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THIS SUNDAY
December 7, 2025
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WORSHIP
Second Sunday of Advent
PEACE
7 AM: Atherton Memorial Chapel
9 AM: Sanctuary
View live/later on YouTube
11 AM: Parish Hall
View the worship bulletin
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Join us for Advent, a season of waiting, watching, and preparing for Christ’s coming. Whether you join us in person, online, or in spirit, your presence matters. This year's theme is “What Do You Fear?: Insisting on Hope This Advent.” Christ was born into a world marked by fear—oppression, economic disparity, and uncertainty—not unlike our world today. And yet, in that fearful world, angels appeared with a startling refrain: “Do not be afraid.”
This Advent, we will listen closely to the angels’ voices and to the cries of our own hearts. We will name the fears that haunt us, but we will not stop there. Together, we will insist on hope—the gritty, resilient hope that Christ brings. A hope that does not deny the darkness but shines all the brighter within it.
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CHILDREN & YOUTH
Nursery
A staffed Nursery is available during the 9 & 11 AM worship services.
Children, from birth through 3 years old, may be left in the Nursery with our caregivers during the service.
Sunday School
We offer a Sunday School program for children, ages 3 through 5th grade, during the 9 & 11 AM worship services. Children participate in the first part of the service and will leave for Sunday School following the Time for Keiki.
Contact: cayanna-herrera@centralunionchurch.org
Youth Group
We offer Youth Group for young people in grades 6-12. This week, the Youth will meet from 12-4 PM to see the movie Wicked: For Good at Ward theater.
Contact: melissa-thach@centralunionchurch.org
| | Music events happening this Sunday | | FREE concert by O'ahu Choral Society on December 7 at 4 PM in the Sanctuary. | | Christmas Jazz Vespers in the Courtyard on December 7 at 6 PM. Come early for refreshments and fellowship starting at 5:30! | | | | |
Central Union Windward Ministry
Sunday Worship
10 AM – Sanctuary
Sermon by Melissa Thach
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Central Union Pohnpei Ministry
Sunday Worship
9 AM – Sanctuary
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"What do you fear?
Insisting on hope this Advent"
This Advent devotional offers art, reflections, poetry, and hymns to give you hope in a fearful world. We'd love for you to use this beautiful devotional!
If you'd like a hard copy, you can pick one up at a worship service or contact the Church Office to request a hard copy for pickup or to receive the link to access the online digital version via computer/mobile devices. (We are not sharing the link online in order to protect the work of the devotional creators, A Sanctified Art.)
| | NEWS + ANNOUNCEMENTS + REMINDERS | | |
CUC Food Pantry
Share what you can! Take what you need! We have neighbors who are facing food insecurity all year round and they may be closer than we think. The CUC Food Pantry cart will be out at each worship service starting this Sunday. All are invited to bring a non-perishable, shelf-stable food item to fill the cart (pull tops preferred), then help to keep it filled going forward. If you are in need of an item or two, you are welcome to take from what's available. The cart will also be accessible throughout the week for anyone who might come to the Church Office in need of some food. This is an opportunity to share from our abundance and directly meet people's needs by allowing them to take what they need, when they need it. If you are interested in helping with the Food Pantry cart beyond contributing goods, please let us know by replying to this email (cuc@centralunionchurch.org).
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Order CUC Shirts
Need a no-brainer outfit for coming to church? Wanna wear CUC on your heart? We're doing another round of shirt orders. The Dri Fit, polo shirts with the CUC "Love Never Faileth" logo are available in sizes XS to 4XL, in 7 different colors. Order by December 12! Our group order will be placed once we have a minimum of 12 shirts. Download and complete the digital form (math done for you!), OR print the order form to fill out, OR find an order form in the Sunday worship bulletins.
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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 15.
You may complete a hard-copy order form (printed in the Sunday worship bulletins) OR you can order online!
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Donate for White Gifts
Help to share joy with others this holiday season by making a monetary donation to our White Gifts project by December 19. Our savvy shoppers will use the funds to purchase gifts based on 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.
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Get Your Greens!
You can buy your Christmas trees, wreaths, door charms, and things right on our Honolulu church campus through Habilitat's annual fundraiser. All proceeds go to their programs to guide and empower individuals to make positive choices in their own lives. Starting tomorrow, they will be open daily (weekdays from 11 AM–9 PM; weekends from 9 AM–9 PM) until they sell out (likely in mid December). Check their website for prices, online orders, and other pickup locations.
| | Save the date! Christmas Open House | | | | |
Attend Advent Study
Join Pastor Rushan for this Advent study which will invite us to name our fears, examine how fear operates in our lives and communities, and discover how God is breaking in with good news. Together, we’ll explore how fear can be transformed into love and action, and how insisting on hope—even trembling hope—can be a powerful spiritual practice. There are morning (Thursday) and evening (Tuesday) options each week. Come when you can!
