Church Office Closed

The church office will be closed on:

Tuesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day

Thursday, November 27 in observance of Thanksgiving

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 from Our Stewardship Committee

Thank you to everyone who has given generously to our general fund this year! We have paid our mission commitments, salaries, insurance, utility and maintenance bills, costs for our website, newsletter, some large unexpected expenses and so much more! Most importantly, we have provided a welcoming space and inspirational worship services for everyone who has visited us, and we have carried out our mission and service to the community! Thank you also to everyone who submitted a commitment card for 2026, as that is such a huge help for us as we begin the process of creating next year’s budget during the next couple of weeks.

As the year winds down, here are 3 requests for you to consider:

1. Please fulfill your annual commitment/pledge by the end of December or earlier if possible.
2. Please consider an extra “over and above” Christmas gift to the church to assure that we end the year in the black.
3. Please send us your commitment card for 2026 by November 9 if you haven’t already done so.
4. Please consider leaving a portion of your estate (a dollar amount or a percentage) to Kōloa Union Church when you update your will or trust. You can designate your gift to a favorite area of ministry or give an undesignated gift for the Church Council to decide as important needs and ministries arise.

 A special thanks to Keoki’s Paradise for donating delicious muffins on Commitment Sunday! Mahalo nui loa to all!

Food Access Resources

Emergency Food Resources

Malama Kaua`i has put together a list of food resources for anyone needing assistance. Please call first to confirm details, especially around the holidays.

Aha Mokupuni–Fall 2025

We Gather in the Name of Jesus

Lihue United Church 4340 Nawiliwili Road Sunday, November 16 3:00-7:00 P.M. Join us for Fellowship…Worship…Biblical Edification…Dinner Our Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. David Popham, will be sharing a message about being “One In Christ.”

Holiday Community Outreach Readings

Holiday Donations

Please bring your spare change, cash or checks to feed the Outreach Jar that supports our holiday community outreach.

Thanksgiving Dinner Boxes

We will again feed hungry families on the south shore. You can sign up to bring specific food items to pack in our Thanksgiving boxes or make a cash/check donation. All food items will need to be delivered to the church by Sunday, November 16th. See sign up at the church. Boxes will be packed and delivered on Sunday, November 23.

Christmas Stockings. We will deliver Christmas stockings filled with gift cards and goodies to families who are struggling financially. Funds for the Christmas Stockings will be collected through December 14th.

Thanks to Becky Sakimae, Amber Strong, Missy Foley and our church youth who will shop, pack and deliver the items!

Craft Night

November 5th & December 3rd 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join us for fun craft nights as we prepare for the holidays

Lectionary Readings

Wednesday, November 12th 7-8:30 pm

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 Karen Johnson know if you plan to attend.

Art Gallary

Youth Gathering

For Middle School & High School Youth Sundays at the Church 4:45-7:00 p.m. November 9 & 23

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.

Thanksgiving Lunch

Thanksgiving Lunch

After Sunday service on November 23 Everyone is welcome to join us for a delicious Thanksgiving lunch Please see sign up on bulletin board if you are able to help with food or in the kitchen.

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, November 26

Wednesday, December 31

Please let Becky Sakimae know if you would like to volunteer to serve lunch.

Prayers and Squares

Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, December 2, 2025 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.

DONATE TODAY

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

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 November 9: Haggai 1:15-2:9; Psalm 98; Job 19:23-28; Psalm 17:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Luke 20:27-38

Readings for November 16: Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12; Malachiah 4:1-3; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Readings for November 23: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

Readings for November 30: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

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.

Be sure to see the pictures and images! If you don’t see any photographs and images by now (like a picture of our church directly above), you are missing out! You can usually fix this issue by clicking “View images” (usually at the very top of the email) in order to see the great photos and images throughout the Newsletter!

Be sure to see ALL of the news! You may not be seeing all of the KUC Newsletter! Some email servers “clip” the message in order to save storage space, so be sure to click on “View entire message” if it appears (usually at the bottom of the email). Otherwise, you’ll be missing out on someof the news!

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!

Church Office Closed

The church office will be closed on… Monday, October 13 in observance of Indigenous People Day

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!

Commitment Sunday

On October 26 we will dedicate our commitments for the 2026 budget during the worship service. Please bring your commitment card with you to church so that it will be included for our blessing. If you won’t be able to make it to the worship service, please drop it off at church ahead of time or mail your card to the church post office box number. The Finance Committee will draw up next year’s budget based upon our anticipated income, which will be determined primarily by the commitments we receive by early November.

Commitment cards will be sent in the mail to all those on our stewardship mailing list, and there will be extras on the 26th. Please contact the church office if you need a commitment card.

“A Theology of Generosity”

By Kahu Alan Akana

Kahu Akana wrote the lead article for the current issue of “The Friend,” known as the oldest newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains, founded in 1843 in Hawaii.

In the article, Kahu writes about his roots on Hawaii Island and what he has learned about generosity from Kilauea Volcano.

Click HERE to read the article. There’s also a photo of Kahu, Carmela and Ezra on page 4!

