A local church will pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in more ways than one this month.

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 1201 Twombly Road, DeKalb, is joining forces with several area churches to put on its annual MLK Day service.

On Jan. 19, a special church service will invite the public to celebrate the legacy of the late civil rights leader. It will all take place at 6 p.m. at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

The Rev. Joe Mitchell, pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, said it’s all about ensuring King’s message remains alive.

“It’s always a great time to come together to reflect, to celebrate the things that Dr. King did, and for us to continue to try to make that dream a reality,” Mitchell said.

The service will consist of hearing excerpts from some of King’s speeches and sermons, as well as poetry, singing and musical selections.

Mitchell said the late civil rights leader’s message about fighting the evils of racism, militarism and poverty continues to resonate greatly with him, even years later.

“I think his work is even probably more salient,” Mitchell said. “Those ... evils are still alive today. And his work of galvanizing people and bringing people together, for people to work together to fight those few evils, there’s still work that needs to be done to this day.”

Other participating churches include Malta United Methodist Church, Grace United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of DeKalb, the United Methodist Church of Sycamore, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Federated Church of Sycamore, Rollo United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb.

If unable to attend in person, the service will be broadcast for all to watch on Facebook.

Also this month, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church will host what organizers are calling a “beloved community town hall.”

On Jan. 19, the church welcomes the public for pizza and conversation while connecting with local services and nonprofits. It starts at 1 p.m. at Mitchell Elementary School, 1240 Normal Road.

The idea behind the event started about two months ago. Around that time, Mitchell decided he wanted to host a program in the Annie Glidden North neighborhood that would bring the community together in the spirit of King.

“With it being a new school now in the community and knowing the amazing work that law enforcement had been doing, I thought it’d be a good way for all of us to come together and have a positive message, and talk about positive things happening in the community,” Mitchell said.

It’s no coincidence that the town hall will take place on MLK Day.

Mitchell said it is all by design.

“It’s intentional because it’s around Dr. King’s idea of beloved community,” Mitchell said. “That’s what he talks about often during his work and during his ministry.”

Students from Mitchell Elementary School on hand for the town hall meeting will be encouraged to share what they know about King, what he did, and what that means for them.

Mitchell said there’s a lot for people to gain from these events.

“I’m hoping people take away and hear the importance of communal action,” he said. “Together, what we all do collectively to make this nation and make this community – the city – a better place for everybody, and that’s what it’s about. ... His work in equality was all about making life good for everyone. We want to make sure that that’s heard and that people come together to do that work.”