A Message From Kahu: September 3rd, 2026

The Isoda Room

A Message from Our Kahu

“Under Construction”

When it comes to our roads, it seems like the entire south shore is under construction. At least, it sure seems like that on some days! It reminds me of my time in Utah when I moved there just about four years before the 2002 Winter Olympics. In preparation for the games, transportation crews were already widening roads, improving virtually every freeway onramp and offramp between the airport and all of the Olympic venues, and making many other improvements, so that traffic would flow smoothly during the Olympics and Paralymics.

A few things stand out in my mind during that time. First, what an inconvenience! For months, the main offramp from the freeway to the airport was closed and we had to take side streets to get there. Simple errands in the city sometimes took twice as long, depending on detours. I lived in Park City at the time, a little over 20 minutes from SLC, and on the other side of the city from the airport. For part of that time, I commuted weekly by airplane just about every week. So, yes, it was an inconvenience.

Second, what a difference all of the construction made once it was all done in terms of traffic flow, safety and convenience! I don’t remember being stuck in traffic even once during the two weeks of the Olympic Games while over a million and a half people attended (and that number doesn’t include the athletes, volunteers, television crews, military, additional police, and other support personnel). I remember thinking that the four years which I lived with the road and infrastructure construction was all worth it for the convenience and safety that it brought to the region.

Our church is experiencing a lot of necessary construction these days as well. We are not only getting a new entryway into our parking lot and sidewalk in front of the church. We are about to install new roofs and gutter systems in order to deal with leaks. We will also turn the old unisex restroom (the room directly across from the main kitchen door) into a functional storage area. We will have new landscaping on the berm along the sidewalk, including new irrigation, plants and lighting. After an extensive professional survey over at the parsonage, we have cleaned up and improved about a third of an acre to the east of the carport and will soon be installing a fence along the east and northeast property lines; this improvement will allow additional parking for parsonage activities and also overflow parking for the church when attendance is high.

Just like any construction, there will be inconveniences, but these improvements will lead to greater access, safety and convenience in the long run. All of this is worth it in order to provide a place where we continue to create a community where all are welcome to experience God’s love and invited to consider how life can be more abundant for us and for all people!

In the meantime, thank you for your patience and support of our ministry.

 

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Kahu: August 5th, 2026

The Isoda Room

A Message from Our Kahu

“May Peace Prevail On Earth”

When our new peace pole arrived at the parsonage, I could hardly wait to bring it over to the church and figure out exactly where we would place it in the ground. On the day it was installed, Doug Duvauchelle and Michael Horning were already at the church with Michael’s friend Johnny Zobel, who has been visiting from Germany. They suggested a prominent location under the arbor next to the church bell where it would be visible to everyone entering and exiting the main doors of the sanctuary, the church office, and Moore Hall. The message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth” is written in the four languages that were spoken by Protestant Christians in Koloa when Koloa Union Church was chartered in 1923: English, Hawaiian, Ilocano (a Filipino dialect) and Japanese.

On Sunday, August 2, we dedicated the peace pole with special prayers for peace spoken by church members and friends as we gathered around the pole. There were also prayers for peace sent my members and friends from the mainland, which I read during our prayer time. We enjoyed beautiful music envisioning peace from Doug Duvauchelle and our friend Paula Schultz. We also had special music and a message from my friend, Dr. Terry Liu, who has been involved in the world peace movement since the mid-1980’s, installing and celebrating the installation of peace poles in many places, including the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense.

I now say each morning as I turn on the news, “May peace prevail on Earth.” May we all imagine a vision of a peaceful world and remember that peace begins with each and every one of us. Aloha Nui Loa! Kahu

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

Church News: August 5th, 2026

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!

Church On The Beach

Church on the beach

August 9, 11:00 a.m. (Please note the later time.)

Join us for outdoor worship at the pavilion across from Nukumoi Surf Shop at Poipu Beach Worship at 11:00 a.m. followed by a potluck lunch. Bring something for the potluck lunch, lawn chairs, sunscreen, swimsuits, water flasks and friends.

There will be no worship service at church on this day. County of Kauai guidelines: No plastic utensils No plastic water bottles We will offer water/juice from a water jug See the potluck signup sheet on the church bulletin board.

Stamps For The Wounded

Church on the beach

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 will provide 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!

Youth Event

middle school, High school event

Sundays August 9 & 30, 2026

RSVP to Aunty Tiff by Wednesday before at 808-631-1397

Yard Maintenance

LECTIONARY READINGS

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!

Lectionary Readings

LECTIONARY READINGS

Wednesday, August 12 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. (There will be NO Lectio Divina in July.) Please let either Kahu or Karen Johnson know whenever you plan to attend.

Church Breakfast

Church Breakfast Tuesday, August 25th 8-9:30 a.m.

Breakfast in Koloa Village! Break+Feast Upstairs 5460 Koloa Road Please sign up by the previous Sunday. We need a definite head count for reservations! You may place your order ahead of time. Identify yourself as part of the Koloa Union Church group 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 to be determined each month RSVP on the sign-up sheet or by contacting the church office

Share Your Ideas!

Salvation Army Lunch

Prayers and Squares

Kauai Quilting Class Prayer Meeting Koloa

Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, September 1st, 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.

Eastside Book Group

eastside kauai book club

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.

June Aloha Hour

Aloha Hour

Sunday, September 6th

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!

