In celebration of Constitution Day, members of the community will come together to attend “The Constitution — Now and Forever,” an event with lectures on Sept. 18.

As children, both Dr. Craig Merrell and his wife, Teresa Merrell, grew up loving the country they live in, said Teresa Merrell. While she said that residing in parts of the country near historical sites may have contributed to her love of America, Craig Merrell said that much of his patriotism derived from the family he grew up in.

Craig Merrell said he has traveled to many countries and seen a lot of things. But he was always happy to return to his county when his trip was over.

“I still feel that way today, that I’m living in the greatest country on Earth,” he said.

With his interest in his country, and more specifically the Constitution, he purchased 1,000 copies of it from the National Center for Constitutional Studies and placed them in his medial practice for patients to take one home.

There was just one catch: he made them agree to actually read it. Teresa Merrell said the document proved popular.

“Clearly, if 1,000 copies of the Constitution disappear, there’s an interest,” she said on the situation. “And if there’s an interest, it’s great to get together to learn and probe.”

When the Merrells discussed the idea of holding an event, they decided to speak to a leader in their church. President Barton Sloat, formerly a member of the military, was open to the idea and helped coordinate their usage of their church building. Sloat will be making a speech, however, this will be not be a religious event, said Teresa Merrell.

When the couple called to set up another speaker, they ended up getting connected to Dr. Glenn Kimber, whom they had heard of but never expected to get as a speaker. Kimber is the current president of The Thomas Jefferson Center for Constitutional Studies, Teresa Merrell said. To their surprise, Kimber was available because he happened to be planning a trip to the area around the time the couple was planning the event.

The lectures will include topics such as how the constitution continues to be relevant in our society and why children need to be brought up to understand the significance of it.

During the function, there will also be a musical performance of “America the Beautiful” by a double quartet, Craig Merrell said.

“I just think if you read the lyrics of that song, it says so much about who we are,” he added. He considers the song to be among his favorite patriotic pieces.

Following the event, some refreshments will be provided by the church, Teresa Merrell said.

The couple hopes to continue the holding the event annually, and in the future, possibly include group discussions and a question-and-answer forum.

There is no need to sign up or purchase any tickets.. It will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Chesapeake Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 4759 Bennetts Pasture Road in Suffolk.