A Message From Our Kahu

Study Leave in Illinois

After visiting family in California for a couple of days in early August, I spent two weeks in Illinois on study leave with friends, Cathy, Barbara and Kitten. We began in Chicago, learning about the history, culture and art of the largest city in the midwest. We participated in several tours, which covered art, architecture, culture and history—beginning with a private tour of the Art Institute of Chicago. One of the interesting things I learned was that the very first Parliament of the World’s Religions took place in the Institute’s main building on September 11, 1893. I then spent an entire week at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions. I shared some of my thoughts about both of those events on Sunday morning in church.

You can click HERE to see the short and impactful speech of Swami Vivekananda at that gathering and click HERE to watch my message on video if you missed church on Sunday. (Note, we have had technical difficulties uploading the video this week, but it should be there any time now.)

We then drove to central Illinois to the Allerton Park and Retreat Center, where Robert and John Allerton designed and created a majestic mansion, formal gardens and forest trails. After a brief stop in the town of Arthur, home to one of the largest Amish communities, we drove to Springfield to learn all about Abraham Lincoln, his life and legacy, which included a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Lincoln Home (National Historic Site). After Illinois, Cathy and I said “goodbye” to Barbara and Kitten and flew to Quebec City where we learned about the history and culture of French-speaking Canada, including the life and history of the Indigenous people of the region.

I look forward in the coming weeks to continue sharing with you on Sunday mornings about my experiences during this time of learning and reflection!

Oh, and before flying home, I spent some time with my son Palani and daughter-in-law Isobel at their new home in New York City. Palani has begun his “Frontiers in Science” fellowship at Columbia University where he will be lecturing and continuing post-doctoral research in ecology. Isobel is also teaching ecology at Baruch College in NYC!

I hope to see you soon!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“A Successful Centennial Weekend!”

Our participation in Koloa Plantation Days and our Centennial celebration at the church last week was one of the highlights of all my years in ministry. Our parade entry was by far the best we have ever had! Our celebration on Sunday, consisting of a proclamation by the mayor, stories, photos, a slideshow, decorations, and delicious food, was fantastic! To be connected to the past 100 years of our church is truly an honor! I continue to be inspired by the rich history and the ongoing ministry of this congregation.

I am especially grateful to our Centennial Committee. Jeanie Odo (Chair), Penny Osuga, Penny Jessup, and JoAnne Machin (our honorary member), have served with me on this committee for over two and half years, and all of their work certainly paid off during our celebration! Michael Horning did an amazing job designing and building our float. Jeanette Bonilla’s brother Dennis was so generous to drive our former pastors, Nani Hill and John Lunn, in his beautiful 1930 Ford Model-A sedan in the parade. Finally, I am thankful for the many members, past and present, who helped to make the weekend so special and who continue to make our church such a special congregation!

Mahalo nui loa for continuing to make Koloa Union Church the loving, supportive community of faith that makes such a difference on the island and throughout the world!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“Our Centennial”

It is truly an honor to be serving as Kahu during the centennial year of Koloa Union Church! This community of faith has such a rich and fascinating history, with a presence dating back to 1835 when the first Protestant congregation of mostly Hawaiians was founded, eventually becoming four distinct congregations based upon language and culture, and then having three of them unite together in 1923 to become a strong and important presence on the south shore of Kauai.

I am especially grateful to our Centennial Committee. Jeanie Odo (Chair), Penny Osuga and Penny Jessup have served with me on this committee for 3 years! Special thanks to JoAnne Machin, our honorary member, who spent countless hours going through files and researching church records and information. Finally, I am thankful for the many members, past and present, who have made this such a special congregation!

As we celebrate during the final week of this month, I hope you will join us in helping with the Koloa Plantation Days reception at the Smith Memorial Parsonage on Monday, July 24; participating in the Koloa Plantation Days Parade on Saturday, July 29; and celebrating with us in church and at our Centennial Celebration Luncheon on Sunday, July 30! If you can’t be with us in person, I know you’ll be with us in spirit. We will be including the week’s events in our Centennial photo book, which will be available in the fall.

Mahalo nui loa for continuing to make Koloa Union Church the loving, supportive community of faith that makes such a difference on the island and throughout the world!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu Alan Akan

A Message From Our Kahu

“Vision Update”

Every few years since 2014, our church leaders meet together in a retreat setting to give thanks for what has happened among us and to consider how God might be leading us into a vision for the future. Each time we have gathered, most of our Council members and Deacons attend, as well as other interested members of the church. By the end of the retreat, we set priorities and goals for the coming years and communicate them with the Congregation. In the past, this process has led us to our successful capital campaign—which allowed us to give a major facelift to our property and sanctuary—as well as becoming an official “Open & Affirming” congregation of the United Church of Christ, hiring a Youth Director, and significantly increasing our financial offerings to the church.

