admin | Koloa Union Church

Church News: Jan 13th, 2023

by admin | Jan 13, 2023 | News

100 Years of Aloha 1923-2023

You Event Koloa Union Church Poipu Youth Group

Be sure to mark these two big events on your calendar now:

Saturday, July 29: Koloa Plantation Days Parade: Koloa Union Church will be the Grand Marshal of this year’s parade!
Sunday, July 30: Centennial Celebration and Luncheon

Centennial Fundraising

In order to help pay for the costs, the Centennial Committee is selling two items on Sunday mornings until they are sold out:

Christmas Tree Ornaments: These shiny, durable, solid metal ornaments with our centennial logo printed on both sides come with a bright red ribbon to make it easy to hang on your tree (or anywhere else you like) for years to come!
Centennial T-shirts: These 100% cotton white t-shirts are printed with our centennial logo printed on the chest.

The cost for an ornament or t-shirt is $20 apiece. Just think of all the people you know who would appreciate an ornament or t-shirt!

Additional gifts to help cover the costs of the centennial may be directed to the “Centennial Fund”—on the note section of your check or the “Comment” section when giving online.

Rev. Tana Roseboro

Visiting this Sunday, January 15

10:30 a.m. Worship Service
Rev. Roseboro’s Message: “Love in Action”

2:00 p.m. Presentation
“Theological Education for Leadership”
Pacific School of Religion

We are blessed to have the Rev. Tana Roseboro visiting Koloa Union Church from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, this Sunday during Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend!

The afternoon presentation will be for any in the community who are interested in learning about the program, those currently taking courses, certificate holders, and those interested in supporting students financially or by facilitating a cohort on Kauai. Theological Education for Leadership provides progressive, accessible Christian theological education year-round through special courses and seminars for clergy, laity, and spiritual seekers.

Rev. Roseboro is the Program Coordinator for the school’s Theological Education for Leadership program. She is an educator who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion in May 2018. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. in religion and philosophy with a concentration in women’s spirituality. She is ordained in the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) and has standing in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. She is also in the process of holding standing in the United Church of Christ.

Invite your friends and family!

Middle & High School Youth

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Kalaupapa Sunday

January 22

A Time to Reflect on the Story of Kalaupapa

Kahu Akana & Taka Harada will share about their experiences & reflections. Taka will share about his brother who lived at Kalaupapa as a patient, his many trips to the peninsula, and poetry and songs of Kalaupapa.

The Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ has designated the 4th Sunday of January as “Kalaupapa Sunday.” It is a time to remember, commemorate and honor all the patients of Kalaupapa, many of whom came from or had connections to our families and churches. The date was chosen in January to commemorate the landing of the first people exiled to the Kalaupapa peninsula in January of 1866.

To learn more about Kalaupapa, click the link below. The page includes a message from Kahu and poetry by Taka!

Learn More

Church Breakfast

Tuesday, January 24 8:00-9:30 a.m.

Kauai Poke Co. at Poipu Bay

2250 Ainako Street in Poipu

(Next to Poipu Bay Golf Course)

Directions:

Drive pass the Grand Hyatt Resort.

Make the next right on Ainako Street.

Turn left into the driveway.

You’ve gone too far if you arrive at Shipwreck Beach.

Park in the back if the front parking lot is full.

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

Prevent Suicide Kauai.org

Kaua`i Association
United Church of Christ

Presentation
Suicide 101: Signs, Prevention, Resources

Tuesday, January 24, 5:30 p.m.
Patricia Wistinghausen (Co-chair for Prevent Suicide Kauai Task Force)

Tiffany Marrotte is a member of PSK Task Force and has organized this event for the KAUCC.

All members and friends of UCC Churches on Kauai are invited to attend the presentation by Zoom. Special registration is required to attend!

Please contact Penny at the church office if you would like to register.

Annual Church Meeting

Members are encouraged to attend.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

The congregation will meet on Sunday, January 29, after the worship service for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation. We ask members to attend in order to have a voting quorum.

Some of the items on our agenda:

Vote for officers of the church, Council members, Deacons and Committee chairs
Review and approve our budget for 2023
Receive reports from Kahu Akana and other church leaders
Receive our updated Church Directory
Hear about plans for 2023, including our kitchen remodel
A time for questions and answers

NOTE: Committee chairpersons are reminded to submit your annual reports to the office by January 15.

Youth Fundraiser Bake Sale

Support Our Youth Ministry

On February 12

Plan to purchase a cake, pie, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, or whatever else our youth bring to the bake sale!

