by admin | Jan 12, 2016 | Message from Kahu
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN PROGRESS!
I want to take a moment and share my gratitude for our capital campaign progress here at Koloa Union Church. First of all, thank you for the many generous contributions to our capital campaign “Maika’i Hana Hou” (Creating Goodness and Beauty Once Again). A special thank you to Dan Giovanni, our capital campaign chair, who spends countless hours every week behind the scenes—and digging in the dirt!—to keep our progress moving forward.
Because of the generosity of our members and friends, renovations are now being made here almost daily. The most recent and visible so far is the new arbor, which makes an attractive entryway to our church buildings. There are already two very tall red bougainvillea plants growing on both sides of the arbor, and soon the entire arbor will be draped in red blossoms, creating a warm and welcoming entrance to our buildings! We are just beginning our landscaping, and you can expect many more changes in the near future. You will also be seeing some major changes inside our sanctuary and hearing the results from the upgrades in our sound system in the next couple of weeks. And this is just the beginning!
I am very proud of what we have done as a church this past year in terms of choosing some major projects which will make us much more inviting and welcoming to all! I look forward to seeing the many results in the coming year. Again, thank you to everyone who has generously given to the success of “Maika’i Hana Hou”!
Mahalo nui loa!!!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Jan 12, 2016 | News
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY CELEBRATION
The Koloa Union Church office will be closed on Monday, January 18, in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Kahu Alan Akana invites you to join him at the Interfaith Roundtable of Kaua`i Annual MLK Celebration!
- Monday, January 18, 2016
- 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Carpooling from the church at 10:30 am
- Lihue Neighborhood Center: 3353 Eono St.
Join us at this FREE event for inspirational speakers, prayers, music and lunch:
- Keynote Speaker: The Rt. Rev. William Swing, former Episcopal Bishop and Founder of the United Religions Initiative (URI.org)
- Reflections by Ishaq Mohammed, speaking about his conversion to Islam.
- Prayers by local religious leaders
- Music by local musicians
Come and hear how Dr. King’s message can bring peace to our nation and the world through the choices we make. Enjoy conversation with your neighbors and learn of volunteer service opportunities on our island.
Click 2016MLKFlyer to see the flyer for his event.
Click IROC to see the Interfaith Roundtable of Kaua’i website.
“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
by admin | Jan 5, 2016 | Message from Kahu
My New Year’s Wish for Everyone….
On Sunday, we took a look at Joseph’s dreams in Matthew’s Gospel: a dream to hang in there with Mary and to name her baby “Jesus”; a dream to flee to Egypt when Herod’s anger and jealousy made it dangerous for Jesus to remain there; a dream that it was safe to return to Israel; and a final dream to NOT go home to Bethlehem where it was still not safe for Jesus, but rather to live in Nazareth where it was safe.
I shared with the congregation four key themes in the Gospel reading (Matthew, chapter 2) that develop throughout Matthew’s Gospel:
- Matthew wanted his readers to know that God wanted Jesus alive because there was a special mission for Jesus: then Matthew develops that mission in the rest of the Gospel, namely, to bring compassion, justice and inclusion to all people.
- Matthew wanted his readers to feel the tension between the Empire of Rome and all of the ways that it manifested itself (including King Herod and then his son Archelaus) on the one hand, and an alternative new realm that Jesus was to usher in on the other hand.
- Matthew wanted his readers to know that the way of Jesus is not always easy…or painless…or the most direct route from Point A to Point B.
- Finally, Matthew wanted his readers to know that they are never alone, just as Joseph was never alone, and just as Jesus was never alone.
These four themes actually point to God’s dream for the entire world: especially that compassion, justice and inclusion are for everyone…and that God never leaves us alone…none of us…ever!
MY NEW YEAR’S WISH FOR ALL: I hope you will be part of God’s dream for the world this year, and that you will share it with others all year long!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Jan 5, 2016 | News
CHURCH ON THE BEACH
Koloa Union Church will worship at the beach this Sunday! Our worship service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 10, at the main pavilion at Poipu Beach (across the street from Nukumoi Surf Shop). It will be an informal, lively service with lots of music and participation for all ages. Bring something to share for our potluck luncheon after the worship service. There will be activities for the children and youth after lunch. The church will provide plates, cups and plastic utensils. Bring your own drinks and beach chairs too if you have any (although there will be plenty of seating for those who don’t!). There will be no worship service at the church on this day.
by admin | Dec 30, 2015 | Message from Kahu
On Sunday, I talked about the many homes where I’ve lived and how often I moved. I also shared some thoughts from Diana Butler Bass’ chapter “Home” from her book Grounded. (She has moved a lot too!) The two most important things to me are:
- Home is where we belong…and feel that we belong.
- Home is a place where God meets us.
Fortunately, I am able to see both of these things in all of the homes where I have lived. I also see and feel both of these things at Koloa Union Church, our spiritual home. It is a place where all are welcome to meet God and have a place where we belong. I am grateful for the people at church who make me feel that I belong here. I see God in our common life: our worship, fellowship, outreach and the fun we have.
This is our home! And I hope to see you here again soon!
Hau’oli Makahiki Hou Me Aloha Nui Loa!!!
Kahu
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