Thanksgiving Day Worship and Meal in Carlsbad
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Oceanside United Reformed Church Invites North County to Thanksgiving Day Worship in Carlsbad on Nov. 26
Free 10 a.m. service at the Army & Navy Academy Chapel, followed by a Thanksgiving meal for those without family nearby.
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Oceanside United Reformed Church will hold its 27th annual Thanksgiving Day worship service on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy, 2549 Ocean St., Carlsbad, on the border of Oceanside and Carlsbad. The service is free and open to the public.
The service is simple and festive: singing psalms and hymns, Scripture readings, time for giving thanks in prayer, and a message from Dr. Daniel R. Hyde, pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church. It runs about an hour.
“More than Turkey Day with endless football games, Thanksgiving is a day to be dedicated to Almighty God for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for his inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ,” said Hyde. “This is an occasion worth celebrating, and I invite you to celebrate with us.”
The congregation belongs to the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA), which comes out of the Dutch Reformed tradition. The URCNA’s Church Order (Article 37) names “the national Thanksgiving Day” among the special services a congregation may hold.
In “How to Grow in Thankfulness,” his 2025 Thanksgiving meditation on the ten lepers Jesus healed (Luke 17:11–19), Hyde observed that only one of the ten turned back to thank Jesus. “The thankless heart is a forgetful heart. The thankful heart is a remembering heart,” he said. That is why the church begins the holiday in worship: “Before you enjoy any gift today, thank the Giver,” for “the Giver is better than his gifts.”
Following the service, there is a Thanksgiving meal, especially for those without family in the area, those passing through, or those in need of a loving home to spend the day. Sharing meals in homes is a big part of the church’s hospitality, and guests are always included. Guests are asked to RSVP at oceansideurc.org/thanksgiving.
Visitors and children are welcome. Several back rows are reserved for families, the lobby is available if little ones need a break, and there is a room for nursing mothers. Street parking and nearby public lots are available. The chapel has a step-up of a few inches and no ramp; someone will gladly help, and there is space for walkers and wheelchairs down the center aisle. Guests who let the church know they are coming will receive a free copy of Hyde’s book "Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims."