A Message From Our Kahu

“I will make a way in the wilderness.” Isaiah 43:19

On Sunday we focused on the passage from Isaiah where God promises to make a way in the wilderness for the Jewish people. It was not always easy for them to see the way. There were times when it was difficult to even believe that a way was possible. Imagine looking at the deep waters of the sea in front of them and the heavily-armed Egyptian army in pursuit just behind them!

Sometimes it is difficult for me to see a way for our nation or even believe that a way exists. It seems that people on the right and those on the left can barely even talk to each other—much less share their dreams and desires for their lives and for future generations—much less work together to solve the great contemporary issues of inflation, homelessness, lack of affordable healthcare, deteriorating international relations, unjust immigration policies, and the destruction of the earth.

The greatest challenge of faith is for us to believe that God will make a way for us even when we don’t see how a way is even possible. The second greatest challenge is for us to walk in that way. It is the way of compassion. It is the way of peace. It is the way of justice. It is the way of truth.

Just like it was possible for the Jewish people to find their way to the Promised Land, it is possible for us to find our way as well. May we be committed to God’s ways, knowing that those ways are always possible.

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“A Perspective on Perception”

On March 2nd we gathered for a meal and then a discussion led by Dan Giovanni, a member of our Church Council and Chair of our Building & Grounds Committee. The purposed of the discussion was to consider how we see ourselves as a church, how others in the community see us, and how we want to be perceived by others. It was a lively and good discussion with lots of ideas and suggestions.

In terms of how we see ourselves, that lines up fairly well with our mission statement, which our congregation approved in 2015:

Our mission is to worship and serve God, whom we understand as Creator, Christ and Spirit; embrace our Hawaiian identity, language, and culture; invite and welcome others into our faith community; nurture all with God’s unconditional love; and reach out into the broader community by sharing aloha with everyone.

We also talked about the important step in becoming an official “Open & Affirming” (ONA) Congregation of the United Church of Christ. That involved voting on an ONA Covenant, which our congregation did in 2019, and then submitting it to the United Church of Christ. It was an important step in taking a stand in affirming that we are a church which affirms, welcomes and invites people of every gender identity, sexual orientation, relationship and familial status, immigration status, political party and cause, socio-economic status, religious background and faith tradition, physical and mental ability, ethnicity, age and culture.

Although, members and individuals who attend our church may focus on various aspects of our mission statement and ONA Covenant, as well as some other perceptions, the general feeling I got from listening is that most of us who participated think we can do a better job in getting our concepts of identity and mission out into the community. There are some people who see us very differently than who we are and what we are all about. There are also people who don’t know we are even here. My strong belief is that people would find our church very attractive if they had a clearer understanding of what we actually look like. The most effective way is to invite people to church and let them see this for themselves.

Our Church Council will also be considering ways we can let people on Kauai know who we are and what we stand for. This will likely involve better use of social media, signage, public service announcements, symbols, and logos. We welcome further discussion and will keep the congregation informed as we move forward.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the initial discussion and also for your further thoughts and ideas!

Aloha Nui Loa!

Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“Growing Together in Love“

At our Annual Congregational meeting on February 2, we voted on a new vision statement for our church, which will help us focus on our most important goals during the next three years. An important part of our vision is growth. There are many ways which churches grow: numbers of members, numbers of participants, opportunities for faith formation and education, ministries to the community, and more. I invite you to think about the ways YOU can help our church grow.

In over 40 years of congregational ministry and consulting communities of faith, I’ve noticed that churches are either growing or shrinking. One thing is for certain: they are constantly changing! My hope is that our changes will always be in line with God’s plans for us and for the world—where compassion, peace and justice will be part of all of our decisions.

Most importantly, may we grow together in love. May love guide our decisions. May love guide our actions. May love guide our ministry.

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“A New Year, A New Vision”

2024 has been a great year in the life of our church, and I am anticipating 2025 to be even better! When I think of all of the lives we have touched and all of the projects we have accomplished last year, I am full of gratitude for all of the members and friends of the church. So many people have been blessed by our worship services, our prayers (and prayer quilts!), our compassionate outreach to people who are struggling financially, and our welcoming fellowship. We have such a great group of young people who are active in our worship services and our church’s outreach. We have built a modern (and larger!) kitchen, have fully restored the east wall of the sanctuary by replacing all of the windows and wooden structure around them, and have built a sound-proof wall between Moore Hall and the Isoda Room (my office and the Sunday school classroom).

Most of you have seen our new vision for the next three years, which we will adopt at our Annual Meeting on February 2. Part of that vision is to enhance Christian Education for all ages, and the Church Council has already expanded Tiffany Marrotte’s job description from Youth Director to Christian Education Director. This is a very important decision as we consider the many ways that we learn and grow in our faith through every phase of life. I know that Tiffany is creating a survey specifically to hear from the adults of the church about your needs and desires in this area. Please let Tiffany know your thoughts.

