Churches plan Thanksgiving week services

The following congregations will hold special services to celebrate Thanksgiving.

''Thanks for the Bounty,'' an interfaith service, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the parish hall of St. John's Lutheran Church, 32 S. Fifth St.. The keynote speaker will be Allentown Mayor Roy Afflerbach.

The service is sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of the Lehigh Valley and will include members of the Baha'i, Christian, Christian Scientist, Hindu, Muslim and Unitarian Universalist faiths. The service will include prayer, dance, chant, reading and song.

The church will also celebrate Holy Communion 10 a.m. Thursday. The Chancel Choir will perform.

An interfaith service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Lutheran Church, 13th and Hamilton streets. Participating congregations include St. Thomas More, Salisbury Township, and Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Temple Beth El, Congregation Keneseth Israel, St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the First Presbyterian Church, all of Allentown.

The Rev. Christine Nelson, executive director of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches, will be the guest speaker. Guest soloists and an ensemble of the Summer Harmony Men's Chorus will perform.

A service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Timothy's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 140 S. Ott St. Participating churches include the Episcopal Church of the Mediator and First Presbyterian, both of Allentown, and St. Thomas More, Salisbury Township.

A community service with Holy Communion will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Grace UCC, 623 Cleveland St. The service is sponsored by the congregations of Grace Lutheran, Allentown, and Grace UCC and will feature music by their combined choirs. Nursery will be available.

St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, 1421 Turner St., Allentown, will hold a service at 9 a.m. Thursday. A dinner for members and area residents will be held at 11:30 a.m.

First Church of Christ, Scientist, 3020 Hamilton Blvd., will hold a service at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, 1825 W. Turner St., will celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Lehigh County

St. John's Lutheran Church, 18 S. Third St., Coplay, will hold an ecumenical service at 7 p.m. Sunday. Representing the three borough churches will be the Rev. Timothy Boyer of St. John's, Monsignor William F. Baver of St. Peter's Catholic Church and the Rev. Aaron W. Fox of Trinity United Church of Christ. A joint choir will perform.

Frieden's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2451 Saucon Valley Road, Center Valley, will present a Thanksgiving cantata during the 10:15 a.m. service Sunday.

The Catasauqua community service will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 417 Howertown Road, Catasauqua. The Rev. Douglas Cronce of Catasauqua Presbyterian Church will preach. A joint choir from area churches will sing.

Calvary Temple, 3436 Winchester Road, South Whitehall Township, will hold a service at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Jordan United Church of Christ, Route 309 and Walbert Avenue, South Whitehall Township, will host a service 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Participating churches include: Hope UCC, Salisbury Township; Faith UCC, Allentown; Greenawalds UCC, South Whitehall Township; Cedar UCC, Allentown; Jordan Lutheran, South Whitehall Township; St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, South Whitehall Township; St. John's UCC, Fogelsville; and St. John's Lutheran, Fogelsville.

The offering will benefit the Lehigh County Conference of Churches. Bring nonperishable items for the area food bank.

Asbury United Methodist Church, 1533 Springhouse Road, South Whitehall Township, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Christ Methodist Church, 1080 Flexer Ave., Salisbury Township, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Rev. Harold McKenzie will give a meditation on developing a thankful heart even in difficult times.

Nativity Lutheran Church, 4004 Tilghman St., South Whitehall Township, will host a joint community service with Cedar Lutheran Church, Allentown, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Rev. Richard Gardner of Cedar Lutheran will preach.

Emmaus Moravian Church, 146 Main St., Emmaus, will host a community service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd., Emmaus, will have a Holy Communion service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Upper Milford Community Thanksgiving worship will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Salem United Methodist Church, 6440 Powder Valley Road, Zionsville. Professor Rose Graber of Upper Milford Mennonite Church will preach at the service.

The Southern Lehigh area service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. James Lutheran Church, 333 E. Oxford St., Coopersburg. The Rev. John Fritch will preside.

Bethany United Methodist Church, 1208 Brookside Road, Wescosville, will hold a service at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Child care will be available. The church offers hearing assistance and is handicapped accessible.

Christ's Church at Lowhill UCC, Route 100 and Herber Road, New Tripoli, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Bethlehem

A service featuring a Festival of Hymns will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Christ Church UCC, 75 E. Market St.

West Bethlehem churches will hold an ecumenical service at 7 p.m. Sunday at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 514 Third Ave. The Rev. Lois Bly, pastor of West Side Moravian Church, will preach. Bring canned goods to benefit the West Bethlehem Food Bank.

The Church of the Manger UCC, Bethlehem, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Hanover Township, and St. Thomas UCC, Bethlehem, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Church of the Manger, 1401 Greenview Drive.

The Rev. Larry Wetzel, pastor of Holy Cross, will preach. The Rev. Donald Esslinger, pastor of St. Thomas, and the Rev. Sharon Joseph, pastor of Church of the Manger, will lead worship. The offering will be given to Valley Youth House of Bethlehem.

Southside Ministries will hold a service at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Packer and Vine streets.

