Church News: September 3rd, 2026
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New Music Ensemble Director
Welcome Joseph Moore!
The Music Ensemble Is a Brand New Group For All Levels of Ability & Experience! Invite your friends who like to sing!
First Meeting/Rehearsal – Sunday September 6, 2026, After Aloha Hour
We are happy to announce our agreement with Joseph Moore, who will be our Music Ensemble Director from September through December—and hopefully we will renew and extend the agreement in 2027!
Those who have worked with Joe before know what an extraordinary and talented musician he is. Composer, performer, pianist and director, Joe has been a church musician since the mid-1970’s, has directed musical groups, concerts and musicals, teaches piano, and is the artistic director of the Kauai Chorale.
Joe will rehearse with the ensemble in the church sanctuary on Sundays, either before or after worship services, depending on the church schedule, such as deacons meetings, events after church / aloha hour, etc. The plan is for the ensemble to perform in worship services at least once a month.
All those interested in the ensemble are invited to attend the first meeting / rehearsal this Sunday afternoon to learn more about Joe’s vision for the ensemble and warm up your voices a bit!
If you can think of anyone who might want to join: invite them too! In fact, invite them to the worship service and lunch this Sunday as well!
______________________________
Here is a letter from Joe:
Dear Kōloa Union Church Family,
I am truly excited to be taking on this new role as Music Ensemble Director and to become more deeply involved in a community I have already come to know and appreciate. Having been with you before as a substitute accompanist, I have experienced firsthand the warmth and spirit of this congregation. There is something about Kōloa Union Church that has always made me feel especially comfortable and at home. I have felt a natural connection here, and that makes this new chapter particularly meaningful to me.
Throughout my life, music has been much more than notes on a page or a performance on a stage. I believe it is one of the most powerful ways we have of connecting with one another. When people breathe together, listen to one another, and bring their individual voices into harmony, something happens that is larger than any one of us. That is what I intend for us to create together!
I look forward to getting to know even more of you—not only those who already think of yourselves as singers or musicians, but anyone who would like to participate. There is a place for different voices, abilities, ages, instruments, and musical traditions. Some of the most meaningful music happens when people simply come together with an open heart and a willingness to share.
My hope is that our music will make worship inspiring, joyful, thoughtful, and alive. I want us to explore music that can lift us up, comfort us, challenge us, and sometimes simply make us smile. Most of all, I hope the music we create will express love, harmony, and our connection with one another!
I am grateful for this opportunity and excited about what we will discover together. I look forward to hearing your voices, sharing your ideas, and creating some wonderful music together.
With Aloha, Joe
September Aloha Hour
Sunday, September 6
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 signup 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!
Kauai Marathon
Sunday, September 6
Please be reminded that the 17th Annual Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon is this Sunday, starting at 6 a.m. on Poipu Road.
Much of Koloa and Poipu will be affected by early morning road closures and the runners.
However, well before our worship service starts at 10:30, nearly all access to the church will be open, including Maluhia Road (tree tunnel), most of Koloa Road, Poipu Road, Waikomo Road (where the parsonage is located).
Nevertheless, we recommend you give yourself a little extra time getting to church on Sunday.
Eastside Book Group
September 2nd – October 7th 2026
Eastside Book Group Wednesdays 5 p.m. Beginning with dinner
Taka Harada and Ellen Caringer invite you to their home in the Wailua Homesteads to discuss “The Tears of Things” by Richard Rohr. The group will begin on September 2 and goes through October 7. You can come for any or all of the discussions.
Please RSVP by Sunday for each Wednesday gathering and see sign up on the bulletin board.
Contact Tiffany Marrotte or Ellen Caringer for address and additional details.
Click HERE for more information
Congregational Renewal Cohort
Tiffany Ruiz and Elizabeth Mares will attend their first class on Saturday in Pacific School of Religion’s Congregational Renewal Cohort.
You can learn more about the program by clicking the link below. Please contact Tiffany or Kahu if you would like additional information.
Kauai Hospice
When Will I Need Kauai Hospice? An Informative Presentation Sunday, September 13 Noon-1:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. Walt Weiss, Bereavement and Spiritual Care Coordinator at Kauai Hospice, will offer a short overview of Hospice’s role in our lives. The presentation is FREE. A light lunch will be provided. Please RSVP on the signup sheet located on the church bulletin board.
Yard Maintenance
Next Yard Maintenance – September 21st
Julia will normally be at the church every other Monday from 9-11 a.m. to tackle whatever yard work is needed. Please join her whenever you have time. Bring work gloves and yard tools, especially large and small clippers. Contact Julia at (650) 207-4353 and/or the church office if you are able to help.
You may have noticed that the berm which separates the church parking lot from Poipu Road has recently been cleared of overgrown bushes and weeds. In the coming weeks, we will be repairing the lighting and irrigation, and also planting ground cover and plants. We will keep you posted on progress and also on specific help that might be needed!
Thank you, Julia, for keeping our grounds looking nice! Thanks to Kathy, Scotty and Lorraine too!
Church Breakfast
Tuesday, September 22 8-9:30 a.m. Living Foods 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St. (near the west end of the Shops at Kukui`ula) Join us 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. RSVP on the sign-up sheet or by contacting the church office
Salvation Army Lunch
Salvation Army Lunch September 30th
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. Please let Becky Sakimae know if you would like to volunteer to serve lunch. Koloa Union Church serves meals on 5th Wednesdays.
Celebrating Taco Day
October Aloha Hour October 4, 2026
Following the Worship Service For October Aloha Hour, everyone is invited to bring ONE item (or two at most!) for a fun ‘taco toss’ lunch. Please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin board.
Prayers and Squares
Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, October 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. on the first Tuesday of every month, 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.
Prayer quilts are more than blankets. They are the visible, tangible, physical evidence of faith: faith in God, faith in love, faith in prayer.
Once a request for a quilt is received, the quilt is blessed with a prayer as a knot is tied by Kahu Alan; additional prayers knots are tied by the congregation. The finished quilt is then presented to the person needing our prayers.
Lectionary Readings
Wednesday, October 14th
No Lectio Divina in September! 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. At the 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). Lectio Divina typically meets on the second Wednesday of the month. Please let either Kahu or Karen Johnson know whenever you plan to attend.
Stamps For The Wounded
Wednesday, October 14th
Stamps for the Wounded relies on donations to provide stamps and supplies to our US Veterans. Please consider donating your used and unused stamps to this project. “SFTW will accept any postage stamps; used or unused, on-paper or off-paper, from anywhere, from stamp collections or accumulations.” For more information, please visit: www.stampsforthewounded.org.
We have provided a jar for collecting the stamps each Sunday on the greeting table. You may also mail your stamps to: Koloa Union Church, P.O. Box 536, Koloa, HI 96756
Mahalo for your generous donations!
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 September 6: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
Readings for September 13: Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114: Exodus 15:1-21; Genesis 50:15-21; Psalm 103:1-13; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35
Readings for September 20: Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-45; Jonah 3:10-4:11; Psalm 145:1-8; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16
Readings for September 27: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-16; Ezekiel 18:1-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32
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