Thanksgiving means sharing for many UM congregations

 

 

By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
The fall harvest season means more to Southwest Texas United Methodists than merely giving thanks.
It means giving to those who do not have.
While many Southwest Texas congregations are preparing for annual Thanksgiving dinners, shared by church members with their neighbors, some churches have other November traditions.
For First UMC, McAllen, Thanksgiving means collecting “first fruits” to fill Thanksgiving baskets. They are destined for more than 130 needy families.
That ministry has been in place for more than 13 years. It is based on a verse in Nehemiah: “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the first fruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.”
“We try to tie everything we do to a biblical aspect or a Bible verse,” said Susan Hellums, who runs the food drive.
Church members collect staples such as dried beans, rice, flour, sugar, corn meal, canned meat, crackers, peanut butter, cooking oil, tea and pasta. Additional donations, collected during an offering the first Sunday in November, pay for a turkey and Thanksgiving trimmings, Hellums said.
Several McAllen organizations recommend needy families for help, Hellums said. Church members hand out the “First Fruits” baskets themselves.
“The people, our members, they really enjoy doing this,” Hellums said. “This shows the people that we love them, that Christ loves them, that we’re all the body of Christ who care for each other, and we want to share the best of what we have.
“It’s a neat deal.”
McAllen United Methodists have received many heartfelt thank-you notes over the years, Hellums added.
University UMC, San Antonio, has plans for a similar food drive Sunday. Church leaders are challenging members to give 10 percent of their body weight in canned and dried foods.
The church is calling it a “tithe” and linking it to members’ fall stewardship.
The collected food is to benefit two local organizations: Christian Assistance Ministry and Easter Seals Rehabilitation.
First UMC, Corpus Christi, serves Thanksgiving dinner each year—during the week before the holiday—to workers in a city department. This year’s dinner, a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey and all the trimmings, is set for Nov. 16.
“We do it as a thank you to the city workers,” said the Rev. Gloria Lear, associate pastor. “It’s a gift to them.”
The church has offered the dinner for at least 25 years, rotating different departments each year. Seventy-five to 300 people usually attend, depending on the size of the city department, Lear said.
“We’re raising awareness in our congregation and our community about the work the city does every year,” Lear said. “This helps city workers see that the church makes a statement for the community in showing its appreciation.”
City workers have always been appreciative, Lear added.
Manor UMC’s annual turkey dinner and bazaar, which raises money for apportionments and other church activities, happened Nov. 4. It has been a tradition in the church for more than 60 years, said Mary Ann Parker, event chair.
An auction after the dinner featured homemade goodies, quilts and all sorts of Christmas crafts for sale, she said.
The church normally welcomes from 250 to 300 people, Parker said. The event draws crowds from Elgin to Pflugerville.