Church News: March 12th, 2025
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Church Office Closed
The church office will be closed on the following day:
The church office will be closed on Thursday, March 27, in observance of Prince Kuhio Day
Celebrating the life of Diane Fairclough
A Special Gift from the Estate Of Diane Fairclough
We celebrate the life of Diane Fairclough, who visited Koloa Union Church regularly on her annual visits to Kauai. We are also grateful for her generosity to our church during her lifetime and after her passing last year. We recently received a gift of $400,000 from her estate. Her sister, Susanne, who joined Diane on her trips to Kauai, recently visited us and delivered the check. She spent some time with Kahu, explaining how much our church meant to Diane. Kahu asked her to put some of her words in writing so that he could share them with the congregation.
A Tribute from Diane’s Sister, Susanne
It is my joy to honor my sister Diane’s generosity of spirit and clear intention for benefit to continue in the wake of her life. Since her sudden passing a year ago, on March 2, 2024, I’ve reflected often on many of the gifts that I and others have received from her. I’ll mention a few of her passions, and perhaps you can understand why Koloa Union Church held a special place in her heart, and in her will.
As a leader and mentor in Quality of Life Studies for cancer research, she broke through the glass ceiling for women in the field of public health and made it a priority to give support to others.
Music greatly enriched her life. While early on she played flute, bassoon, guitar, and dulcimer, ukulele became her favored instrument late in life. She founded an ukulele outreach group, spreading aloha, playing at retirement homes and memory care units in the Denver area, while many joined in hula from their seats. Diane had also been choir director at two congregations, one at Chapel Hill while pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Health and later in Memphis, when she worked at St. Jude’s Hospital for Children.
Kauai has been a home for us to return to over 25 years. It was a beloved place Diane conjured in her mind when she went through surgeries and chemotherapy treatments.
Koloa Union Church resonated with Diane—its friendliness, its strong connection with the Hawaiian culture through ceremony, music and Rose’s hula, Kahu Alan’s vision of Christianity that holds all beings in its embrace of loving kindness, and the ways the church members actively engage in community. We were especially grateful when a church member delivered produce from farmer’s markets when we were unable to leave our rooms during 10 days of Covid quarantine after our arrival.
I can feel Diane continuing to rejoice in the activities of the church, knowing that her contribution is helping it uplift our world at this critical time. I’m grateful that she put in writing how her wishes could be fulfilled.
If anyone is thinking in a similar way to make a bequest to the church, don’t delay; it will benefit the church and those who survive you in ways you can’t imagine.
With Aloha, Susanne Fairclough
Our Church Council decided to use some of the funds from this gift to repair the roof on the Smith Memorial Parsonage, which has had major leaks for several months, and to place the bulk of the gift into our reserve funds for the time being.
Parsonage New Roof
The Smith Memorial Parsonage roof has experienced leaks in four different rooms over the past few years. Although we have been patching the roof as the leaks have happened, it continues to leak, primarily due to rust. Our Church Council decided to replace the entire roof so that Kahu no longer has to live with wet furniture and floors. The roofers began on the lanai last Friday and should be done with the project within the next week or so.
New Arbor is Coming!
The current arbor was erected 9 years ago during our Capital Campaign as a beautiful entryway to our expanded sanctuary. As a gift from Dan and Naomi Giovanni in memory of Rev. Susumu and Miyeko Yamane, the arbor was prefabricated on the mainland and assembled on site. Rev. Yamane was Naomi’s father and our pastor when our sanctuary and Moore Hall were built. Unfortunately, the arbor has not fared well in Hawaii’s weather. Dry rot has deemed the structure dangerous and shaky. We are in the process of having the arbor rebuilt on site in a similar design as the original arbor. We look forward to having our new arbor, which will be completed in the next couple of weeks—and will last for a very long time!
CAUTION!!! Notice the caution tape! While the new arbor is being built on our patio, please do not touch the structure—and keep a special eye on our keiki. We want to make sure everyone stays safe!
Soup Suppers & Lenten Reflections
“Deeper into the Lectionary”
Wednesdays at 6:00 P.M. Beginning March 12, we will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday nights in Moore Hall for soup and then spend time reflecting and discussing the lectionary readings for the week. It will be helpful, but not necessary, to read the lectionary readings before attending. You can scroll down to see the weekly lectionary readings or find them every week in the church bulletin.
Kahu Akana usually focuses on at least one of the lectionary readings in his message each Sunday, so the Wednesday discussion will be an opportunity for further dialogue on the passage he has chosen for the previous Sunday as well as his message on that Sunday. For example, on March 12, the discussion will relate to Deuteronomy 26:1-11, from the March 9 lectionary reading.
Please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin board if you can attend or would like to volunteer to bring soup and bread to share.
Church Workday
Church Workday Saturday, March 22 8 a.m. – noon Time to do some spring cleaning!
We invite volunteers to attend to our landscaping, building interior and exterior, while we trim and clean for Easter and upcoming events. Bring your gloves, buckets, rags, friends and yard tools. Lunch will be provided. Please sign up on the church bulletin board. If you are unable to help on Saturday, see Dan if you can work on another day.
Youth Event
Youth Gathering For Middle School & High School Youth Sunday, March 23 4:45 – 7:00 p.m.
