Community Thanksgiving Worship Service
by: Rev. David Thompson, Pastor Colquitt United Methodist Church

Are you tired of all the divisions in the Church? Does it concern you that we as Christians are divided into so many different groups and denominations? Do you feel like the Christian congregations of Miller County should be working together to reach the lost for Jesus? Do you feel that Christians hold more beliefs in common than beliefs that divide us? Does

concern you that on Sunday mornings there is only approximately 25% of the Miller County population in any church? Do you believe that there are lost people in Miller County that desperately need to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ?

In the 1970s there was a praise chorus with the lyrics, "They will know we are Christians by our love…." This praise song comes straight from John's gospel where Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). Our love for one another as Christians will convince the world that we belong to Jesus. When we fail to demonstrate our love and unity, we fail to show the world that we are His disciples.

This past week I met with seven other pastors who are a part of the Miller County Ministerial Fellowship. We talked about the strong lines of division amongst the body of Christ in Miller County. We as a Ministerial Fellowship will be working to bring some of those walls down between the various parts of the body of Christ.

We have the great opportunity to come together regardless of our denomination and worship together simply as Christian brothers and sisters. On Sunday, November 18, at 6:00 p.m. a community-wide Thanksgiving service for all Christians is being sponsored by the Miller County Ministerial Fellowship. The service will be held at the Colquitt Free Will Baptist Church. The service will have leadership and participation by many parts of the Christian community of Miller County. I'm excited about the opportunity for us to worship together as Christians.

The offering that night will go towards the Miller County Ministerial Fellowship fund for those in need of assistance in our community. We are also asking all who attend to bring a canned food item to benefit the Food Bank if you are able.

I have heard from a few individuals in our community that they don't feel comfortable worshipping together with other parts of the body of Christ. I have heard from others that they don't see the need to worship together. I'm not sure how fit for heaven we will be if we can't worship together here on earth. If we can't spend an hour together in worship here on earth, eternity might be seem awful long.

I look forward to seeing you all there! If you love Jesus, please come join with others who love Jesus and worship and give thanks! Help show Miller County that we belong to Jesus because we love one another.