends to our worship services and our church!

Mahalo to Worship Participants

Lectionary Readings

Weekly Readings from the Bible

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.

Reading for September 25: Jeremiah 1-15; Psalm 91:1-16; Amos 6:1-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31.

Reading for October 2:  Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:19-26; Psalm 137; Habakkuk 1:1-2:4; Psalm 37:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10.

Reading for October 9:  Jeremiah 29:1-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Kings 5:1-16; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19.

Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News

A Message From Kahu: Sep 29th, 2022

image of Smithsonian museum of African American History & Culture

A Message From Our Kahu

Life that Really is Life

 

On Sunday, we focused on living our best possible life. Of course, how we define that is a bit different for each of us, but once we figure out what it means for us, we can then go after it. The Bible gives great guidance as to what that life can look like. 

In the Scripture passage we read from 1 Timothy, chapter 6, the author tells Timothy to take hold of life that really is life. In my message, I stated that this was the “beating heart” of passage—and all of 1 Timothy for that matter. The beating heart of a passage is the part which is the key message by which the rest of the parts are to be interpreted. And so, as the author writes about contentment, love, generosity and gentleness, these things are to be understood under the umbrella of “Take hold of life that really is life.”

Since Jesus made it clear that God loves the entire world, including all its people, and his vision of abundant life was for everyone, we must take hold of a deep and meaningful life not only for ourselves but for all people.

As we live our lives from day to day, let us take hold of life that really is life, not only contentment for ourselves but acting with love, generosity, and gentleness toward others; and let us be committed to creating a world where an abundant life really is available to everyone. 

Aloha nui loa!

Kahu Alan Akana

Church News: Sep 15th, 2022

Our Centennial

Our Centennial Committee has been meeting since February 2021 to consider how we might best celebrate the past 100 years since we became “Koloa Union Church.” Of course our Christian presence on the south shore dates back to 1834 and the establishment of an official congregation in 1835 under the supervision of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The committee has been learning a lot over the past year and a half and looking forward to sharing our findings over the next year, as well as planning some meaningful events.

Here are some dates to keep in mind as we celebrate 100 Years of Aloha:

  • October 2022: Our centennial theme will be the focus of our annual time of stewardship. We will share stories and give thanks for the past century of faithful churchgoers who have shared their gifts and look forward to how we might begin the next century with that same spirit of generosity!
  • January 1, 2023: The first day of our centennial year!
  • June 3: We will participate in the Kauai Pride Parade and Celebration as we proudly wave our rainbow colors and celebrate our centennial with the island!
  • July 29: Koloa Union Church will be the Grand Marshal of the Koloa Plantation Days Parade!
  • July 30: Centennial worship service and celebration feast!

Please mark these dates on your calendars! There will be a lot more information forthcoming, but these are the special dates to remember at this point. We look forward to celebrating with you 100 Years of Aloha!

CAPS

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Committee for the Assurance of Pandemic Safety

CAPS met on September 7 for a monthly review of guidelines, issues and recommendations. The team recommends that we keep the current guidelines in place for just a bit longer as we pay special attention to the current rollout of the new bivalent vaccination booster which targets some of the sub-variants of Covid-19. If the results are as good as we are expecting, we are hopeful that we can lift most of our guidelines by December. We all look forward to the day when we can celebrate communion as we used to, singing songs and hymns, eating together as a church, greeting with handshakes and embraces! In order for the new booster rollout to be the successful, the CDC and Health Department recommends that all people who are able receive the booster as early as possible.

CAPS recommends the following:

  • Keep our current guidelines until we know the success of the boosters.
  • Encourage everyone who is able to get the booster and a flu shot.
  • Stay as healthy as possible.
  • Pray for a successful booster rollout, for CAPS, and for our church.

CAPS is Kahu Akana, Michael Horning, Penny Jessup and Penny Osuga. This committee was created at the start of the pandemic and meets monthly to recommend and review church guidelines in order to keep everyone safe and well as we continue to discover what it means to be the church during these challenging times.