Our first Aloha Hour meal with our new kitchen will be (hopefully) on Sunday, February 2, after the Annual Meeting and the blessing of the kitchen. At this point we plan to have an Aloha Hour meal once a month. If there is interest (and volunteers!) we can do this more often.

Another significant part of our vision is to attract more people. We know we have a wonderful church community and inspiring worship services, and so we want to let more people know about us! We will be focussing more on social media and public service announcements to inform the community about some of our special events. However, the best way to attract new people is by YOU inviting them—and so I hope you will start thinking about people you know who might love attending a worship service, an outreach project, a class, or just something we do for fun!

I am looking forward to a very special celebration on February 2nd and hope to see you there. I also hope you’ll bring someone with you!

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“Celebrating the Light”

2024 so far has been a year of conflict. Nations are at war. Our own nation experienced a hostile presidential campaign. Family members can barely speak to one another from different political parties and ideologies. On top of all that, some of us have experienced immense disappointment, loss, grief and even trauma.

And yet, the light shines! The stars still shine at night and the closest one, our sun, shines during the day. We may not like the politics of our day and are anxious over the politics to come, but there are always people letting their light shine through truth telling, advocating for justice, and acting with kindness and compassion.

As we enter into the season of Advent, we are especially mindful of the light. In fact, it’s a time to celebrate the light. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he entered a world of conflict. There were people constantly trying to stomp out the light. Herod the Great was in power and he stopped at nothing to retain his power for himself and his family. Yet, as hard as he tried, he simply could not extinguish the light of God’s love.

Each of us has that very same light within us, for God’s Spirit lives in our hearts. In fact, we are the light of Christ! During this days leading up to Christmas, may we allow the light to shine brightly. May it touch every dark corner within us and around us. Let us keep sharing the light of God’s love

Aloha Nui Loa!
Kahu

A Message From Our Kahu

“Our Vision”

Thank you to everyone who participated in creating the draft of our Vision! Most of our leaders attended an all-day retreat in September. A couple dozen people (including some of our teenagers) wrote a phrase on our Vision Board (above). Four volunteers spoke in church in October about their dreams for the church. A handful of people have spoken directly to me. It all began with the question: “What do you believe God is leading us to be and do during the next 3 years?” Out of that question came the draft vision that is printed below.

As promised, we are including it in this Newsletter. Since this document will guide our ministry, our decisions, our budgets through 2027, please take a careful look and offer any feedback you may have during the next few weeks. You can do this by talking directly to me or anyone on the Church Council. In December, the Church Council will take another look at the draft and then present it to the Congregation at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 26. In January and February, we will create and expand teams / committees in order to fulfill each part of our vision; so start thinking about an area where you would like to devote some time.

Remember: this is our vision, your voice matters, and your involvement is important!

Aloha Nui Loa!

Kahu

Vision Statement

2025-2027

(DRAFT)

Kōloa Union Church is known throughout the island for our

mission and vision, especially our aloha for people of all backgrounds

and our commitment to stand alongside those on the margins of society,

cooperating with other churches and not-for-profit organizations on the island.

A social media task force has put together a plan to assure that these things

are clearly visible before the congregation and throughout the community.

A social media expert keeps our vision and activities in the spotlight.

Our sanctuary is filled on Sundays,

overflowing into Moore Hall and the patio.

We have a thriving music and performing arts ministry.

Vocalists, instrumentalists and ensembles of all ages perform

traditional, contemporary and Hawaiian music in worship services.

Dancers and other performing artists regularly participate as well.

We also have programs throughout the year where we

invite people on the island to enjoy the talent of

our congregation and our friends.

We have a clear plan in place to build an attractive,

useful, safe and accessible space to the west of the kitchen.

A large covering with lighting and fans allows people to comfortably

eat, play, socialize, and hear what’s happening in the sanctuary.

The area is beautifully landscaped with a nice “outdoor” feel.

There is storage for tables, chairs, and other items.

There is a nice area where children safely play.

We have a thriving educational ministry for all ages.

Our Christian Education Director and committee assure that we

are meeting the educational and spiritual needs of our congregation,

and inviting members of the community to enjoy this ministry.

There is a notable increase in the number of children and

teenagers participating in opportunities for spiritual

and educational growth in a positive and

healthy social environment.

Our stewardship of time, talent and treasures has increased

so that our members and friends volunteer in such meaningful ways that

we have greatly expanded our ministries and fully support them financially.

We do not need draw from our reserve funds to cover our budgeted expenses. 

We have a plan in place to build one or more additional dwelling units on

the property located to the east of the Smith Memorial Parsonage—

in order to provide income for the church and assist

with the housing shortage on the island.