100 Years of Aloha

Koloa Union Church’s 99th
Anniversary Was on October 22!

Commitment Sunday
Was October 23.

On Sunday, we blessed the 2023 commitment cards of all those who brought them (or turned them in earlier). During the month of November, the budget committee will begin creating a budget for next year based on the overall financial commitments we have for the year. Your commitment card is so very helpful in this process! 

Thank you so much to all those who made financial commitments for 2023! If you missed getting your commitment in by Sunday and would still like to let us know your giving plans for next year, we ask that you turn in a commitment card by November 3.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the ministry of Koloa Union Church, especially as we begin our next 100 years!

Stewardship Talks

Thanks to those who gave stewardship talks over the past 2 weeks: telling us about the importance of Koloa Union Church in their families and in their lives and also reminding us about the importance of supporting our church as we begin our next century!

All Saints Day (Observed) Sunday, October 30

Join us in church on Sunday, October 30, as we give thanks for all the saints in our lives—those who are no longer with us and those who are still alive. You are invited to submit a prayer card giving thanks for a particular saint or group of saints for whom you are especially grateful.

Simply write the following: Name of person or group A quality of their life/lives for which you are grateful Kahu will read your card during the sharing of joys and concerns and give thanks for the saint in your life.

Membership Gathering

Date: Sunday, October 30

Time: 11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Join Kahu Akana and our Deacons for a couple of hours right after church as they share about the United Church of Christ, our church’s history, the benefits and responsibilities of church membership, and what is involved in joining as a member of Koloa Union Church! Those who attend this gathering may then choose to join the membership of the church.

Bring a drink in your own drink container.

The Deacons will provide snacks.

Please RSVP by signing up on the church bulletin board or contacting the church office.

Prayers and Squares

Tuesday, November 1

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.”

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!

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

Annual Holiday Outreach

Thanksgiving Meal Boxes

We will be collecting and creating Thanksgiving meal boxes for 10 local families who are struggling to make ends meet. The signup sheet is on the Outreach Information Board just outside the main doors to the church.

Please sign up for food items and bring them to the church by November 20. Boxes will be packaged and delivered to the families by the Koloa Union Church Outreach Committee and Youth Group.

Christmas Stockings

We will stuff Christmas stockings with special items and gift cards for 10 local families who are struggling financially this year. We collect change, cash and checks throughout the year in our spare change jar. If you have some extra funds in your bank account or wallet, please consider an extra gift to make Christmas even merrier for a local family. If you know of any families who could use some extra help this holiday season, contact Amber Strong or the church office.

The deadline for donations is November 27.

Note: We primarily 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.

You can contribute financially to this ministry by writing “Holiday Outreach” on the note section of your check made out to “Koloa Union Church” or on the “Comment” box when you give online.

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

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

Watch the most recent 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

Welcome Our New Member

Reverend Deborah Ball has been a resident of Hawaii since 1995. Prior to coming to Hawaii, Deborah served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, West Africa. She obtained her Master of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and her Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Under the UCC Board of Global Ministries, Deborah was a missionary for one year in Dumeguette in The Philippines, working with girls and women. Deborah has been a member of Church of the Crossroads on Oahu since 1995. She has served as an associate minister for children and youth at Church of the Crossroads and as Central Union Church’s Associate Minister for Community Outreach. Rev. Ball has served for decades as a chaplain in hospice, hospitals, long-term care, and palliative care settings. She moved to Kauai in March when she began a new ministry as Chaplain at Wilcox Medical Center. Deborah enjoys hiking, gardening, horseback riding and surfing.

More Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News

Youth Halloween Party

Sunday, October 16

4:45 – 7:00p.m.

BOO!!!!

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

100 Years of Aloha

October 23 is Commitment Sunday!

This year’s stewardship theme is “100 Years of Aloha!” On Sunday, the Rev. Dr. David Popham, Conference Minister of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ thanked the congregation for our commitment as faithful stewards in making the world a better place! He highlighted each of the 5 offerings which Koloa Union Church contributes to every year:

• Our Church’s Wider Mission, which we give directly from our general fund to support the mission of the Hawaii Conference and the United Church of Christ national office.
• Christmas Fund, which assists working and retired clergy and church workers who face financial difficulties.
• One Great Hour of Sharing, which is currently helping people and communities facing disasters, in such locations as Florida.
• Strengthen the Church, which provides grants to strengthen new and innovative ministries in congregations and Associations all across the country.
• Neighbors in Need: which we just collected last week in order to assist ministries of justice and compassion, including Native American ministries.

It was nice to hear from Rev. Popham just what a difference our congregation has made throughout the world!

A portion of your gifts to the church’s general fund goes to Our Church’s Wider Mission (the first bullet point) which, in turn, supports all UCC congregations, including us! The general fund also allows us to have a kahu, youth director, administrative assistant; support all of the ministry that we do throughout the year; and pay our utility bills.

Later this week, we will be mailing a letter to everyone on our stewardship mailing list. (If you are not already on our stewardship mailing list, please let us know and we will add you right away!) The letter will include a Percentage Giving Chart. We encourage you to consider what percentage of your income you currently give to Koloa Union Church and then ask yourself what percentage you would like to give. There is no “right” answer. We simply hope that your gifts to the church represents the gratitude that you have for all that the church means to you and so many others. There will also be a commitment card enclosed. We ask that you prayerfully consider an amount, write it on your card, and then bring it to church with you on Sunday, October 23, for the blessing of our commitments. (If you can’t make it to church on the 23rd, feel free to bring your commitment card early or send it to the church office.)

During the month on November, the budget committee will create a budget for 2023 based upon the overall financial commitments we have for the year. The Church Council will review the budget in December, make recommendations and adjustments, then pass on the budget for approval by the Congregation at our annual meeting in January.

Your commitment card is so very helpful in this process! Thank you in advance for your participation and for your ongoing support of the ministry of Koloa Union Church, especially as we as we begin our next 100 years!

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

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.

Church Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, October 25

Time: 8:00-9:30 a.m.

Kiawe Roots
2-3687 Kaumualii Highway in Lawai
(Next door to 7-Eleven)

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

Please RSVP by signing up on the church bulletin board or contacting the church office.

Space is limited.

Membership Gathering

Date: Sunday, October 30

Time: 11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Join Kahu Akana and our Deacons for a couple of hours right after church as they share about the United Church of Christ, our church’s history, the benefits and responsibilities of church membership, and what is involved in joining as a member of Koloa Union Church! Those who attend this gathering may then choose to join the membership of the church.

Bring a drink in your own drink container.

The Deacons will provide snacks.

Please RSVP by signing up on the church bulletin board or contacting the church office.

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

Watch Our Most Recent Worship Service

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

Watch the most recent 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

Prayers and Squares

Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News