If you would like to donate a baked item, please be aware of the following guidelines…

Follow good hygiene practices while preparing, baking and packaging: wash your hands, wear a mask if you have been exposed to illness, do not participate if you might have a serious contagious illness, such as Covid-19, influenza, etc.
Baked goods must be individually wrapped for sale in food storage bags or containers and/or wrapped with plastic or wax paper. No part of the baked good should be exposed.
All baked goods must be marked with the following information:
The item (such as chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts)
Any hidden allergens that are not obvious (such as nuts, peanut butter)
Optional: list of ingredients
Name of the person who made/donated it
Suggested price

NOTE: Foods that require refrigeration are NOT acceptable

Please bring baked goods to church before the worship service begins. Contact Tiffany Marrotte if you have any questions about the youth bake sale.

Thank you for supporting our youth ministry!

Ash Wednesday Service

FEBRUARY 22, 7 P.M.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Each year we gather at the church for a time of hearing the Scriptures, prayer and meditation, followed by the placing of ashes on our foreheads. The ashes serve as a reminder of our mortality and our need for Christ and God’s loving presence in the midst of life and death.

NOTE: There will be no lectio divina in February. All are encouraged to attend the Ash Wednesday service.

2023 C.A.P.S Guidelines

FACE MASKS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED OUTDOORS.

Face masks are now optional any time you are outdoors at church. This

includes the patio area where you may choose to sit during a worship service.

THEY ARE STILL REQUIRED INDOORS MOST OF THE TIME.

You are asked to wear a face mask before entering the sanctuary and Moore Hall for worship services. Kahu or a Deacon will let you know when you may remove your face mask.

Students, teachers and volunteers are asked to wear face masks in the Sunday school room until instructed otherwise.

If you are visiting staff or volunteers indoors, please check before entering if they would like for you to wear a face mask.

You do not need to wear a face mask indoors when gathering with a small group who are all part of your family or social bubble.

PLEASE BRING A FACE MASK WITH YOU.

It is best to have a face mask handy in case you need one even if you don’t plan to use it. We will do our best to always have a supply on hand in case you forget yours.

PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO STAY HEALTHY.

The best way to keep from spreading coronavirus and other contagious diseases is to stay healthy yourself, so let’s keep washing our hands, using hand sanitizer, and wearing a face mask in the presence of strangers and those who might be sick.

PLEASE CONSIDER THE COMFORT LEVEL OF OTHERS.

Please be sensitive to the concerns, beliefs and practice of others. Rather than assuming another person has the same comfort level as you, it is better to ask such questions as:

Would you prefer that I wear a face mask?
May I shake your hand?
Can I give you a hug?

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe and healthy over the holidays!

Alan Akana Gallery

Open & Affirming

A Gift of Support And a Letter of Thanks

Since becoming an Open & Affirming (ONA) Congregation in 2019, Koloa Union Church has been donating a small gift each year to the ONA Coalition in order to support more churches in opening their doors fully to everyone, including those in the LGBTQ+ Community. In December, our Church Council decided to give $250 to the Coalition.

Last week, we received a nice thank you note from the Rev. Derek Terry, who is the new ONA Coalition President. In his letter are the following words:

“Thank you for putting your hope into action by donating to the Coalition…..It’s because of your faithful giving that we are able to continue advocating and teaching throughout the entire United Church of Christ. We recently certified ONA church #1,800 and the number continues to grow. Every month, new congregations join our movement. Our ambitious program of webinars, workshops and coaching is bringing churches together and opening up new possibilities for ministry with and for LGBTQ+ neighbors. The results: an unprecedented growth in the number of Open and Affirming congregations in the United Church of Christ, and a revival of existing ONA churches who through the Coalition’s ministry are discovering radical and effective ways to work in their communities for justice, freedom and dignity. By giving to the Coalition, and by taking action in your church and community, you are growing our movement in numbers and spirit. The staff and Leadership Team of the Open and Affirming Coalition thank you and ask you to hold us in your hearts and in your prayers.”

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 Nui Loa Worship Participants

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 January 8: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17.
Readings for January 15: Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42.
Readings for January 22: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23.
Readings for January 29: Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12.
Readings for February 5: Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20.
Readings for February 12: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37.

More Fun Pictures Since Our Last Weekly News

A Message From Kahu: Jan 13th, 2023

by admin | Jan 13, 2023 | Message from Kahu

image of Smithsonian museum of African American History & Culture

A Message From Our Kahu

“Welcoming Our Centennial Year!”

On Sunday, I challenged the congregation to consider Jesus’ call for his followers to change their hearts and minds. That is the true meaning of repentance. It might involve ending hurtful behavior (or even less helpful behavior), but repentance goes much deeper than that. At least, it did for Jesus. It’s really all about facing God and looking at God as God is; and whenever we are not doing that, it means turning in that direction. This call is not just for individuals but for communities of faith and even nations.

