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All faiths welcome to annual Thanksgiving service at church

Everyone is welcome to attend the 61st Nuuanu Valley Interfaith Thanksgiving service Tuesday, planned in partnership by 12 religious communities.

The 7 p.m. service will be hosted by Harris United Methodist Church, based on the theme “Ho‘olauna Hou: We come together to celebrate our unity and similarity in common space. Our diversity and richness call us to work together, again.”

Donations will be gifted this year to the nonprofit Kinai ‘Eha (To Extinguish Pain), which assists homeless Native Hawaiians in obtaining housing, employment and other services.

Organizers believe their event is the longest running interfaith Thanksgiving service anywhere in the U.S. Their inaugural “Union Thanksgiving Service” was held in 1960, initiated by the Rev. Paul Wheeler of St. Clements Episcopal Church, who invited clergy from other faith groups to plan the service.

This year participants include the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Baha’i Faith Hawai‘i, Community Church of Honolulu, First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, Harris United Methodist Church, Hawaiian Church of Hawai‘i Nei, Honpa Hongwanji Hawai‘i Betsuin, Nu‘uanu Congregational Church, Soka Gakkai International, Temple Emanu-El, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and United Church of Christ, Judd Street.

The event will be streamed online: youtu.be/ 4PGZPseGXI4. Harris United is at 20 S.Vineyard Blvd.; call 808-536-9602.

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