Military

Veterans honored at Eminence Christian Church

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[November 09, 2015]  On Saturday morning approximately 20 veterans were honored at a special breakfast event at Eminence Christian Church.

The event, according to Pastor LC Sutton, was the product of a heartfelt desire of parishioner Marsha Fernandes. Pastor Sutton said that Fernandes comes from a military family and paying tribute to all veterans is very near and dear to her heart. A couple of years ago, Fernandes began talking about doing something special for Veterans Day, and this year the church decided that it was time to follow through.

Fernandes said she was pleased with the turnout for a first-year event. Of the 20 or so veterans who came for breakfast only about five or six were from the church, the balance were veterans who had accepted the invitation.

Fernandes said that in reaching out to local veterans she had contacted various American Legion Posts as well as area retirement and nursing homes. Among those invited was the Christian Village in Lincoln, and on Saturday, Chaplain Ryan Edgecombe arrived with the CV bus packed with vets.

As the veterans entered the fellowship hall, they were greeted by volunteers from the church. As they signed in for the morning, they were given name tags, and red carnation boutonnieres were pinned on their shirts.

They were then invited to go straight to the food serving line. Breakfast consisted of bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. Guests were welcome to take any or all of the offerings.

Among the volunteers were several adult church members who did the cooking and several teenagers of the church who spent time working around the tables bussing dishes and taking pictures and video of the event.

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Chaplain Edgecombe was asked to say grace over the meal and in his prayer spoke of the thankfulness we have for the service of all veterans of all wars.

As the men enjoyed their meal, the Eminence Youth Pastor and student at Lincoln Christian University introduced the musical trio of Kameo Krienke, Shelby Smith, and Prudence Bickhaus, also students from LCU. The three ladies sang a cappella “My Country Tis of Thee” and “Star Spangled Banner.” For the singing of the last song, everyone stood, facing the American flag that was in the center of a large flag display near the front door.

The tables were decorated with similar miniature versions of the flag display, and Army veteran Michael Horath was acknowledged for making the flag displays for the tables.

As the morning began to wind down, Pastor Sutton offered up a closing prayer, then invited everyone to stay and enjoy coffee and fellowship for as long as they wished. No one seemed to be in much of a hurry to leave, as the fellow soldiers enjoyed spending time together, swapping stories and memories of the times they spent in military service.

[Nila Smith]

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