According to our most recent vision statement, “In December 2022…we have finalized plans for a certified kitchen that serves people in Moore Hall and in the patio area.” In the fall of 2022, Dan Giovanni, our Building and Grounds Chair, presented to the Council drawings made by the local architectural firm Palms Hawaii Architecture, along with estimated costs for the project ($90,000) and a timeline. I got busy putting a plan together to raise the money without having another major capital campaign.

Penny Jessup agreed to write a grant proposal for $40,000 from the Vidinha Family Trust. We were notified last week that the full amount has been awarded to us and the check is now in the bank! I am so grateful to Penny J. for her devotion to the church and all of the “behind the scenes” work she does for us on a regular basis! The remaining $50,000 has also been raised by a small handful of very generous members and friends of the church. I am once again so grateful (and, frankly, overwhelmed) by the generosity of the people of our church.

Dan will once again oversee the project: working with the architect and contractors, making sure permits are approved with the County of Kauai, approving bills to be paid on time, and communicating with the Congregation. It’s hard to imagine what we would do without Dan! Be sure to scroll down just a bit and see the drawings done by Palms Hawaii, as well as some of the details about the project.

In case you are wondering, our next major project of our vision after the kitchen is completed will be creating “an attractive, peaceful, safe and useful space on the west end of our property.” That’s the patio area just to the west of the church office and kitchen. We will be talking more about this toward the end of the year and getting input from the Congregation before moving forward.

In the meantime, I want you to know how grateful I am for the generosity of members and friends of the church who not only make projects like our kitchen possible but who also give faithfully throughout the year to keep our church’s vision and mission alive and well!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu Alan Akan

A Message From Our Kahu

“The Holy Spirit Is Among Us”

May 28 is Pentecost Sunday! It is the day on which we celebrate the Holy Spirit among us. One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is fire, which can be used either for purposes that are empowering or destructive. The Book of Acts makes it clear that God’s desire for us is to use our faith and our words to empower not only people but entire communities. When God’s Spirit descended upon the disciples as “tongues of fire,” they began telling people from all over the world what God was up to—not only in their lives but in the entire world. On that day some 3,000 decided to follow the way of Jesus! Pentecost reminds us of the unexpected possibilities when we use our faith and our words to build one another up.

On Pentecost Sunday, let us gather together and celebrate the Holy Spirit among us! Let us invite friends and family members to come and hear how our faith and our words can make a huge difference in the world! Let us give thanks that God’s Spirit is always with us! Aloha Nui Loa! Kahu Alan Akana

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

RED on PENTECOST

Red on Pentecost reminds us that our lives are set aflame with divine love!
The color of Pentecost is RED.
Our deacons will decorate the sanctuary in RED.
You are invited to wear something RED.

STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH

“On Holy Ground”

Each year on Pentecost we collect the “Strengthen the Church” offering, which is one of the annual offerings of the United Church of Christ. You can give by placing a donation in the envelope provided in your bulletin on Pentecost Sunday, by sending a check to the church office, or by giving online (with “Strengthen the Church” or “STC” on the note section of your check or the “Comment” box on our donation page).

“Strengthen the Church” supports the expansion of ministry and growth of the local UCC congregations, helps create a just world for all by investing in new ministries. Your gifts will plant new churches, awaken new ideas in existing churches, develop the spiritual life in our youth and young adults.

Thank you for giving generously!

A Message From Our Kahu

“The Season of Easter”

The Season of Easter begins on Easter Sunday—and lasts until Pentecost Sunday, which lands on May 28 this year. When I read the resurrection accounts in the Gospels, I am not surprised that we need more than a day for the resurrection to sink in and settle in our hearts and minds. After all, Luke tells us that the disciples didn’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead even while he stood there among them showing them his hands and feet—and these were people who spent years with him!

Faith takes time. Allowing faith to change us takes time as well. I am reminded during the Easter Season to pay attention to the most important things in life—things like hope, wonder, faith, and anticipation that somehow, some way, there is always the possibility of life after death. These aren’t the kinds of things that happen suddenly with snap of a finger…or the waving of a magic wand…or even deeply felt prayers. It usually takes time for such things to cultivate and to blossom in our lives like the flowers which bloom in the springtime after a long, cold winter.

During the Season of Easter, I invite you to consider ways which faith might bloom in your life, how it might gradually change you, how it might even make life more joyful and meaningful. I trust that your participation in the life and worship of Koloa Union Church would be part of that transformation. I also encourage you to invite someone who might be especially blessed by being part of our community of faith.

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

Will you consider inviting a friend or two to a
worship service or church activity during the next month?