Moore Hall Youth: Please RSVP to Aunty Tiffany by the previous Wednesday if you plan to attend! Adult Volunteers: Please consider providing a dish or two for a meal.
Prayers and Squares
Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Prayers & Squares will meet in Moore Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a ministry promoting prayer using hand-tied quilts. Volunteers with all ranges of quilting experience may join them for prayer, fellowship, stitching, and learning about quilting. The motto: “It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.” The group continues creating prayer quilts to be distributed at Wilcox Hospital. If you or someone in your ohana are in need of a tangible representation of prayer, please contact Debbie Gunning to request a quilt.
Aloha Hour
Sunday, April 6, 2025
We enjoyed our Aloha Hour luncheon on March 2 and we plan to repeat 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.
Memebership Gathering
Sunday, April 6 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Kahu and our Deacons will spend a couple hours after our Aloha Hour meal with those who wish to learn more about our church. Attendees will learn about our history, how we function as a congregation, our connection to the wider Church, benefits and responsibilities of membership, and more. It will also be a time for participants to ask questions.
Although there is no expectation for participants to join the church, those who attend the membership gathering will be able to join the church on a future designated Sunday during worship service. There will be opportunities for people to join on other Sundays as well.
Please RSVP to the church office by March 30 or see sign up sheet on the bulletin board.
Palm Sunday
April 13, 10:30 a.m.
Celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus entering Jerusalem! Our Sunday school and youth will start the service off with the procession of the palms during the prelude. Children and youth please arrive by 10 a.m. Those who arrive late will be asked to wait outside the main doors of the sanctuary until the procession of the palms is finished.
Palm Sunday
April 17th, 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday and three days before Easter when Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. “Maundy” comes from the Old French word “mande” and the Latin “mandatum,” which means “mandate,” “command” or “commandment.” At the meal, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet as a demonstration of loving service and then said to them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
Join us in the sanctuary as we commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and reflect on his command to be loving servants to one another. This will be a time of Scripture reading, reflection, prayer, music, and the Lord’s Supper.
Good Friday Activity
April 18, 11. a.m. in Moore Hall Coloring Easter Eggs!!!! Lunch will be provided. The eggs will be used in the Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday! RSVP by signing up on the signup sheet at church or by TEXTING Tiffany Marrotte by March 13: 808-651-1397
Easter Sunday
WORSHIP SERVICE Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ! Please remember that this is one of our Sunday morning services with high attendance. Those who are able and willing are invited to park on Poipu and Waikomo Roads, or on the lawn just east of the parsonage. (Please do NOT park in the parsonage driveway or yard.) Please arrive a bit early for a good seat.
EASTER EGG HUNT After Church at the Smith Memorial Parsonage 3281 Waikomo Road Bring your Easter basket or container! Middle schoolers and high schoolers will hide the eggs during Sunday school. Meet in the Sunday school room for instructions.
POTLUCK LUNCH After the Easter Egg Hunt See the signup sheet on the bulletin board. All ages are invited as we gather for our Easter lunch!
One Great Hour Of Sharing
Supporting Disaster Relief, Refugees & Development
“It’s Time to Share” Easter Sunday
One Great Hour of Sharing is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ.
This year’s theme “It’s Time to Share” is very relevant: OGHS supports earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, Ukrainian refugees who have fled for safety, and victims of weather-related disasters in the U.S. and throughout the world.
The OGHS offering will be collected on Easter Sunday. Offering envelopes will be provided.
Please indicate “OGHS” in the note section of your check or in the “Comments” box on our website donation page. Thank you for considering a generous donation to One Great Hour of Sharing!
Church Breakfast
Tuesday, April 22, 8-9:30 a.m. (No breakfast on March 25.)
Join us on the 4th Tuesday of each 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
Lectionary Readings
Lectio Divina will be taking a break during Lent. We hope you will attend our Soup Suppers and Lenten Reflections on Wednesdays in March and April, and then return to Lectio Divina on May 14. 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).
Save The Dates
Kauai Association United Church of Christ
Spring Aha Mokupuni May 9-10, 2025
Koloa Union Church 3289 Poipu Road
“Ikaika Hou” New Strength
Save the Dates!
Koloa Union Church will host the Spring Aha Mokupuni this year, when all 14 United Church of Christ congregations on the island will gather to eat, sing, worship and have their annual meeting. The fun will begin with dinner at 6:00 on Friday, followed by a lively kanikapila (Hawaiian jam session where everyone can participate), and finish with a worship service on Saturday.
We will need lots of volunteers to help us: Welcome our guests. Guide people to parking spaces. Prepare and serve dinner and breakfast. Assist with the worship service. Set up and clean up.
More information about volunteer duties will be available in the April Newsletter. In the meantime, please contact Penny in the church office if there is any area in particular in which you would like to volunteer on either or both days.
Help us with the newsletter!
The KUC Newsletter is how we stay in touch! We send out our Newsletter on a monthly basis in order to keep everyone updated on what is going on at Koloa Union Church.
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Add to the KUC Newsletter! Scroll to the bottom of this email to learn how to add any announcements to the Newsletter or add an email to receive future editions! The next edition of the Newsletter will be April 9. Deadline for articles is April 6 Early submissions are greatly appreciated!
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