E Komo Mai! (Welcome!) to Koloa Union Church
We are followers of Jesus with a distinctly Hawaiian identity. Some of us are descendants of the native people of these islands and we celebrate with the language and customs of our ancestors. As an inclusive community of faith, reflecting the diversity of the people of Hawai‘i, we respect all cultures and backgrounds.
Our mission is to embrace, enhance and nurture God’s diverse and unique faith community, all to the glory of God.
Whoever you are and wherever you have been on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
Church Location:
3289 Poipu Road, Koloa, HI
We are located in the heart of Koloa on Poipu Road between Old Koloa Town and Koloa School and Library. As you are driving along Poipu Road, you’ll see our church set back from the road between the large monkey pod trees. It is a lava rock church with a large white cross in the window. Parking is available in the front and south side of the church.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 536, Koloa, HI 96756
Directions from Old Koloa Town:
From Koloa Road, turn onto Poipu Road by the Texaco Gas Station. As you drive on Poipu Road, look to your right in about a block and a half.
Directions from Kukuiula (The roundabout where Poipu Road runs into the Shops at Kukuiula):
Exit the roundabout onto Poipu Road towards Old Koloa Town. As you drive on Poipu Road, look to your left just past Koloa School and Library (& Snorkel Bob’s).
Phone: 808-742-6622
Alan Akana Gallery
Koloa Union Church hosts a gallery featuring the works of Kahu (Pastor) Alan Akana. The gallery is just around the corner from the church at 3281 Waikomo Road in the historic Smith Memorial Parsonage, a beautiful building on the grounds formerly owned by Congregationalist missionaries. Proceeds from sales at the gallery support the maintenance, upgrades and repairs of the parsonage. Dr. Akana has been watercoloring the flowers of Hawaii since 1993 and features his work of nearly a quarter of a century. Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. See www.alanakanagallery.com to learn more about the gallery and Dr. Akana’s art.
A Message from Kahu Alan Akana
Gratitude and Politics
On Sunday, I told the congregation about the final section of Diana Butler Bass’ book, Gratitude: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks. It focused on gratitude, community and politics. I get the connection between gratitude and community; that totally makes sense to me; but gratitude and politics? Those aren’t two themes that often go together in my mind. Diana’s book was helpful in understanding the importance of bringing those two things together. However, it was Jon Meacham’s book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, that really helped me to see the significant role that gratitude can have in the midst of politics—even if those politics seem far from what we want or imagine the world to be.
Meacham points to many dark times in our nation’s history and refers to certain Presidents, Governors, Senators, members of Congress, and others who said and wrote some of the most surprisingly hateful and intolerant things about African-Americans, Asians, Jews, Eastern & Southern Europeans. He names those elected leaders who owned slaves, those who ordered the massacre of Native Americans by the thousands, those who imprisoned innocent people, including over a hundred thousand Americans of Japanese ancestry during WWII. He also writes about those who would build great walls to keep immigrants out of our country, such as Georgia Governor Clifford Walker who said these words to the KKK in 1924:
I would build a wall of steel, a wall as high as heaven, against the admission of a single one of those Southern Europeans who never thought the thoughts or spoke the language of a democracy in their lives.
Meacham never gives thanks for the intolerance and hateful acts, but points out that there are always people who condemn them, that such times have always been survivable and they actually make us stronger and more accepting in the end. In other words, after the times of darkness, there is more light than there was before; and this leads us to gratitude.
Our Gospel reading on Sunday was from John, chapter 10, where Jesus came to offer lives of abundance. I pointed out that people can be grateful for both the abundance and Jesus’ vision of sharing the abundance with everyone. May we all be grateful that there is more than enough on the Earth for everyone and that a vision for sharing it with others is possible and actually happening throughout the world.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his message from this past Sunday. You may see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see many of his past messages and subscribe in order be notified when a new message is posted. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. Please feel free to “Like” any of the videos you see and share them on social media, such as Facebook, so that others will notice them.
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
Weekly News of the Church
Pastor Appreciation Sunday
PASTOR APPRECIATION SUNDAY We surprised Kahu on Sunday with an array of beautiful floral lei, flowers, and many kind words of appreciation. Kahu’s response: “I feel very, very appreciated!”
WAINEKE WORK DAYS Beginning around 9 a.m. on October 20, volunteers from the Kaua`i Association, UCC, will be cleaning the grounds and cabins and do some minor repairs. These are “our” cabins, belonging to the KAUCC. We, as members and friends, have access to rent and utilize these two cabins throughout the year. Our youth, members, leaders, friends have taken advantage of this beautiful site. A couple times each year we ask for volunteers to help clean the inside and outside of Waineke. If you go up on Friday, October 19, you may stay overnight and food will be provided. If you can, bring a bucket, rags, sponges, gloves and any cleaning products you may have.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING The Church Council has called a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, October 21, after the worship service in order to:
- Vote on a new Vision Statement for the church. Please click HERE to see the draft of the Vision Statement. You are asked to make suggestions to Kahu or any Council member by this Sunday.
- Vote on whether our church should participate in the process of becoming an “Open and Affirming Congregation” and electing a “Core Team” to lead the process
Please plan to attend so that we can have a quorum on that day.
THE LATEST COCONUT WIRELESS The Hawai`i Conference of the United Church of Christ shares news on the Coconut Wireless, the regular newsletter of the HCUCC. If you would like to keep abreast on news, opportunities and events, please click HERE for the latest news. If you like what you see, you may subscribe and get every issue of the Coconut Wireless automatically and get the very latest news hot off the press.
LECTIONARY READINGS (Old & New Testament Readings for the Week) 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 of them on the following Sunday. This week’s readings are Job 38:1-41; Psalm 104:1-35; Hebrew 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45.
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COMING UP. . . .
CHURCH BREAKFAST Tuesday, October 23, 7:30 a.m. Kalapaki Joe’s Poipu. Everyone is invited, bring a friend. Please contact Michael Horning (408-234-2447) if you plan to attend.
SALVATION ARMY LUNCH We will be serving lunch at the Hanapepe Salvation Army on Wednesday, October 31. We need 4-5 volunteers. You can meet at the church at 9:30 a.m. if anyone wants to carpool or meet at the Salvation Army around 10 a.m. Please contact Suzanne Pearson if you want to participate: 742-2858.
`AHA MOKUPUNI Churches in the Kaua`i Association will gather for the Fall `Aha Mokupuni on Sunday, November 4, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hanapepe Hawaiian Congregational Church (3815 Hanapepe Road, Hanapepe). More information will be provided at a later date.
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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!