Prayers and Squares

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Youth Halloween Party

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

BOO!!!!

Sunday, October 16

4:45 – 7:00p.m.

Don’t forget to RSVP by Wednesday, October 12!

Church Breakfast

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

Kiawe Roots 2-3687 Kaumualii Highway in Lawai

Tuesday, September 27

8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Join us on the 4th Tuesday of each month for delicious food and a fun time getting to know others from Koloa Union Church! Space is limited.

RSVP on the sign-up sheet on the church bulletin board or contact the church office.

_________________

Next month’s breakfast will be October 25th.

Location TBA

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

Stop Covid Sign

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

You can click the button below to watch a video of a recent worship service:

Watch the Worship Service

Watch ALL of Our Worship Services

Please Share!

Our online worship services are a great way to introduce people to Koloa Union Church…and provide inspiration and hope to friends and family!

Feel free to forward this email or send the YouTube link to anyone whom you think would enjoy watching our online worship service.

Share our worship service with even more people! You can also put the link of any video of our worship services directly onto your Facebook page and thereby introducing every one of your Facebook friends to our worship services and our church!

Mahalo to Worship Participants

Lectionary Readings

Weekly Readings from the Bible

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.

Reading for September 11: Jeremiah 4:11-28; Psalm 14; Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10

Reading for September 18: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13.

Reading for September 25: Jeremiah 1-15; Psalm 91:1-16; Amos 6:1-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31.

Reading for October 2:  Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:19-26; Psalm 137; Habakkuk 1:1-2:4; Psalm 37:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News

A Message From Kahu: Sep 15th, 2022

image of Smithsonian museum of African American History & Culture

A Message From Our Kahu

A Wind Too Strong

A hot wind comes from me out of

the bare heights in the desert…

not to winnow or cleanse— 

a wind too strong for that! 

Look! He comes up like clouds,

    his chariots like the whirlwind…

    woe to us, for we are ruined!

Disaster overtakes disaster!

    The whole land is laid waste.

I looked on the earth,

and it was complete chaos,

I looked, and the fruitful land

was a desert.

(Verses from Jeremiah 4)

On Sunday, September 11, we remembered Hurricane Iniki on the 30th anniversary of that devastating natural disaster for Kauai. We also remembered the terror attacks on 9/11/01 and the wars that followed, as well as the attack on the U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, on 9/11/12. During the Call to Worship and Opening Prayer, we gave the congregation a chance to sit in silence in order to remember and to reflect on those and other devastating losses. We also considered what it means to stand in solidarity with those who remain and suffer after such tragedies. We also remembered the importance of standing in solidarity with and encouraging the peacemakers of the world. We cannot escape sadness, loss and death in our lives, but we can remember that God is always present with those who suffer. We can also remember that God’s Spirit shows up like wind—sometimes as a gentle and comforting cool breeze on a hot day, and sometimes like a hurricane to knock us out of our complacency.

In the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin in Luke 15, the Gospel reminds us that God deeply loves us at all times, even when we are feeling rather lost and “unaccounted for.” It also reminds us that God loves others just as deeply and, therefore, there is not a single person alive who is any more or any less important than the rest of us. May we treat all people with compassion and understanding, and may we pray for a world where this is the common way of relating to others.

I shared some photos on Sunday from my trip to Kauai just a few days after Hurricane Iniki. I was living in Honolulu and serving on the Hawaii Council of Churches Disaster Relief Task Force and soon became the treasurer of the HCC Iniki Relief Fund. You can see those photos below.

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

Church News: Aug 31st, 2022

Beware of Scams

Last week, several church members received text messages purporting to originate from Kahu. Sometimes there is a request for money or gift cards immediately and directly; at other times they are vague about the “help” they need until they hear back to see how gullible the person is.

One of those messages over the weekend looked like this:

“I pray that you are safe and well. Do you have a moment? I have a request I need you to handle discreetly. I am extremely busy and could use your help please reply by text.

Peace and love

-Rev. Dr. Alan Akana”

Please know that neither Kahu nor Koloa Union Church asks for help by asking in a text—no matter how busy we may be. 

