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?

A Message From Our Kahu

“Looking Ahead”

Every year brings new changes—and 2023 is no different! In fact, new changes at Koloa Union Church are already happening…and there are more changes down the road. One of the things I am most excited about are the opportunities for growth. A healthy church is a growing church, and a growing church brings in new ideas and new energy! As you learn about the changes that are happening in the days ahead of us, please think about the opportunities for you to invite friends and neighbors to our wonderful church!

• Easter Picnic: After 3 years of no gathering together for meals, we will be having our first Easter picnic since 2019! Be sure to join us on April 9 for an inspiring worship service at the church and then gather afterwards at the parsonage for some great food!
• Church on the Beach: We will gather at the large pavilion at Poipu Beach across from Nukumoi Surf Shop for an informal and fun worship service at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 30! We’ll have more details in the April Newsletter.
• Church Kitchen: We will begin demolition soon and plan to have a brand new church kitchen by the end of summer. We have applied for a grant and have been receiving some large donations from generous donors to cover most of the costs. If we still need to raise some money to complete the project, we will be letting you know about opportunities for giving later in the spring.
• Centennial Celebration: Koloa Union Church will be the GRAND MARSHAL in this year’s Koloa Plantation Days Parade on Saturday, July 29! We hope to have a HUGE turnout of members and friends to walk and ride in the parade with us this year. We are planning a delicious and fun-filled luncheon after church on Sunday, July 30.
• New Patio Roof: We have been talking about covering the patio area to the west of the church kitchen for a number of years now, and we have some great plans in store for that space! Since we are focussing on our new kitchen and Centennial in 2023, you’ll be hearing all about our patio plans in 2024.
• The Loosening of Pandemic Restrictions: As we learn more about coronavirus and how to protect ourselves from infection and serious illness, we continue to loosen restrictions. Be sure to read about our new guidelines below.

Thank you so much for making all of these things possible through your prayers, involvement and gifts. Because of our wonderful and gifted leaders, members and friends, I see a very bright future for our beloved church!

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?

A Message From Our Kahu

“Welcoming Our Centennial Year!”

“Kia Ora!” is how people greet one another in New Zealand. It’s their way of saying “good morning,” “hello,” and “farewell.” It is also a phrase used to express appreciation or blessing.

After just returning from the land of the kiwi, I am filled with appreciation in countless ways:

• For over a week and a half hiking in some of the most beautiful places on earth, such as Tikitapu (Blue Lake) high in the mountains of the North Island (in the photo above)
• For the stunning and rugged coastline of NZ
• For the abundance of waterfalls
• For the beautiful and interesting birds everywhere I traveled
• For time spent with my colleague in ministry, John Carr, his wife Abigail, and their two sons Hosea and Moses
• For learning about Maori culture, language and art
• For the opportunity to visit two new botanical gardens
• For coming home to a loving and affirming church family

As the season of Lent approaches—beginning one week from today on Ash Wednesday—we typically spend time in the Christian Church in reflection. We usually reflect on God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice, on the important words of Jesus and especially on those during his final week of his life on earth, and on our mortality and hope in the afterlife.

I would also invite you this Lent to reflect on appreciation. Consider the following questions:

• What are some things in life you really appreciate?
• Who is someone to whom you might express appreciation?
• How might you live in such a way that your life is an expression of appreciation to God for your blessings?

As you reflect on appreciation during these days leading up to Easter Sunday, please know how much I appreciate each and every one of you!

Kia Ora!
Kahu Alan Akana

A Message From Our Kahu

“Welcoming Our Centennial Year!”

On Sunday, I challenged the congregation to consider Jesus’ call for his followers to change their hearts and minds. That is the true meaning of repentance. It might involve ending hurtful behavior (or even less helpful behavior), but repentance goes much deeper than that. At least, it did for Jesus. It’s really all about facing God and looking at God as God is; and whenever we are not doing that, it means turning in that direction. This call is not just for individuals but for communities of faith and even nations.

As Koloa Union Church begins its Centennial Year, I am imagining a time for us to celebrate all of those faithful members of the past who have faced God and continued to turn toward God whenever they were tempted to look away—however slightly the turning may have been. They are our examples and continue to be part of who we are today.

As we begin this year of celebrating our past, we also consider the present and know that who we are today will impact who the Church will be in the future. One major focus for the year will be the remodeling of our church kitchen. You will soon be hearing a lot more about this, see the renderings from our architect, and hear about how you can support this space that needs some serious updating for the 21st century.

I also encourage you to mark July 29 & 30 on your calendar right now. On the 29th Koloa Union Church will be the Grand Marshal of the Koloa Plantation Days Parade, and on the 30th we will have grand celebration during our morning worship service, followed by a delicious meal with live entertainment.

I would also invite you to consider doing three things this year for the health and vitality of our church:

1. Invite someone to church. It might be someone who has never been here before or perhaps a person who attended a long time ago. One of the top reasons someone attends church is because someone invited them.
2. Look around for new people who have been attending and invite them to something. It could be a church breakfast, another activity, or a meal at your home. People are more likely to continue attending if they feel connected to others.
3. Consider participating in one new spiritual practice this year so that you can see God more clearly as God really is. It might be attending Lectio Divina, which is held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month; maybe devoting 5 additional minutes of your day to pray; perhaps reading the Bible for 10 minutes a day or finding a daily devotional guide that suits you.

Thank you for all the ways you already take care of yourself and those around you. My prayer for each of you is that 2023 will be a year in which you see God more clearly, feel God’s love more deeply, and share God’s love more generously!

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

A Message From Our Kahu

“Are You Ready for Christmas?”

People often ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?” That’s kind of a tricky question to answer during this rather busy time of the year! We rarely feel ready when we measure “readiness” in terms of all of the extra tasks we take on during this time of the year—as fun as they may be.

For me, being ready for Christmas primarily means being able to see however God shows up in my life and all around me—even when God appears in disguise. When Jesus was born, most people would never have guessed that God would come to the world in the form of a poor, helpless baby to parents who didn’t have a bed for themselves or a crib for their newborn child.

Today, God continues to show up incognito—as a person who challenges our perceptions and tests our patience…as an opportunity to love someone in brand new way…as an invitation to try something new and life-giving…as a “disappointment” that helps us to focus on something we never even noticed before.

When “readiness” is defined in these terms, I think I am ready, yet I continue to learn to be more ready with each passing year. I pray that you too will be ready for Christmas…and continue to learn to be even more ready!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana

A Message From Our Kahu

“Just Enough Hope”

“Your prayer has been heard.” —Luke 1:13—

I am pretty sure there are times in all of our lives when we wish we had more hope. As I read the story of Zechariah in Luke’s Gospel to prepare for Sunday’s message, it occurred to me that we usually have enough hope—sometimes just enough.

I doubt if Zechariah had much hope at all in having children by the time the angel Gabriel came to him to let him know that his prayer had been heard by God. He was praying for a son, even though he was an old man and his wife Elizabeth was an old woman. They were much too old and way past the age to bear children. Nevertheless, he had enough hope to pray…and barely enough hope to trust in the words of Gabriel.

There is a lesson there, I believe, for all of us. We have enough hope to pray and to keep moving forward in the direction of our prayers. May the Season of Advent increase your hope. More important, may you have the faith and courage to act on your hope—regardless of how great or small it may be.

Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana