Fellowship brings community together

Dr. Jerome Ward said he can remember sitting on the front porch as a young boy with his family, having moments of fellowship where everyone would play or sing. Ward said that feeling returned Sept. 15 on “Hartselle’s front porch” for the Depot Days Homecoming Sing. 

The Homecoming Sing took place at the Hartselle Tabernacle and welcomed hundreds of community worshippers for the service. Ward helped to organize the event, and he said it was an excellent way to kick off the Depot Days festivities. 

“I think the fellowship gave folks that don’t get to see each other very often, or that worship at different churches, a time to be able to sit down and break bread together,” Ward said. “It just brought unification to us and a good spirit to carry over.

“We have such talented people and good-hearted people, and most of our folks attend church somewhere and just love the Lord,” Ward added. “It gave folks a chance to come together and put aside differences and just focus on the unity and what makes this a special place.”

Worshippers from all over joined together to make the event a success. Ward said the fellowship took the combined efforts of community volunteers to bring food, the Tabernacle board to open the facilities and the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce to help organize and musicians and choirs of all kinds. 

“To me it just exemplifies what Hartselle is all about, and that’s everybody taking their own part, sharing their own talents and coming together to produce this really good program and event,” Ward said. “That’s what we do around here: We all chip and make things happen.” 

The event was the first of several for the annual Depot Days festival in Hartselle, kicking off the rest of the events to come. Ward said he feels the singing put people in the right spirit for the week. 

“I just want to thank everyone that came together to make it happen,” he added. “Because of their hard work, I believe it made it a success and made the community closer. I think it served as a wonderful kickoff to Depot Days and what is going to be happening this week in our town.”