CHESAPEAKE — As the economic struggles continue for many in Lawrence County, clergy with the Chesapeake Ministerial Association are gearing up for the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service.

Funds raised from the service, to be Sunday at 6 p.m. at Sybene Missionary Baptist Church on County Road 1, will go to the food pantry sponsored by the Community Mission Outreach and housed at the Chesapeake Community Center.

This offering will fund the Christmas food baskets that will be given out in December.

“Churches came together back in around 1990 to put together the CMO and it serves as a central community outreach point,” Pastor Chuck Case of Chesapeake United Methodist Church, said. “The numbers (at the food pantry) have been consistently high month by month. The numbers are consistently high as the cost of food continues to go up.”

Sunday’s program will have a special Thanksgiving message presented by Randy Henderson of Big Branch Church. Members of the CMO will discuss the mission’s work and present a financial report.

Ross McCollum, associate pastor at Chesapeake Nazarene Church, will offer the prayer. The Rev. Charles Moran of St. Ann’s will provide the introduction and Tom Jones, pastor of New Beginnings, will offer the benediction.

“We seek to offer an ecumenical gathering for all of the community to give thanks to God,” Case said. “We are encouraged every year. Every year we get new participants for the Thanksgiving worship and we hope to see it continue to grow.”

Music will be provided by the Sybene church musicians and there will be refreshments after the service at the church’s fellowship hall.