My heart has been deeply touched. God's Spirit has been moving within and His moving has created a hungering that not even a Thanksgiving meal could fill. The desire to have people come and share a meal with us overwhelms me. You may ask what drives me...the simple answer is GOD!
Our church is focused on the following statement: “We didn't prepare an extra place at the table because we expected a crowd. We prepared it because we were hoping for you.”
There is something beautiful about a table where everyone knows they are welcome. A place where no one has to wonder whether they belong. A place where an empty chair isn't simply another piece of furniture, but an invitation waiting to be accepted.
This Thanksgiving season, that is the kind of table we want to prepare at Moxahala Methodist Church.
Our theme is “There's a Place for You: Receiving God's Goodness, Sharing God's Love.”
But this is more than a theme for a Thanksgiving gathering. It is a reflection of the heart of God and the kind of church we believe He is calling us to become.
When Jesus walked this earth, He repeatedly demonstrated that people mattered more than appearances, traditions, or social standing. He sat with those others avoided. He welcomed those others overlooked. He made room for people who had spent much of their lives feeling as though they didn't belong.
In Luke 14:13–14, Jesus challenges us to extend hospitality to those who may have no way of repaying us.
What a remarkable picture of God's love!
True Christian hospitality is not about entertaining people who can return the favor. It is about opening our hearts to people simply because they matter to God.
And that is what we want our Thanksgiving meal to represent.
We don't want anyone to simply receive a plate of food. We want them to experience the warmth of being welcomed, the dignity of being valued, and the blessing of knowing someone is genuinely glad they came.
Think for a moment about the significance of an empty chair.
For some, an empty chair at Thanksgiving represents someone they have lost. For others, it is a reminder of broken relationships, distant family members, or seasons of loneliness.
There are people in our community who will approach Thanksgiving carrying burdens no one else can see.
Some are grieving.
Some are struggling financially.
Some are living alone.
Some are surrounded by people but still feel forgotten.
And some have quietly wondered whether anyone would notice if they weren't there.
What if the church could be the place where someone discovers they have not been forgotten?
What if an invitation to sit at a table becomes the beginning of a friendship?
What if a simple conversation becomes the encouragement someone desperately needed?
What if someone who has felt invisible walks through our doors and discovers that people were genuinely hoping they would come?
That is the Thanksgiving we are praying for.
Moxahala Methodist Church may be a small congregation, but the love of God has never been measured by the size of a building or the number of people sitting in its pews.
God has always accomplished extraordinary things through ordinary people who were willing to open their hearts and their hands.
We may not have everything that larger churches possess. But we can offer something deeply meaningful.
We can offer a seat at the table.
We can offer a listening ear.
We can offer friendship without conditions.
We can offer a warm welcome without expecting anything in return.
And most importantly, we can point people toward a Savior whose love is greater than their circumstances.
The church was never intended to be an exclusive gathering of people who already know one another. It was meant to be a living expression of God's grace to a hurting world.
Perhaps the greatest opportunity before us this Thanksgiving isn't preparing the food, arranging the tables, or decorating the fellowship hall.
Perhaps it is simply noticing the person who needs an invitation.
A neighbor who lives alone.
A widow or widower facing another difficult holiday.
A family experiencing hardship.
Someone who has been away from church for years.
Or someone who has never felt comfortable walking through the doors of a church.
Sometimes the most powerful ministry begins with five simple words:
“I'll save you a seat.”
Not because we want to fill a building.
Not because we want to increase our attendance.
But because we believe every individual matters to God.
And because we believe no one should have to wonder whether there is room for them.
On Sunday, November 15, 2026, Moxahala Methodist Church will gather for our Thanksgiving meal.
Our hope is that everyone who comes will share a meal with someone who knows their name and is genuinely glad they came.
You don't have to be a member of our church.
You don't have to have your life figured out.
You don't have to pretend everything is going well.
And you certainly don't have to earn your place at the table.
You are invited because you matter.
Our prayer is that the food will nourish your body, the fellowship will encourage your heart, and the love you experience will remind you of the goodness of God.
When Thanksgiving is over, the tables will be cleared, the dishes washed, and the decorations put away.
But I pray something much more lasting will remain.
I pray friendships will have begun.
I pray lonely hearts will have found encouragement.
I pray someone will have discovered that the church is not merely a building where people gather, but a family where people are loved.
And I pray that our willingness to make room at a table will become our willingness to make room in our lives.
Because ultimately, Thanksgiving is not simply about remembering what God has given us.
It is about becoming willing to share His goodness with someone else.
So, from our church family to you, please hear these words:
“We didn't prepare an extra place at the table because we expected a crowd. We prepared it because we were hoping for you.”
And we truly are.
We invite you to join us at Moxahala Methodist Church, where we are a small church with open hearts, open hands, and room for you.
Sunday School: 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship: 10:30 AM
Come as you are. You are welcome here.
There's a place for you here.
Loving God. Loving People. Serving Our Community.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kelly E. Green