SOUTH POINT — On Sunday morning members of Tri-State Baptist Temple will once again plant American flags across the front lawn of their South Point church as part of the area’s weekend-long Memorial Day celebrations.

There will be 156 flags placed in the lawn representing those from the church’s family who are or have served in the military. This will be the second year for the service.

“It is for everyone in the community, of course,” Pastor Tim Jenkins said. “And it is to recognize the men and women who served in the military.”

During the 9 a.m. event retired servicemen from the church will take turns reading all 156 names. There will also be special singing and a performance by the church’s orchestra.

The service, expected to last a half-hour, will precede the church’s regular worship and Sunday school and is open to the public.

On Monday, the church will enter its second float in the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade, focusing on the parade’s theme of “Freedom Forever in the USA.”

“This is done by our church families,” Jenkins said. “The small children will ride on the float and we have some nice Army and Navy hats for them to wear. And our families will walk along the float.”

The focal point of the church’s float will be a large flag approximately 5 feet by 4 feet made completely out of old-fashioned paper chains.

“Our young people are writing the names of those who served from our church family on those links,” Jenkins said. “Those names, some are gone, some alive, some in active service, they will literally be making their way through that parade.”

Last year the church received the Parade Commander Award for the float it entered in the parade, an event Jenkins says is important for his church members to participate in.

“As a pastor, it is a God-given right for individuals to be able to worship the Lord as our conscience dictates,” he said. “We live in a country where that is possible and it is possible because of these people who are even willing to give their lives. We have to make much about Memorial Day.”