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Happy thanksgiving! What are YOU thankful for in this season?
We asked a few church members for fun. Hear what they shared!
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THIS SUNDAY
December 1, 2024
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WORSHIP
First Sunday of Advent
Communion
Sermon by Rev. Rushan Sinnaduray
"You Are A Blessing"
7 AM – Atherton Memorial Chapel
9 AM – Sanctuary
View livestream of service
11 AM – Parish Hall
View the worship bulletin
10 AM – Online
Via Zoom or Facebook
Webinar ID: 871 4936 7567; Passcode: cuc
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Live Stream Worship
We have begun to live stream our 9 AM traditional worship service from the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings! If you've ever wanted to know what it's like worshiping in person without having to come to campus, now you can find out!
You can find our live stream worship videos through our website (centralunionchurch.org) or on our YouTube channel. We will continue our 10 AM online worship service through Zoom/Facebook for the time being.
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Christmas Jazz Vespers in the Courtyard | |
Join us for a special Christmas Jazz Vespers on Sunday, December 1, 5:30 PM! The service will have a mix of music, poetry, storytelling, quiet, and prayer for the soul. Come relax and meditate in our cozy chapel courtyard and enjoy some familiar tunes as we begin the Advent (and Christmas) seasons! | | |
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Central Union Windward Ministry
Sunday Worship
10 AM – Windward Sanctuary
Sermon by
Kahu Richard Walenta
"Look Up Raise Your Heads"
Lorna Bright, Worship Musician
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Central Union Pohnpei Ministry
Sunday Worship
9 AM – Sanctuary
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NEWS + ANNOUNCEMENTS + REMINDERS | |
The Church Office is closed today and tomorrow. | |
Thanksgiving Messages from Our Faith Leaders | | |
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"It is possible to give thanks in pain and suffering, and to find ways to be present with each other as we navigate to a brighter hope and a better future.”
–Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ (view video)
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"Let us continue to extend our gratitude beyond words, through acts of kindness and compassion, reflecting the love of Christ and Hawaiian spiritual values in all that we do." –David Popham, Conference Minister, Hawai‘i Conference UCC (read more)
“While circumstances can feel harsh and unending, gratitude finds new ways to express itself.” Give thanks for community, interdependence, the gifts of this life, the gifts of creation that surrounds us… –Pastor Rushan Sinnaduray (view "Thanksgiving" sermon)
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Prepare for Christmas!
Check our Facebook and Instagram to share on social media and help spread the word!
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Sunday begins the season of Advent, the start of the Christian church year. It is a time of active waiting – reflecting on hope, peace, joy, love – and preparing ourselves for the birth of Christ! The theme for our Advent sermon series and devotional is "Words for the Beginning". | | |
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Read Advent Devotional
"Words for the Beginning"
"Read, look, and sing your way through the pages of this devotional. Each week offers art, reflections, poetry, and hymns to give you strength, courage, and grace."
Limited hard copies will be made available at worship services. You may also contact the Church Office or reply to this email to request a hard copy OR receive a link to the online version which can be accessed via computer and mobile devices. (We are not sharing the link here in order to protect the work of the devotional creators, A Sanctified Art.)
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Watch for CUC on TV!
Central Union will be highlighted in a short segment on the KITV 4 Island Life live show on Monday, December 2, between 4-5 PM.
Pastor Rushan and Dr. Alec Schumacker will be sharing briefly about our church and the 75th presentation of Messiah coming up on December 8.
(If you miss it, don't worry, we'll share the clip later!)
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Young(ish) Adults Christmas Jamboree
Those in generations X, Y, and Z are invited to join the Young(ish) Adult ministry for a Christmas jamboree on Friday, December 13, 7-9 PM. Bring a dish to pass, a $20 white elephant gift, and of course, your holiday spirit! We want to welcome baby Jesus in style, so be sure to wear your most intense Christmas outfit – there will be a prize. For more information or to RSVP, email youngish@centralunionchurch.org.
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Christmas Open House
We’re excited to invite you to our CUC Christmas Open House, finally back after a 5-year hiatus! Join us in the Women’s Building on Sunday, December 22, 10-11 AM. Feel free to bring some Christmas cookies to share (finger-food only, no cakes or pies), and the Welcome & Engagement Ministry will provide coffee, juice, and hot cocoa, along with some delicious Christmas
treats. We are hoping to see you and your family there, catch up with friends, and enjoy this whole-church holiday event! We’re going to have a Merry time!
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Give a gift this Christmas!
Help to share joy with others this holiday season by making a monetary donation for our White Gifts project by December 13. Our savvy shoppers will use the funds to purchase gifts based the needs of our partner agencies in the community. Many of these gifts go to adults and youth who are facing injustices and challenging transitions.
The White Gifts story reminds us that all people are valued, and we can all offer something to bless others!
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Poinsettias for Christmas
The Flower Committee will distribute poinsettias to adorn our various worship spaces in time for Christmas! If you’d like to donate and dedicate a poinsettia, please submit your order by Monday, December 16.
You may complete a hard-copy order form (printed in the Sunday worship bulletins) OR you can order online!
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75th Presentation of Messiah
Check our Facebook and Instagram to share on social media and help spread the word!
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Be Transformed this Advent Season! His parents gave him the name Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men, and the angels addressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and Word Made Flesh. In Incarnation: Rediscovering the Significance of Christmas, best-selling author and United Methodist Pastor Adam Hamilton examines the names of Christ used by the Gospel writers, exploring the historical and personal significance of his birth. This Advent season, join us for a 4-session video study to remember what’s important.
In the face of uncertainty and conflict, Christians reclaim the Christ Child who brings us together, heals our hearts, and calls us to bring light into the darkness. Now more than ever, we invite you to reflect upon the significance of the Christ Child for our lives, for our faith and for our world today!
Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:30 PM (December 3, 10, 17)
Thursdays 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (December 5, 12, 19)
There will be separate classes offered in the morning and evening. You are welcome to move between sessions. In registering, you are not registering for a specific session, just indicating that you will be participating in this study.
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CUPS is accepting applications until November 30! | | |
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Share your Estimate of Giving
Thanks to all those who have already submitted their Estimate of Giving Cards! It's not too late to get yours in. Our Estimate of Giving greatly helps our church to plan for the year ahead and live within our means!
You may complete an Estimate of Giving Card online OR fill out a physical card
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Say It with Flowers!
Got a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion coming up? Commemorate it with flowers at a Sunday worship service!
Our Flower Committee creates floral arrangements for our worship spaces each week. You can give flowers in honor of someone with a printed dedication in the worship bulletin.
Email:
flowers@centralunionchurch.org
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Today is many things to many different people – Lā Kūʻokoʻa (Hawaiian Independence Day), Thanksgiving, or "Thankstaking", National Day of Mourning, simply Thursday. Pray for renewed understanding of our histories. May we hold space for all and honor the complexities of our varying experiences.
Give thanks to those who have paved the way for your life, and also commit to passing on to future generations what you have received in abundance. If you are fortunate to eat today, recognize the multiple interrelated sources of your meal – the people, creatures, and systems involved in your nourishment.
As we begin the Advent season, pray that we might maintain HOPE to sustain our work for a better world.
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The Coconut Wireless is a weekly e-newsletter of what is happening in and around the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ. Get word on the latest news, events, learning opportunities, and more. Connect, share news and resources with sister churches. | |
WEEKLY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES | | |
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Readers Needed for Worship!
Worship is one of the heartbeats of our church – it is the work of the whole church community in praising God, hearing God's word to us and responding in faith. One way to help each other in our worship is by reading scripture and other parts of our service. It enhances our experience of worship when we can have different faces and voices leading worship.
If you are willing to read in a worship service, please join our pool of readers! Learn more and sign up by clicking HERE.
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HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?
We welcome relevant news and events to share on the CUC website, e-blast, and/or to post on our bulletin boards. Please submit items to news@centralunionchurch.org by Wednesday to be published in the following days.
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Looking for a venue? Our church's range of facilities can accommodate all kinds of events! By renting out our spaces, we can provide a gathering place for the community and generate revenue for ministry. Learn more about our venues and consider hosting your next event at Central Union. (Members receive a discount!) | |
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Beware of Email Scams!
Scams come in many forms, whether it's someone impersonating a church leader, or a stranger seeming to have a good deal for you on a special product or service. Please be cautious when checking emails! Know that church staff will never ask you to purchase something or give personal information. Often you can identify an email's authenticity by verifying the sender’s email address (CUC staff emails end with @centralunionchurch.org), but it's also possible for scammers to mimic email addresses. So if you receive any strange message at all and are ever in doubt, just delete it, don't reply or click on any links. You may call the church office (808-941-0957) to confirm.
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