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First
Presbyterian Church
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Youth Page
The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving almost 400 years ago. The year before this feast was a very difficult year for the Pilgrims. At first, they arrived in America too late to plant crops. Since they didn’t have enough time to grow food, often they were hungry which also made them sick. Actually, almost half of the Pilgrims died that first winter.
Then, the next fall, the Pilgrims had a bountiful harvest and had plenty of food to eat and store for the winter. The Pilgrims wanted to give thanks to God for providing them with so much. They decided to have a feast. The Wampanoag Indians joined them and brought deer they had hunted and everyone enjoyed a huge meal and celebration that lasted three days.
The story doesn’t end there, however. Two years later, there was a drought and the Pilgrims struggled to grow enough food. But you know what? They still had Thanksgiving. This time, it was not a feast. Instead they fasted. When times were hard, they would take a day and not eat. They did this because they wanted to focus totally on God, not just on the food they had in front of them. They thanked God for what He had given them and prayed for his help through the coming winter.
You see, whether the Pilgrims had a lot or a little, they wanted to thank God for what He provided.
They didn’t only thank God for providing them with food…they thanked Him for giving us His Son. The Bible says:
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
God has already given us His Son Jesus to take our punishment for any bad things we do. So if we are full, or hungry, or the future looks bright or scary, we still have so much to be thankful for.
~Jen Henshue Coordinator of Youth, Family, and Educational Ministries
November 2nd: 5th – 9th Grade Meeting 4:00 – 6:00 pm BRING DINNER so we can eat together! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 7th – 9th: YOUTH RETREAT at CAMP BRAINERD! Meet at Church at 6:00 pm on Friday (to Car pool up) Return to Church Sunday around 12:30 pm Cost: $60 (Scholarships are available through camp) TURN IN REGISTRATION BY OCTOBER 31ST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 16th: 5th – 9th Grade Meeting 4:00 – 6:00 pm Service Project & Mission Trip Planning BRING DINNER so we can eat together! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 9th: 1st – 4th Grade Meeting 12:00 – 2:00 pm Baking for Presbytery Meeting Tacos for lunch!!! YUMMM!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 23rd: All Youth Thanksgiving Meal! (Grades 1st – 12th) 4:00 – 6:00 pm in Legacy Hall Choose the food that YOU are most thankful for and bring enough to share with everyone! (Don’t worry if you think it will be silly, we will all be THANKFUL!)
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Rev. Charles F. Holm, Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Easton, PA
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