The Westmont Presbyterian Church held a community prayer service on Tuesday evening for Westmont and surrounding neighborhoods. This comes in a time of multiple school threats across our region and feelings of uncertainty in our community.
“There have been so many threats that have been happening in not just our local school district but in all kinds of surrounding areas," said Danielle Kendig, Director of Christian Education Westmont Presbyterian Church. "At Westmont here we felt the need to create a space for our community to be able to come together in prayer and solidarity.”
Community violence prevention efforts are some of the most effective ways in dealing with public threats according to the CDC.
“When it comes down to it, these are the kinds of events and services that we and other churches should be holding more often," said Kendig. "It shouldn’t be just coming together in a time of fear, worry or crisis.”
The church emphasizes the multitude of ways that services like these can impact our neighborhoods.
"We want people to be able to take that out into the community or out into their homes or into the schools and feel a sense of empowerment," said Kendig. "Knowing that there is this community of the church and the community of the neighborhood and that it’s together and connected within them and they’re not alone and not feeling isolated. We hope that it brings hope and resilience and just an overall sense of community that they’re together.”
Helpful links:
Violence Prevention Strategies
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