To learn more about what Kahu has learned from Kilauea Volcano, his book, The Volcano Is Our Home: Nine Generations of a Hawaiian Family on Kilauea Volcano is available at Alan Akana Gallery, Balboa Press, and Amazon.com.

The Friend is published five times a year by the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ. You can request a copy or subscribe by contacting the Hawaii Conference Office at hcucc@hcucc.org. Available in digital and hard copy.

Coconut Wireless
For those of you who want to know more about what’s going on in the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ, as well as UCC news at the national level, you can also sign up on that same link to receive the weekly HCUCC digital newsletter called Coconut Wireless. For this week’s issue click HERE to read about a church fire on Hawaii Island, the passing of a beloved Kahu, Pastor Appreciation Month, and much, much more.

Member Spotlight

Steve and Yvonne

Yvonne Stoner was born and raised in Valparaiso, located in the northwest corner of the state of Indiana, where she attended Sunday school and worship services at a local Lutheran church. Yvonne still has family in the area: a sister and brother-in-law and their 2 children, as well as a brother and his two children.

After graduating from Valparaiso High School, Yvonne continued her education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After college, Yvonne worked as a medical technologist in the hospital laboratory and the hospital blood bank at Ball Memorial Hospital. After marrying Steve, the two of them were involved with the local PeeWee Football league. Steve served as president of the league for a time, and they both helped to provide support for local youth.

After obtaining a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and relocating to St. Paul, Minnesota, Yvonne worked for 3M Company. There she had a variety of positions in both product development and quality assurance. While living in Minnesota, she attended the United Church of Christ in New Brighton. Shortly after they joined the church, the pastor was Rev. Beth Donaldson, who had been the former Kahu at the Kapaa United Church of Christ.

When Yvonne and Steve moved to Kauai in July 2015, they attended several UCC churches before driving down to the south side. Yvonne says, “The warm welcome and friendliness has continued to bring us back every Sunday to Koloa Union Church. The music, dancing, messages and activities are continued reminders of why we are members of KUC.” Yvonne’s faith is especially important to her because it helps to keep her grounded in values and principals that are inspiring. Yvonne currently serves as the Recording Secretary for the Church Council. She and Steve also enjoy participating in Aloha Hour meals and church breakfasts every month.

Recently, Yvonne and Steve have been singing with the Kauai Chorale and enjoy the music and friendships that they have made. Living on beautiful Kauai, enjoying time with Steve, friends, family and church family helps keep Yvonne grounded in life. During their free time, Yvonne and Steve enjoy attending local hula, musical and theater events. They also enjoy reading, exercising, spending time with neighbors and watching movies. Yvonne also enjoys playing New York Times puzzles every day: Wordle, Connections, and Mini-Crossword.

Lectionary Readings

Wednesday, November 12th 7-8:30 pm

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). Please let Kahu or Karen Johnson know if you plan to attend.

Art Gallary

Youth Gathering

For Middle School & High School Youth

Sundays at the Church 4:45-7:00 p.m. October 12 & 26

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.

Kupuna Connections

October 15 and 29 10 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Brought to you by the Agency on Elderly Affairs Please join us for another enlightening session on staying healthy and safe on your digital devices. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Bring your devices and questions.

Church Breakfast

Tuesday, October 28th 8-9:30 a.m.

Breakfast in The Shops at Kukui`ula! Living Foods 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St. Suite 124

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

Wednesday, October 29

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 Belinda Bartels or Becky Sakimae know if you would like to volunteer to serve lunch.

November Aloha Hour

Sunday, November 2nd

A Special Meal in Memory Of Miyeko Yamane

Sunday, November 2 Following the Worship Service We will enjoy a special catered lunch as we honor the life and gifts of Miyeko Yamane, Naomi Giovanni’s mother, who was married to Rev. Susumu Yamane, our former pastor, and was very active in the life of the church, including Aloha Hour back in the 1960’s!

The Church Council decided to honor Miyeko Yamane by naming the new church kitchen in her memory. A memorial plaque with her name will be affixed at the main door of the kitchen. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you are able to bring food!

Prayers and Squares

Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, November 4th, 2025 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.

DONATE TODAY

Craft Night

November 5th & December 3rd 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join us for fun craft nights as we prepare for the holidays

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 October 12: Jeremiah 29:1-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Kings 5:1-16; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19

Readings for October 19: Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8

Readings for October 26: Joel 2:23-32; Psalm 65; Jeremiah 14:7-10; Psalm 84:1-7; 2 Timothy 4:6-18; Luke 18:9-14

Readings for November 2: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; Isaiah 1:10-18; Psalm 32:1-7; Luke 19:1-10

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.

Be sure to see the pictures and images! If you don’t see any photographs and images by now (like a picture of our church directly above), you are missing out! You can usually fix this issue by clicking “View images” (usually at the very top of the email) in order to see the great photos and images throughout the Newsletter!

Be sure to see ALL of the news! You may not be seeing all of the KUC Newsletter! Some email servers “clip” the message in order to save storage space, so be sure to click on “View entire message” if it appears (usually at the bottom of the email). Otherwise, you’ll be missing out on someof the news!

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!