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Release Rogerio
We continue to pray for our dear community members Cheryl and Rogerio who are feeling the weight of inhumane immigration policies. Rogerio is still being detained in Honolulu and Cheryl is working with an attorney to keep Rogerio in Hawai‘i based on her needs as a U.S. citizen with permanent disabilities and Rogerio's role as husband and caregiver. If you're on Facebook, you can follow the page "Release Rogerio" for updates. If you missed it, view the pastoral letter from November 5.
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Sing for the Season!
Sing in the Chancel Choir for our Christmas services on December 21 and 24! The second rehearsal is on December 18, 6:30-7:30 PM, in the Music Building. Contact our Director of Choirs with any questions: sarah-young@centralunionchurch.org.
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Windward Cottage for Rent
The cottage at our Windward church campus has been newly renovated in anticipation of a new associate minister. In the meantime until someone is hired, we are hoping to rent out the cottage. It will likely be available for about 3-6 months. If you know of anyone needing a place for that term, check out the listing!
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Learn to Play ‘Ukulele
Beginner ‘ukulele players from keiki to kūpuna are welcome to come and learn from Wade Cambern who is freely sharing his love of music through teaching ‘ukulele. Bring your own ‘ukulele and come learn to play or get some beginner tips on Sundays from 1-2 PM in the Women's Building.
Feel free to contact the Church Office to confirm whether the group will be meeting on a particular Sunday.
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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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Church Council
Next meeting: December 4
The last Council meeting for 2025 will be on December 4 at 5:00 PM in the Rewick Board Room in the Admin Building. These regular monthly Council meetings are open to all Church members who wish to attend as an observer. In 2026, Council meetings will be held on the 4th Thursday of the month.
Contact the Church Council: council@centralunionchurch.org
| | View the November 2025 issue of The Spire | |
Content due date for next issue: December 3
Next issue of The Spire to be published December 10, 2025
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Pray for our church council as they gather for a final meeting of 2025. May they lead with wisdom, courage, and love. Give thanks for their work on our behalf.
Give thanks for the opportunities to share music and gather to hear music! May all ears hear the heart and story behind the melodies!
Pray for those of us just barely hanging on to hope. May those feeling hopeless find the hope they need—become the hope they need—to press on.
| | 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 | | | | |
Garden Club on Thursdays
If you would like to help keep our campus looking beautiful, please consider joining what we are currently calling the "Garden Club"! Volunteers and staff will meet weekly to do regular landscaping around the Sanctuary on Thursdays from 9-11 AM. Meet at the Sanctuary steps. Feel free to bring your own gardening tools, but we'll have some you can use.
Questions? Contact Troy Tomita:
troy-tomita@centralunionchurch.org
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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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Online Zoom Fellowship
Are you interested in helping folks stay connected with the CUC ‘ohana? Are you unable to come to the church campus but want to connect? Join this casual time of virtual fellowship via Zoom on Sundays at 11 AM with a few folks who have continued to gather online every week since the pandemic. They welcome new friends—just drop in whenever! It's a great way to meet and keep in touch with people, especially those who may be homebound.
Click to join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 810 1050 2863
Passcode: cuc
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Online Zoom Fellowship
Sundays around 11 AM
JOIN ON ZOOM (Meeting ID: 810 1050 2863; Passcode: cuc)
Or call by phone: +1 669 900 6833, Passcode: 976725)
Contemplative Prayer Meditation
Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 PM • Rewick Board Room (Honolulu campus)
Mindfulness Meditation with Marion
Mondays, 5 PM • JOIN ON ZOOM
Mindful Movement with Bamboo Sticks
Tuesdays, 2 PM • Women's Building (Honolulu Campus) OR JOIN ON ZOOM
Men's Bible Study on Zoom
Wednesdays, 7 AM • Email cuc@centralunionchurch.org for info.
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For Young(ish) Adults
Did you know that we have a Young(ish) Adult ministry here at CUC for generations X, Y, Z? We gather monthly for breakfast and fellowship after worship and we also have a special monthly event. For more information email youngish@centralunionchurch.org.
We’d love to connect with you!
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HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?
We welcome relevant news and events to share in our publications. Please submit items to news@centralunionchurch.org by Wednesday to be published in the following days.
| | 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!) | | |
Beware of Email Scams!
Scams come in many forms, whether it's someone impersonating church staff or even a member, 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 by email. 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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