NEWS

An expression of our solidarity with those in need

The congregation of Thoburn United Methodist Church in St. Clairsville recently celebrated World Communion Sunday in a unique way. Members of the congregation were invited to bring loaves of bread to be shared with the Wheeling Soup Kitchen. The wrapped loaves, either home baked or purchased, were brought forward by parishioners during the opening hymn and then placed by the church’s worship leaders as a worship center focus. Following the worship service the loaves were given to the Wheeling Soup Kitchen for distribution.

“World Communion Sunday is a time when Christians around the world remember the sacrificial death of Jesus through the sacrament of Holy Communion,” says Dr. Bradley Call, Senior Pastor of Thoburn. “This year, we wanted to underscore that the love of Jesus was not just for us, but for all people. These loaves of bread are a tangible reminder of that and an expression of our solidarity with those in need.”

World Communion Sunday, typically recognized on the first Sunday of October, is a celebration observed by several Christian denominations in a spirit of Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. The tradition originated in the Presbyterian denomination in 1933, and subsequently spread to other denominations.