Event Details
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.
Event at a glance
What
Thanksgiving Day worship service: psalms, hymns, Scripture readings, prayers of thanks, and a message
Who
Oceanside United Reformed Church (URCNA); Dr. Daniel R. Hyde, pastor
When
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Day), 10 a.m.; about one hour
Where
Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy, 2549 Ocean St., Carlsbad, CA 92008 (west end of the campus at Cypress Avenue and Ocean Street, overlooking the Pacific)
Cost
Free and open to the public
Afterward
Thanksgiving meal for guests in need of a home cooked meal (RSVP required)
Info / RSVP
oceansideurc.org/thanksgiving · 760.429.7229 · info@oceansideurc.org
About Oceanside United Reformed Church
Oceanside United Reformed Church (OURC) is a congregation of the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) in the Dutch Reformed tradition. Planted in Oceanside in 2000 and gathering in Carlsbad since 2001, the church meets in the Chapel of the Army & Navy Academy and draws members from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Camp Pendleton. It describes itself as “a local congregation committed to welcoming sinners and exalting Christ.” Sunday morning worship is at 10 a.m. year-round, with evening worship at 5 p.m. September through May and afternoon worship at noon June through August. Besides Sunday worship, the church gathers each year for a Thanksgiving Day service and a Christmas Eve Festival of Lessons and Carols. Learn more at oceansideurc.org.
About Dr. Daniel R. Hyde
Dr. Daniel R. Hyde (“Pastor Danny”) is the founding pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church, which he has served since 2000. He holds a Ph.D. from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, is an Associate Fellow in Practical Theology at Greystone Theological Institute, and is the author of more than 20 books, including Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims” and A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Presence of God. Learn more at danielrhyde.com.
For more information, visit oceansideurc.org/thanksgiving or connect with the church on social media:
X: @OceansideURC
Instagram: oceanside.urc
Facebook: oceansideurc
YouTube: YouTube.com/@ourc