This is a scammer trying to steal your money by posing as Kahu. Please don’t respond to these requests, whether by text, Facebook or email. If we are ever in a position to request funds from individuals on an emergency basis, we will call you directly or make an appointment to see you in person.

It is unlikely that these persons will be caught as there are many of them and they may not even be contacting you from the island or in the U.S. However, we always appreciate it if you forward any of these scams to the church office or to Kahu so that we are aware when they are happening.

Prayers and Squares

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Tuesday, September 6, 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Prayers and Squares is a ministry promoting prayer by creating beautiful hand-tied quilts and offering them to people in crisis or those whom we wish to offer a special aloha. A prayer is said with each knot that is tied in the quilt. When recipients put the quilts it over themselves, they are covering themselves with our prayers. Our motto: “It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.”

To request a quilt for church members or friends in crisis, call Debbie Gunning at 808-652-7899.

No experience in quilting or sewing is necessary. There are jobs for everyone to help in the making of the quilts…and everyone is invited to pray!

Grove Farm Train Ride, Museum & Guided Tour

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

Friday, September 9

9:00 a.m. Train Ride Meet at the train depot, which is just off Haleko Road (between Nawiliwili Rd and Rice St), across from the old Lihue Mill at the bottom of the valley.

10:00 a.m. Museum & Guided Tour As soon as we arrive at the Grove Farm Visitor Center (located at 4050 Nawiliwili Road in Lihue) after the train ride, we will gather to learn all about the sugar industry on Kauai, including the Wilcox Family and Grove Farm!

Lunch under the Kamani Tree Bring your own lunch and beverage for after the tour! Grove Farm has agreed to set up tables and chairs, especially for us. You may also browse in the gift shop after the tour is completed.

Suggested Donation: $10

Carpoolers will leave the church at 8:30 a.m.

Please RSVP on the signup sheet at church or by contacting the church office by September 1. [email protected]

This activity is brought to you by the Koloa Union Church Activities Committee. If you have any questions about this activity, suggestions for future activities, or would like to serve on the committee, please contact Elizabeth Mares, Committee Chair.

Youth

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church

Youth Group Sunday, September 11th 5:45 – 8 p.m.

“Young Stewards” Exploring Ideas of Stewardship For Today’s Generation of Young People Middle & high school students are invited to enjoy a delicious meal, games, community building, and a conversation about “stewardship.”

Friends are welcome! Please RSVP by September 7.

Lectio Divina

Rev Dr Walt Weiss Koloa Union Church
September 14th 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Join Kahu and Karen Johnson at the Smith Memorial Parsonage for a time to hear and respond to the Scriptures in a quiet, reflective and meaningful way. Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word.

Please RSVP by September 11 if you plan to attend.

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

Stop Covid Sign

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

PLEASE NOTE that the video of the August 28th worship service is delayed a few days due to Michael Horning, our videographer, being on vacation.

You can click the button below to watch a video of a recent worship service:

Watch the Worship Service

Watch ALL of Our Worship Services

Please Share!

Our online worship services are a great way to introduce people to Koloa Union Church…and provide inspiration and hope to friends and family!

Feel free to forward this email or send the YouTube link to anyone whom you think would enjoy watching our online worship service.

Share our worship service with even more people! You can also put the link of any video of our worship services directly onto your Facebook page and thereby introducing every one of your Facebook friends to our worship services and our church!

Mahalo to Worship Participants

Lectionary Readings

Weekly Readings from the Bible

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.

Reading for August 28: Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrew 13:1-16; Luke 14:1-14.
Reading for September 4: Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 139:1-18; Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Philemon 1:1-21; Luke 14:25-33.
Reading for September 11: Jeremiah 4:11-28; Psalm 14; Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10.

Church Breakfast

Another Enjoyable Church Breakfast At Kiawe Roots on August 23 Join us on the 4th Tuesday of each month for delicious food and a fun time getting to know others from Koloa Union Church!

Next breakfast will be September 27. Location TBA

Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News