About 500 people gathered at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Wednesday for a multi-church service of worship, praise and teachings on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday.

One Voice Night of Worship was held in the auditorium that Community Christian Fellowship uses weekly for its Sunday morning services.

The church is one of 12 Edmonds congregations that have worked collectively now for five years to conduct the annual Thanksgiving Eve service. The other churches involved in the effort are Calvary Chapel Edmonds, Edgewood Baptist Church, Edmonds Adventist Church, Edmonds Church of God, Faith Community Church, Holy Rosary Parish, Holy Trinity Edmonds, Meadowdale Community Church, Mosaic Community Church North, North Sound Church and Westgate Chapel.

Pastor Barry Crane of North Sound Church presented a message stressing the opportunity that local congregations have to “see light come into the darkness of this world.”

“God has called each one of us gathered here from the variety of churches that make up so many of the churches of Edmonds to see transformation in South Snohomish County,” Crane said, “to renew our culture, to serve the people of this community, to celebrate together in worship, to live for hope, to live in joy and to taste the life to come.”

Emily Brotherton of Holy Trinity Edmonds headed up a collection of musicians from four of the 12 churches, leading times of worship throughout the 70-minute service.

— By Doug Petrowski