COAL GROVE — Jordan Mullens, 10, spent the first part of the annual Memorial United Methodist Church’s block party helping his 2-year-old sister, MeKenzie Pennington, navigate her plate of cut-up hot dogs and chips.

This was the second time Jordan has come to the block party and he was giving it a definite thumbs up.

“It is awesome,” he said. “There is so much stuff to do and you get to learn about the Lord.”

His grandmother, Ranita Mullens, agreed with Jordan’s assessment.

“It’s great to get people involved in the community,” she said.

As the Mullens clan enjoyed the hot dogs and corn bread and beans provided by the church, Jason Worthington and James Anderson were tuning up to perform in their band, King Thursday.

The two musicians were waiting for their colleagues to show up for a special performance they were giving to the crowd gathered on the lawn of the church.

The name came about because “ Thursday was when they prepared for the King and the Last Supper,” Anderson said.

The contemporary Christian band formed about a year and a half ago and plays for the youth services at their church, First Baptist of Flatwoods, Ky., as well as block parties and other churches around the area.

“We played a block party at Olive Hill (Ky.) last night,” Anderson said. “It was great. A woman gave her life to the Lord.”

Showing God’s presence in the community is the purpose behind Memorial’s annual event that was started nine years ago by former pastor, Steve Judson. Current pastor Brad Jenkins has continued the block party because “it is important to reach out to the community and let people know we are here and care for them and extend God’s love to the community.”