by Judy Reed

Hundreds of people looked past their denominational differences Sunday when they gathered in Morley Park in Cedar Springs for the third annual  “United” community worship service. The event, put on by the Cedar Springs Ministerial Association, involved at least eight different churches in the greater Cedar Springs area.

A praise team made up of individuals from area churches led the worship time, and area pastors taught on the faith, hope and love from I Corinthians 13. They also emphasized the importance of the unity of believers in Christ, despite some of their doctrinal differences. It was a message that seemed to resonate with the crowd.

After the service, they served a hot dog lunch, held games for kids, and a free concert.

Five hundred-plus people attended the event—more than the previous two years.

“I’ve had really great feedback from people,” said Pastor Craig Carter, pastor at North Kent Community Church, and chair of the Cedar Springs Ministerial Association. “We are very pleased with the spirit and feeling of unity and participation of the churches and their members. It was a really big success this year.