Church News: December 6th, 2025
Church Office Closed
The church office will be closed on:
Thursday, December 25th
Thursday, January 1st
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!
The Sundays of Advent
Be sure to join us during the next three Sundays of Advent, as individuals and families light the next three candles and reflect on the themes of. . .
Peace, Joy, Love
Holiday Community Outreach
We will deliver Christmas stockings filled with gift cards and goodies to families who are struggling financially. Please bring your spare change, cash or checks to feed the Outreach Jar that supports our holiday community outreach.
Funds for the Christmas Stockings will be collected through December 14th.
Girl Scouts
Koloa Union Church is proudly hosting Girl Scout Troop #4368. The troop has about 17 members, from 1st to 5th grade. They meet in Moore Hall twice a month. Koloa Union has hosted Girl Scout troops off and on for more than 25 years and we are happy to welcome our new troop!
Immigration Education For Churches
We Gather in the Name of Jesus
On Sunday, November 23, Ellen Caringer and Cathy Evans gave a presentation to the congregation regarding plans by the current Administration in Washington, D.C., to send immigration agents to churches and places of worship during the holidays. We also know of pastors who were breaking no laws who have recently been attacked and harmed by federal agents (including one colleague of Kahu Akana whom he knows in the San Francisco Bay Area). We have also been hearing many stories of citizens and immigrants who are in our country legally being arrested, physically harmed and detained in inhumane facilities.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ has also informed church leaders throughout the state of the possibility of raids by immigration officers, the rights of churches, and the importance of being prepared. The United Church of Christ has also been publishing resources for churches during the year.
Although we hope that our church will not be visited by immigration agents, our church leadership felt it was important to make our congregation aware of the possibility and begin preparing for such incidents. Below are a few steps which we are taking:
- We will have signage available in the church office and pastor’s office/Sunday school room indicating that they are private spaces (and therefore immigration agents are not allowed in without a judicial search warrant).
- We ask all congregants to say, “I exercise my right to remain silent,” if immigration agents show up to church and ask ANY questions (such as, “What is your name?” “Are you a citizen?” “Are there any non-citizens/ immigrants/ undocumented people among you?” “How many people are here?”).
- We invite everyone to begin video-recording immigration agents if they show up during a worship service or other church event. We also ask you to keep your distance from agents and give them plenty of room so that they cannot justifiably claim that you are keeping them from doing their job.
Please click any of the links below to learn more:
Stewardship Committee
A Note from the Stewardship Committee
Thank you to everyone for your generosity throughout 2025! We were able to do so much this year because of you! With your continued support throughout the month of December, we hope to end the year “in the black” with a little left over to begin the New Year with money in the bank!
A special thanks to those who completed commitment cards for 2026. The Church Council is currently working on our budget (based on the total from the commitment cards) which will be presented for approval at our Annual Meeting on February 1st!
You can leave a legacy! Indicating an amount or percentage to the church in your estate can guarantee a legacy for many generations in the future!
Scandinavian Stars
Our Prayers & Squares Ministry at Koloa Union Church uses strips of fabric to make these gorgeous stars. Cathy Evans helped our church develop this special ministry almost 10 years ago.
Cathy has made several humanitarian trips to Ukraine and other war torn countries with the nonprofit group, Hands On Global (HOG). In years past, our group has made and auctioned off quilts to raise funds to donate to HOG. This year we decided to make and sell these Scandinavian stars, with all proceeds being donated to HOG. Earlier this year we sold stars at Aha Paeaina in Kapaa making more than $1000 to donate to HOG. All the money raised from these stars buys tourniquets in HOG’s “Stop the Bleed” ongoing project. We will continue making and selling the stars each Sunday throughout the holiday season and beyond!
As the war continues, Koloa Union Church has not forgotten the people of Ukraine.
November Aloha Hour
Sunday, December 7
Following the Worship Service
We usually enjoy Aloha Hour right after the worship service on the first Sunday of each month. If there is more interest (and volunteers!), we can have Aloha Hour more often. Please check in with Penny Osuga, our Aloha Hour chairperson, if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.
