Keeping up with tradition, Ironton First Church of the Nazarene is once again hosting the Community Thanksgiving service on Wednesday.

This year, Pastor Robert Hale said he hoped that people would come and make the service bigger than ever.

“I think it should be an event, a Thanksgiving celebration that we come together, put the turkey in the oven and come on to church for and hour. That’s what I’m hoping this will be,” Hale said.

Hale said he had been trying to think of a way to get more than just the faithful few to come and celebrate the season of giving thanks.

“How can we get people to come to this?” he said. “I thought if maybe we could get the Ironton High School chorus there, then maybe the community would come out the hear their own high school chorus at a Thanksgiving service.”

He said he spoke with the director of Ironton’s Varsity Singers, Kathryn Price, who agreed that it would be a good idea.

He also said the community service would be an opportunity for the community to come together to help replenish the food pantries in Ironton. The church is inviting people to bring dry goods and other non-perishable food items.

“The churches that the food items will be divided among are First United Methodist, Central Christian, St Paul Lutheran and City Welfare Mission all of Ironton,” Pastor Hale said.

The service will begin at 7 p.m. and Pastor Brent Baker of Central Christian Church will deliver the message.

Pastor Hale also said that there would be a Holiday Choir Fest to take more donations of food to help local pantries. The Varsity Singers from IHS as well as the Boyd County Ky. High School Chorus, directed by Carl Taylor, will perform.

In between performances, the City Welfare Mission as well as Ashland’s Community Kitchen will give their annual reports.

According to the City Welfare Mission’s 2009 report, 10,025 meals were served in the mission.

“That way people will know just what kind of need is out there,” said Pastor Hale.

“I don’t think the people in Lawrence County, Ohio and Boyd and Greenup County, Ky. understand how many people are out there that are really in need.”

Pastor Hale said that he is aware that charitable giving is down across the country, and food pantries in the area are having a difficult time staying stocks.

“Everybody’s having a hard time feeding people,” he said.

The Holiday Choir Fest will be at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Ironton First Church of the Nazarene.

“Hopefully that will be a time for both sides of the river to come and enjoy the choirs and help restock,” Pastor Hale said. “This will be another charge to motivate people to help for Christmas.”