Ministerial Alliance brings community together for Thanksgiving

The Rohrbach Brothers sang two songs of praise Nov. 18, 2018, during the California Ministerial Alliance's Annual Thanksgiving Community Service at New Life Christian Center.
The Rohrbach Brothers sang two songs of praise Nov. 18, 2018, during the California Ministerial Alliance's Annual Thanksgiving Community Service at New Life Christian Center.

Eight churches came together to honor God and express gratitude through the California Ministerial Alliance's Annual Thanksgiving Community Service on Nov. 18 at New Life Christian Center.

There to start the evening of grace was the Rev. Eugene Moeller, pastor of United Methodist Church and president of alliance. Moeller said even though times have been tough for the nation, people must still come together to give praise to God.

"This is a nation that has sort of lost its way," Moeller said. "But Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the life and we must go through him for salvation."

Moeller then blessed the meeting of so many churches coming together under one roof, and blessed each person that represented those churches.

Local clergy attending included the Rev. Traci and the Rev. Seth Thompson and the Rev. Frank Hensley, of New Life Christian Center; the Rev. Clyde Leonard, interim pastor of Main Street Baptist Church; the Rev. Alan Bailey, pastor of First Christian Church; the Rev. Jeremy Barnard, pastor of Lebanon Baptist Church; Sister Mary Ruth Wand, pastoral minister of Annunciation Catholic Church; and the Rev. Russell Cobb, pastor of United Church of Christ.

Just before Barnard led the service in an a capella version of "For the Beauty of the Earth," Moeller said the message was about something all should remember.

"This is the theater where God shows what he has given us," Moeller said of the earth. "We must be able to reflect the beauty of the father in everything that we see."

The offertory was then collected, a cause which Moeller explained goes directly to the alliance ministries, including the Moniteau County Fair Vesper Service, two community events, two high school scholarships and serving people in need of assistance. Each penny that goes towards any of these programs is a donation, Moeller said.

Continuing on, the Rohrbach brothers offered their vocal stylings and songs of gratitude for the evening.

Hensley took to the stage to thank everyone for worshipping together.

"What a jolt it is to work together," Hensley said. "We've all come together through laughter, through prayer, through care and it's such a beauty to know that we have such a heart to do more."

Hensley then gave the message, drawn from 1 Corinthians 15:51-57, which chronicles the forgiveness that humans must receive through Jesus.

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," Hensley said.

Every believer, he said, has a chance to live a life of victory. An impassioned speech about American forefathers landing on Plymouth Rock and the nation's early history reinforced Hensley's expression of gratitude for this nation.

To end the evening, Hensley offered words of encouragement that can be remembered at any given time:

"Are you alive? Are you breathing?" he asked. "Then you've got a lot to be thankful for."