Salvation Army Lunch

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.

Lectionary Readings

LECTIONARY READINGS
Weekly Readings from the Bible

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 August 9: Genesis 37:1-28; Psalm 105:1-46; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33

Readings for August 16: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133; Isaiah 56:1-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-32; Matthew 15:10-28

Readings for August 23: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

Readings for August 30: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-46; Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

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 News: July 9th, 2026

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!

Peace Polle

Peace Pole

During our worship service on Sunday, August 2, we will pray for peace throughout the world. We will conclude the worship service outside at the bell tower where we will dedicate a new peace pole. The words “May Peace Prevail On Earth” are written on the pole in four languages: English, Hawaiian, Japanese and Ilocano. These are the 4 languages that were spoken by the Protestant Churches in Koloa that eventually became Koloa Union Church when it incorporated in 1923.

Prayers for Peace

Members and friends of the church are invited to write a prayer for peace. Some of the prayers will be read aloud. All will be packaged together and dedicated with our peace pole. Those on the island can pick up an especially designed prayer card on or before August 2. Our mainland friends and shut-ins on our regular mailing list will receive a card in the mail.

Kauai Pride Parade Tshirts

Summer Book Group

Tears of Things Summer book club reading

Wednesdays through August 5 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Parsonage. Dinner will be served at 6 o’clock. Book discussion will begin after dinner. Please sign up on the church bulletin board. Please let Kahu know if you can help with a meal.

Yard Maintenance

LECTIONARY READINGS

Join Julia Every Other Monday! July 13 & 27

Julia will 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 for helping Julia!

Kupuna Connection

LECTIONARY READINGS

Kupuna Connection: Back to Basics Digital Skills Review What We Should Know Tech Questions & Answers

Plus July 15 & 29, 10 a.m.- noon Join us as we get more comfortable with modern technology!! Free raffle prizes for attendees!! Brought to you by the Agency of Elderly Affairs

National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day Sunday, July 19 Join us for ice cream with fun sprinkles and toppings right after Sunday worship. Brought to you by our Social Activities Committee.

Church Breakfast

Church Breakfast Tuesday, July 28 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

Salvation Army Lunch July 29the

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.

June Aloha Hour

Aloha Hour

Sunday,August 2nd

Following the Worship Service & Dedication of the Peace Pole 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!

Prayers and Squares

Kauai Quilting Class Prayer Meeting Koloa

Prayers and Squares – Tuesday, August 4th, 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.

In the last half of 2025, through the generosity of time and skills, Dan Giovanni and Michael Horning built a Prayers & Squares closet in Moore Hall. In January, the sewing team moved their sewing machines, fabric, quilts and supplies into the new closet. We also thank those who gave financial help for this project. 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.

Church On The Beach

Church on the beach

August 9, 11:00 a.m. (Please note the later time.)

Join us for outdoor worship at the pavilion across from Nukumoi Surf Shop at Poipu Beach Worship at 11:00 a.m. followed by a potluck lunch. Bring something for the potluck lunch, lawn chairs, sunscreen, swimsuits, water flasks and friends.

There will be no worship service at church on this day. County of Kauai guidelines: No plastic utensils No plastic water bottles We will offer water/juice from a water jug See the potluck signup sheet on the church bulletin board.

Lectionary Readings

LECTIONARY READINGS

Wednesday, August 12 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. (There will be NO Lectio Divina in July.) Please let either Kahu or Karen Johnson know whenever you plan to attend.

Lectionary Readings

LECTIONARY READINGS
Weekly Readings from the Bible

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 July 12: Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:1-5-112; Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65:1-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-23

Readings for July 19: Genesis 28:10-20; Psalm 139:1-24; Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-43

Readings for July 26: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-46; Psalm 128; 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-52

Readings for August 2: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-15; Isaiah 55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-21; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21

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!

A Message From Kahu: July 9th, 2026

The Isoda Room

A Message from Our Kahu

“A Generous Congregation”

When I stood before my colleagues at Aha Paeaina, the annual gathering of all the United Church of Christ congregations in Hawaii, I received three certificates of recognition on behalf of Koloa Union Church:

  • 5 for 5: This certificate is given to congregations who participated in the past year in all five denominational offerings included in “Our Church’s Wider Mission.” OCWM includes (1) Basic Mission Support, (2) One Great Hour of Sharing, (3) Strengthen the Church, (4) Neighbors in Need, and (5) Christmas Fund.
  • Top Giving Church: This recognition is for the congregations throughout the state of Hawaii that give the most to OCWM.
  • Per Capita Support: This special certificate is for the congregations who are among the top ones who give the most per member.

What a difference we have made not only in our own community but throughout the world! I am so grateful for the generosity of our congregation, which allows us to have such a vital congregation on Kauai and meaningful local outreach on the island, and also support the missions of our denomination and support projects that touch every continent!

Thank you so much for those who make annual financial commitments. Thanks also to those who keep up on your commitments, especially over the summer months when our income historically lessens.

And now, for those of you have some extra dollars in the bank, I want to let you know about some of our current needs. The Church Council has identified 26 projects which they would like to complete this year. Please scroll down and see each of these projects and the estimated cost involved for each one. If you would like to give an “over and above” gift for any of these projects (in part or in full), please contact the church office to see if they are still available.

Thanks so much for your generosity!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu