Thanksgiving 2025 Giveaway
Every November, we are invited to pause, remember, and give thanks — not merely for material blessings, but for the sovereign goodness of God in history. Long before there were parades and football games, there were weary pilgrims bowing in gratitude to the Lord who preserved them, provided for them, and proved Himself faithful in their darkest hour.
Who were the Pilgrims?
The Pilgrims were English Puritans who longed for a pure, biblical church — free from worldly corruption and the heavy hand of state-imposed religion. Fleeing persecution under King James I, they initially escaped to Holland seeking freedom to worship according to Scripture. After a decade of hardship and cultural pressures, they set their faces toward an unknown continent, convinced that God had called them to plant a gospel-centered community in the New World.
In 1620, 102 passengers boarded the Mayflower and crossed the Atlantic through fierce storms, cramped quarters, sickness, and death. By the end of the first brutal winter, half their number had perished. Yet William Bradford, the godly leader of these pilgrims, records that those who survived did so by “the spirit and grace of God,” caring for one another with sacrificial love. Their peace treaty with Massasoit, the planting of their first crops, and the unexpected provisions God sent — including the help of Squanto, whom Bradford believed God had “sent as a special instrument” — became living reminders that providence, not luck, had preserved them. Their first Thanksgiving in 1621 was not a celebration of ease, but a humble act of worship in the shadow of grief, testifying that Christ was faithful in both famine and plenty.
The story of the Pilgrims is not a sentimental myth, but a testimony of divine providence. It is a story of suffering, sacrifice, covenant community, and steadfast hope in Christ. The first Thanksgiving was an act of worship, a declaration that God is faithful in famine and in plenty, in loss and in joy.
To celebrate this season of gratitude and historical remembrance, the Directory is giving away a Thanksgiving Heritage Prize Package filled with resources that honor the real story of the Pilgrims, the providence and sovereignty of God, and the enduring call to live as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
The prize includes the following:
• “The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History”
by Robert Tracy McKenzie
A rich, balanced, and Christian retelling of what actually happened in 1621 — free from mythology, political uses, and cultural noise. McKenzie shows how the true story sharpens our understanding of gratitude, humility, and the providence of God in the shaping of nations.
• “Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth: Remembering the Mayflower Pilgrims, 1620–2020”
edited by Michael A.G. Haykin, Roy M. Paul, and John Clements
Featuring a historical contribution by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, this volume of 16 essays walks through the theology, courage, and covenant commitments of the Pilgrims. It calls us to remember that we, too, are pilgrims — a people seeking a better country, whose true citizenship is in heaven (Heb. 11:13–16).
• “Of Plymouth Plantation”
by William Bradford
Bradford’s firsthand chronicle remains one of the most important historical documents in American and Christian history. Read the story as he lived it — the storms, the starving time, the peace treaty with Massasoit, and the providential mercies that shaped a people who trusted God more than comfort.
• 1599 Geneva Bible
Read the Bible of the Pilgrims! This is the translation that crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower and the English translation that pre-dates the King James Version. Being the first study Bible, with Reformation and early Puritan-era study notes, this heirloom edition is a treasure for every Christian home.
Black bonded leather w/ gold gilded pages, black ribbon bookmark, clamshell storage box, and informational CD on the Bible of the Pilgrims. This beautiful edition is a most rare find!
• “Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure” (DVD)
Produced and presented by Kirk Cameron
Monumental is a 90-minute journey tracing America’s beginnings. Kirk Cameron travels across Europe and the U.S. to uncover the true “national treasure” of this nation — the faith, convictions, and guiding principles of the Pilgrims and early settlers.
A beautiful and engaging film for Christian families who want to rediscover the real story behind America’s early hope and heritage, and consider how the same biblical convictions and character that shaped our nation’s beginnings can guide its restoration and renewal today.
• “For Christ’s Kingdom in Christ’s Mountains” 16oz Mug
Our custom and signature ceramic mug — a daily reminder that the same sovereign God who guided the Pilgrims guides His people today, and through them is advancing His kingdom.
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How to Enter:
1.) Like and Follow us on Facebook
2.) Like and Share this post
3.) Tag a friend in the comments!
Giveaway runs:
November 19, 2025 – November 23, 2025
Winner announced:
Monday, November 24, 2025 at noon
Open to residents of West Virginia only
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As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember that gratitude is not an emotion we wait for — it is an act of worship we offer. The Pilgrims knew this well. Their thanks rose not from ease, but from endurance. Not from abundance, but from faith. Not from ideal conditions, but from the unchanging goodness of their God.
“Praise the Lord, because He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Let them, which have been redeemed of the Lord, show how He hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor…” (Ps. 107:1–2, GNV)
May this season turn your heart upward, deepen your gratitude, and remind you that we are pilgrims still — journeying toward a city whose builder and maker is God.
For Christ’s Kingdom in Christ’s Mountains!