See the sign up sheet on the bulletin board for food contributions. Kitchen help is also needed for a successful gathering.
Everyone is welcome, whether or not you are able to bring food!
Lectionary Readings
Wednesday, December 10 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location To Be Determined 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). Lectio Divina typically meets on the second Wednesday of the month. Please let Kahu know if you plan to attend.
Art Gallary
Centennial Book
Now Available for $30
The Centennial Committee, Jeanie Odo (chair), Kahu, Penny Jessup,
Penny Osuga, and JoAnne Machin, researched and gathered information over the last 4 years and have a completed a book with the history of Koloa Union Church. It is 22 pages of photos and texts of our 100 year history, on 8 by 11 inches of high quality semi-gloss pages in hardcover format.
Contact the church office if you wish to purchase a copy.
Christmas Party
Youth Gathering
Youth Christmas Party For Middle School & High School Youth
Youth are invited to the parsonage for their annual Christmas party! Friends are welcome! RSVP: Youth are asked to RSVP to Aunty Tiffany for all youth events! Volunteers: See sign-up sheet if you can provide a meal for the youth or if you are interested in helping out in another way.
Be sure to save the dates for our other youth events!
Christmas Eve Service
Christmas Eve Service
Candles & Carols December 24 7:30 p.m. Christmas Carols Special Music The Christmas story Lighting of the Candles
Doors will open at 7 p.m. We anticipate a large crowd. Those wishing to sit together should come early.
United Church of Christ Christmas Fund
United Church of Christ Christmas Fund
December 21 and 24 Sunday Morning and Christmas Eve
This special offering, administered by the United Church of Christ Pension Boards, provides direct financial assistance to retired and active UCC authorized ministers and lay employees and their surviving spouses, including pension and health premium supplementation, emergency assistance, and Christmas “thank you” checks. Each year, UCC congregations throughout the country collect this offering to assist faithful servants of God who are facing financial difficulties. We not only share hope, peace, joy and love with them; but they, in turn, pass these things along to others in their communities and in the world.
We will collect the Christmas Fund offering on December 22 at Sunday morning service and December 24 Christmas Eve service. Offering envelopes will be provided. Please write checks to “Koloa Union Church” and write “Christmas Fund” on the note section of your check.
If you would like to make a donation online, please write “Christmas Fund” in the comment section. Thank You for Supporting The Christmas Fund!
Church Breakfast
Breakfast is on hiatus until January 27. In the meantime, enjoy all of the holiday festivities! We usually gather on the 4th Tuesday of the month for delicious food and a fun time getting to know others from Koloa Union Church! Location each month to be determined.
Salvation Army Lunch
Looking for volunteers to serve a meal to hungry people on the west side! You can carpool from the church or meet at the Hanapepe Salvation Army at 10:00 a.m. Volunteer Dates:
Wednesday, December 31
Please let Becky Sakimae know if you would like to volunteer to serve lunch.
Prayers and Squares
Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Prayers & Squares continues to meet in Moore Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. once a month on a Tuesday, where we spend most of our time promoting prayer by creating hand-tied quilts. Volunteers with all ranges of quilting experience may join for prayer, fellowship, stitching, and learning about quilting. The motto: “It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.” If you or someone in your ohana are in need of a tangible representation of prayer, please contact Debbie Gunning to request a quilt.
January Book Group
Movie Night for Adults
Adults and teenagers are welcome! See the sign up sheet on the bulletin board.
Lectionary Readings
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 December 7: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
Readings for December 14: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10; Luke 1:46-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Readings for December 21: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Readings for Christmas Eve: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrew 1:1-12; John 1:1-14
Readings for Christmas Day: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20
Readings for December 28: Isaiah 63:7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrew 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23
Readings for New Year’s Eve and N.Y. Day: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Psalm 8; Revelations 21:1-7; Matthew 25:31-46
Readings for January 4: Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18
Readings for Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
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