Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

The annual Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held Sunday, November 19, 3:00 p.m., at The Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A St, Lincoln. This service of gratitude is open to everyone, and all faiths are welcome and encouraged to attend. In a world that serves up daily reminders of what divides us, this service brings together people of all faiths, and reminds us of what binds us together in our shared expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Clergy from many different faiths will participate, with this year’s featured speaker being Erik Servellon, Vice President of Operations and Development at the Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha. The Tri-Faith Initiative brings together in permanent residency a synagogue, church, mosque, and interfaith center on one 38-acre campus in America’s heartland. From this intentionally diverse space in Omaha, they bridge divides among three faith communities, neighbors throughout our larger local community, and, increasingly, people across the U.S. and around the world.

Erik Servellon has devoted his young career to serving his country and community and lives by his motto: “Continue to Serve.” Erik strongly believes in a servant-leadership model of leadership.

Born in Los Angeles to then-undocumented Salvadoran parents, Erik is a 2nd generation Latinx-American who affectionately calls Omaha “home.” Erik earned his Bachelor of Art in Political Science and Master of Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Two months after receiving this Master’s, Erik deployed to Afghanistan as a Flight Medic Sergeant in the summer of 2016. A formative experience in many respects, this deployment taught Erik the value of human life and what it means to be a servant-leader.

Erik continues to serve: Sergeant with the Nebraska Army National Guard, Board Vice President for the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership, President of the Metro Young Latino Professionals Association, Vice-Chair of the Nebraska Unity PAC, Vice-Chair of the Learning Community Foundation, and Board Member for OneWorld Community Health Centers.

Erik’s military decorations include an Army Commendation Medal earned during a harrowing medevac mission in Afghanistan and the Humanitarian Service Medal earned conducting search and rescue in Houston, Texas, post-Hurricane Harvey. Erik is a 2018 alumnus of the New Leaders Council Institute and is active in the Omaha Chapter. Erik was honored as one of 2018’s

Ten Outstanding Young Omahans by the Omaha Jaycees and a 2019 Ten Outstanding Young American by Jaycees USA.

Following the service, a reception will be provided, allowing people of all faiths the opportunity to mingle and get to know one another. You are invited to bring a dessert to share if you would like. You may also bring a donation of non-perishable food items for the Food Bank of Lincoln.

For more information on the service, contact Brian Pfoltner at First Presbyterian Church, 402-477-6037 or email musicdir@fpclincoln.org