The public is invited to help honor the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s penchant for serving those in society who might be forgotten.

Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day will be held from 9:45 a.m. to midafternoon Monday, Jan. 15, at St. John’s United Church of Christ, 501 E. Main St., Evans City.

The new event represents a collaboration between St. John’s, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Evans City, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Evans City, and Crestview Community Church in Callery.

“We talked about it in October and thought it was something we maybe wanted to try,” said the Rev. Lisa Griffin, pastor at St. John’s.

She said bringing King’s message that all men and women are created equal to small-town Butler County is a positive move.

“People think it’s a city thing, but perhaps rural communities don’t tune in,” Griffin said. “I think all of our churches are concerned about racial justice.”

She said if the event is well attended, it will likely be held each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Griffin said she will hold a short devotion session at 9:45 a.m. at St. John’s, where she will share some of King’s important quotes and philosophies, followed by related Scripture readings and prayer.

“There might also be a song,” she said.

At 10 a.m., those in attendance will be divided into four groups according to their service interests, Griffin said.

One group will prepare a meal that will be delivered to President’s Square, the subsidized senior citizen high-rise apartment building in Evans City.

Another group will play bingo with elderly patients at The Grove at Harmony, where another group will participate in a singalong with seniors there.

The fourth group will prepare goody bags for the staff at The Grove at Harmony to enjoy as a thank you for their hard work in caring for their patients, Griffin said.

“We are recognizing that those who work in our nursing care facilities do really hard work and often don’t get thanks for the service they provide for our community,” she said.

Griffin said the group doing goody bags will likely fill some for firefighters at Evans City Volunteer Fire Department and others who serve the community as well.

She said members of the four churches putting on the event donated the items for the goody bags and meal at President’s Square.

Griffin hopes the event will be well-received and well-attended.

“It’s a reminder to our churches and community that there are injustices around, but also that Martin Luther King Jr. was about more than justice for some, but a man who believed that if you believe in justice, you should be serving your community,” she said.

Griffin hopes those who attend will leave with more love and caring in their hearts.

“We hope they come away with a sense of community and that we are here together to help one another and to support one another,” she said.

Should the event prove popular, a speaker or other features might be added next year, Griffin said.

Musical service

The Rev. Lauren Bosserman, pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, has a background in music and will lead the singalong at The Grove at Harmony using her voice and guitar.

Westminster’s church pianist, Ann Killby, will go to The Grove with Bosserman.

Bosserman has chosen an uplifting array of Christian songs and hymns.

“I like to pick praise songs, and I just want them to evoke joy,” she said. “I want people to really feel we are praising the Lord in our songs.”

Bosserman said the singalong will last about 30 minutes

“I would like it to be more of a concert feel and if people feel comfortable, they can sing along,” she said.

One hymn that definitely will be included on Monday is “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” which was one of King’s favorites.

The song also stirs up happy memories for Bosserman, because she played in a praise band directed by her mother that developed a version of the hymn. “So when I play that song, I think of her,” she said.

She said as a seminary student in New Jersey, she spent some time reading the works of King.

“They are so profound and so grounded in his faith,” Bosserman said of King’s writings. “He was really inspirational to me.”

She feels Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day at St. John’s U.C.C. will be a positive move for those who attend.

“I think it’s good to remember Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he stood for, which was treating everyone the same,” Bosserman said, “and all of his stuff is grounded in Christian love.”

Remembering all King did for the Black community nationwide and his work for civil rights is something else she hopes people take away from the event.

“He wanted everyone to be loved in the community and have dignity as people,” Bosserman said.

She hopes everyone looking to live a more service-oriented life will come out to the event Monday.

“It’s just going to be a day of joy,” Bosserman said.