The Rev. Gary Langensiepen, senior pastor of St. John's Windish Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, will preach. Music will be provided by the children of SSM Kids and by the three vocal choirs and the handbell choir of St. Peter's. Bring a donation of nonperishable food. A reception will be held after the service.

Our Lord's Ascension Polish National Catholic Church, 2105 Jennings St., will hold a service at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Along with Father Carmen G. Bolock, host pastor, area clergy, churches and choirs participating are: the Rev. Sandra Birchmeier, pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, the Rev. Peter Unger, pastor St. John's United Church of Christ, the Rev. Roxanne Kringle, pastor St. John's Lutheran Church, and Russell Streeper, pastor of Epworth United Methodist Church, all of Bethlehem Township; the Rev. Gary Marsh, pastor of East Hills Moravian Church, and the Rev. Jennika Borger, pastor of Edgeboro Moravian Church, both of Bethlehem. Streeper will deliver the homily. A social will follow the service.

Concordia Lutheran Church, 1240 E. Fourth St., will hold a service at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Trinity Episcopal Church, 44 E. Market St., will hold a Holy Communion service at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Easton

Choirs of 13 Easton area congregations will present music at the third annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Festival in the sanctuary of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2115 Washington Blvd., Easton, at 4 p.m. Sunday. A freewill offering will be collected for the food bank.

Northampton County

A community service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Salvation Army, Pen Argyl. The Rev. Kenneth Forbes, pastor of Presbyterian Parish of Bangor and Roseto, will preach.

Hope Lutheran Church, 4131 Lehigh Drive, Route 248, Cherryville, will hold Holy Communion services at 11:15 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Zion Lutheran Church, 19th and Main streets, Northampton, will host a community service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

St. Paul's Third Lutheran Church, 2561 Newburg Road, Palmer Township, will hold a Holy Communion service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Berks County

St. John's Lutheran Church, 201 E. Main St., Kutztown, will hold an ecumenical service at 4 p.m. Sunday. The Kutztown University Choir will perform several songs. The Reader's Theatre from the university will perform selected readings on ''Harvest Home.''

Special guest will be Richard Pawling with his one-man show on Conrad Weiser, an 18th century diplomat, traveler, judge, linguist, lieutenant colonel, farmer and official Pennsylvania peacekeeper.

Pawling is a native of Pennsylvania and a professor at Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College. He is well-known for his History Alive programs that he presents throughout the year. Hereford Mennonite Church, 121 Barto Road, Bally, will host a joint service with Bally Mennonite Church, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The program will be led by the Rev. Robert Gerhart of the host church. The Rev. James Ralph of Bally Mennonite will offer the message. Hereford church choir will provide music.

Calvary UCC, Barto, will host a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The service is also sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church, Bechtelsville; Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Bally; and Christ Lutheran Church, Niantic. The Rev. Eugene Zaiser of Bechtelsville will preach, with Monsignor Edward Coyle of Bally and the Rev. Paul Bartlett of Niantic leading the liturgy.

Refreshments will be served following worship. Bring canned goods for the Boyertown Area Multi-Service Food Pantry. Monetary donations will be given to the Multi-Service Emergency Fuel Fund.

The church is at 1231 Route 100 in Washington Township, near the intersection with Hoffmansville Road. The church is handicapped accessible.

Huff's Union Church and St. Peter's Union Church, Macungie, will have a joint service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Huff's Union Church in the village of Huff's Church. Refreshments will be served after the service.

Bucks County

A community service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Church of the UCC, 101 N. Main St., Trumbauersville. Christ Lutheran Church of Trumbauersville will co-host the service. Contributions will benefit the Milford Square Shelter.

A joint service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Grace Bible Fellowship Church, 1811 Old Bethlehem Pike, Quakertown. United Mennonite Church and Providence Presbyterian Church, both of Quakertown, will participate.

A special offering will be taken during the service for Child Evangelism Fellowship. Refreshments will follow the service.

A joint service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday by Trinity (Great Swamp) UCC, Spinnerstown, West Swamp Mennonite, Quakertown, and St. John's Lutheran Church, Spinnerstown, at St. John's.

The Springfield Ministerium will hold a community service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Trinity UCC, 1990 Route 212, Pleasant Valley. Holy Communion will be celebrated.

Participating churches are Christ Evangelical Lutheran, Durham; Salem United Methodist, Springtown; Evangelical Lutheran, Durham; and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran, Pleasant Valley.

St. John's Lutheran Church, 10th and W. Broad streets, Quakertown, will hold a Holy Communion service at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Montgomery County

The Service of Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer of 1928 will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Holy Spirit Anglican Church, 1133 W. Orvilla Road, Hatfield.

The Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal), Sumneytown Pike (Route 63) and Barndt Road, Upper Salford Township, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

A community service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Grace United Methodist Church, Main Street, Telford. The service will feature the combined choirs of Trinity UCC of Telford, St. Paul's Lutheran of Telford and Grace United Methodist churches.

Schuylkill County

Ben Salem UCC, Church Hill Road, Andreas, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Phillipsburg

Wesley United Methodist Church, Miller Street and Potts Avenue, will hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.