With about two weeks before Thanksgiving, members of the Evangelical Ministerial Alliance of Lehigh Acres met a few days ago to make final plans for its first Community Thanksgiving service, a gathering of praise that is open to the entire community on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at First Christian Church at 50 Bell Blvd. North.

The group meets once a month and in addition to the Thanksgiving program members are also planning a Christmas gala celebration at the Christ United Methodist Church on Homestead Rd. and Lee Blvd.

The date for that community event is Sunday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. inside the church.

As for the Community Thanksgiving event, Pastor David Soden of Richmond Avenue Baptist Church, said several of the pastors in the community will be taking part in the service. Soden is president of the Evangelical Ministerial Alliance of Lehigh Acres. They meet at the Lehigh Regional Medical Center monthly.

The finishing touches for the Thanksgiving service include a call to worship, opening and closings prayers for the community. The public is asked to bring canned good or fresh foods to the service or to give financially in an offering.

Soden said the food will be used by the Our Daily Bread food ministry at the food pantry house two doors from Christ United Methodist Church on Homestead Rd.

Those involved in the first annual such Thanksgiving service include Pastor Steve Kelly, Lehigh Christian church; Pastor David Soden, Richmond Avenue Baptist Church; Pastor Kenneth Wright, Metro Christian Fellowship; Pastor Michael Porzio of New Image Ministries, Pastor Mark Zammett of Our Daily Bread food ministries; Pastor Larry Gutridge, the chaplain with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Pastor Russ Franklin, REAL Men’s Ministries; and Pastor Carlos Otero of the Christ United Methodist Church.

In these times of economic strife, Pastor Soden said the group believes it is important for the community to come together and give God praise for the goodness he shows even in hard times.

Nancy Brag, the pianist at Lehigh Acres Christian Church, will play the preludes at the beginning of the service and about half way through the service, there will be songs of praise and worship put on by the Lehigh Acres Christian Praise Band. Pastor David Soden, the chairman of the ministerial group, will sing a solo near the end of the service. Others will do various Biblical readings.

If enough people turn out, the ministerial alliance plans to hold another such Thanksgiving community service next year.

The Christmas services held at Christ United Methodist Church have drawn hundreds over the past few years. Last year, it was cold the night of the out-of-doors service.

This year, the church’s Pastor Carlos Otero said everyone is invited inside, not knowing how the weather will be.

“We want those who are afraid it may be cold as it was last year, to know we will celebrate Christmas inside the church,” he said. This program is also sponsored by the Evangelical Ministerial Alliance of Lehigh Acres.

Ostero hinted that if the night is warm, the services could be held outside however.

December is well-known in Southwest Florida for its variety of temperatures this time of the year. The highs that night could be in the 70s or down in to the upper 30s.

“We’re not taking any chances so it will be planned for inside,” Otero said.

At the Christmas program, there will be plenty of refreshments including hot coffee, hot chocolate and homemade cookies all supplied by the members of the participating church and the Evangelical Ministerial Alliance.

Pastor Michael Porzio, who is participating in both the Thanksgiving and Christmas services, is vice president of the Evangelical Ministerial Alliance. There are about a dozen churches in Lehigh that are members of the group. Pastor Otero is treasurer of the Alliance