As Koloa Union Church begins its Centennial Year, I am imagining a time for us to celebrate all of those faithful members of the past who have faced God and continued to turn toward God whenever they were tempted to look away—however slightly the turning may have been. They are our examples and continue to be part of who we are today.

As we begin this year of celebrating our past, we also consider the present and know that who we are today will impact who the Church will be in the future. One major focus for the year will be the remodeling of our church kitchen. You will soon be hearing a lot more about this, see the renderings from our architect, and hear about how you can support this space that needs some serious updating for the 21st century.

I also encourage you to mark July 29 & 30 on your calendar right now. On the 29th Koloa Union Church will be the Grand Marshal of the Koloa Plantation Days Parade, and on the 30th we will have grand celebration during our morning worship service, followed by a delicious meal with live entertainment.

I would also invite you to consider doing three things this year for the health and vitality of our church:

Invite someone to church. It might be someone who has never been here before or perhaps a person who attended a long time ago. One of the top reasons someone attends church is because someone invited them.
Look around for new people who have been attending and invite them to something. It could be a church breakfast, another activity, or a meal at your home. People are more likely to continue attending if they feel connected to others.
Consider participating in one new spiritual practice this year so that you can see God more clearly as God really is. It might be attending Lectio Divina, which is held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month; maybe devoting 5 additional minutes of your day to pray; perhaps reading the Bible for 10 minutes a day or finding a daily devotional guide that suits you.

Thank you for all the ways you already take care of yourself and those around you. My prayer for each of you is that 2023 will be a year in which you see God more clearly, feel God’s love more deeply, and share God’s love more generously!

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

Church News: Dec 14th, 2022

by admin | Dec 14, 2022 | News

C.A.P.S Guidelines

FACE MASKS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED OUTDOORS.

Face masks are now optional any time you are outdoors at church. This

includes the patio area where you may choose to sit during a worship service.

THEY ARE STILL REQUIRED INDOORS MOST OF THE TIME.

You are asked to wear a face mask before entering the sanctuary and Moore Hall for worship services. Kahu or a Deacon will let you know when you may remove your face mask.

Students, teachers and volunteers are asked to wear face masks in the Sunday school room until instructed otherwise.

If you are visiting staff or volunteers indoors, please check before entering if they would like for you to wear a face mask.

You do not need to wear a face mask indoors when gathering with a small group who are all part of your family or social bubble.

PLEASE BRING A FACE MASK WITH YOU.

It is best to have a face mask handy in case you need one even if you don’t plan to use it. We will do our best to always have a supply on hand in case you forget yours.

PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO STAY HEALTHY.

PLEASE CONSIDER THE COMFORT LEVEL OF OTHERS.

Please be sensitive to the concerns, beliefs and practice of others. Rather than assuming another person has the same comfort level as you, it is better to ask such questions as:

Would you prefer that I wear a face mask?
May I shake your hand?
Can I give you a hug?

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe and healthy over the holidays!

Centennial Events & Fundraiser

100 Years of Aloha 1923-2023 Centennial Events & Fundraiser

The Centennial Committee has been meeting for nearly 3 years in order to plan the very best celebration in 2023!

The two big events are:

Saturday, July 29: Koloa Plantation Days Parade
Sunday, July 30: Centennial Celebration and Luncheon

Be sure to save these dates on your calendar! There will be lots of music, food, gifts, and a beautiful memory book of the past century. We also plan to remodel our church kitchen during the year as part of our celebration.

In order to help pay for the costs, the Centennial Committee will be selling two items on Sunday mornings until they are sold out:

Christmas Tree Ornaments: These are round, shiny, durable, solid metal ornaments with our centennial logo printed on both sides. Each ornament comes with a bright red ribbon to make it easy to hang on your tree for years to come!
Centennial T-shirts: These are 100% cotton white t-shirts with our centennial logo printed on the chest. You can show off our centennial all year, wear the shirt in the parade or when representing Koloa Union Church at an island-wide gathering of the Kauai Association of the United Church of Christ!

The cost for an ornament or t-shirt is $20 apiece.

Just think of all the people for whom you might want to get one more Christmas gift! Additional gifts to help cover the costs of the centennial, including the kitchen remodel, may be directed to the “Centennial Fund.” (Drawings of the kitchen will be available in early 2023.)

United Church of Christ Christmas Fund

To Be Collected on December 18, 24 & 25

Thank You for Supporting The Christmas Fund!

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 18, 24 and 25. 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 note section.