Community Thanksgiving Service planned for Nov. 20

 The LaRue County Ministerial Association is holding its annual community Thanksgiving service at South Fork Baptist Church. The program is 7 p.m. Nov. 20.

There will be praise and worship music and a musical drama, according to Jenn Mayfield, one of the event’s organizers.

The Ministerial Association also is collecting canned goods for the Mount Moriah Creative Ministries’ “Help Me Help Others” food basket program. Items can be brought to the Nov. 20 program. 

“They provide all the fixings for meals (at Thanksgiving and Christmas),” Mayfield said.

There is no charge to attend, however, donations will be accepted for the Christmas Blessings program. 

The event is expected to last about two hours. 

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

Christmas Blessings is a variation on the Angel Tree program, Mayfield said.

The family resource center at each school accepted applications through Nov. 1 from families needing assistance. The Christmas Blessings program will purchase gifts for the children and present them at a party on Dec. 20 at First Baptist Church Hodgenville, 730 Tonieville Road. The program is from 5 to 8 p.m.

Claude Ramey, minister of youth and community, is spearheading Christmas Blessings.

Ramey said applications for 250 children – or adoptees – were submitted.

“This year there are a few changes to the Christmas Blessings program to be aware of,” said Ramey. “We have asked those adopting this year keep spending to $30 per adoptee.”

Children need to attend the celebration to receive their gifts and sponsors are encouraged to be present.

Gifts will be distributed discretely to vehicles while all of the celebration festivities are underway, so the children will be surprised with a gift to open Christmas morning, Ramey added.

“There will be food and cake to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. Santa will enter with great fanfare to announce the real reason for Christmas, to celebrate the birth of our Savior and remind everyone that on Christmas God gave us the best gift of all – his son Jesus Christ. There will be opportunities to take pictures with Santa in his sleigh as well as drawings for food baskets and Christmas hams.”

Transportation to the celebration is available by contacting First Baptist Church (358-3193), Family Worship Center (358-8903) or Hodgenville United Methodist Church (358-3028).

If there are families who need help with Christmas but missed the LaRue County Ministerial Association Christmas Blessings deadline, Toys for Tots is still taking applications through the end of November at Community Action.