Austintown service ushers in Thanksgiving season

AUSTINTOWN — Rejoice, give thanks and sing.

Those were the words to one of the praise songs that were sung this evening during a community worship service at Austintown Middle School, but they could also have been the theme for the event.

The Greater Austintown Ministerial Association has a community worship service each year during Thanksgiving season, said the Rev. Duffy Roberts of Austintown Community Church. In the past, the services were in various churches with a different church hosting it each year.

“Last year we decided that we wanted to hold it in more of a public form, to make it more of a truly communitywide event,” the Rev. Mr. Roberts said. “This is a national holiday, so we should celebrate together as a community.”

Nearly 300 people filled the cafetorium at AMS for the service, which featured spiritual singing, instrumental music, prayers and praise.

For Mary Ann Phund of Austintown, the service was a perfect way to segue into the Thanksgiving season. Phund said she has attended GAMA-sponsored Lenten services before but had never been to one of its Thanksgiving ceremonies.

Read the full story in Monday’s Vindicator and on vindy.com