USA (MNN) — On Monday, six families in Nashville, Tennessee received the heartbreaking news that their loved one was killed in another tragic school shooting. A 28-year-old female shot her way into a Christian elementary school before gunning down three staff members and three nine-year-old students.
Responding police officers quickly made their way into the school and took out the shooter. The whole ordeal took just under 15 minutes. The shooter had been a former student at the elementary school.
Fred Pry, Assistant Vice President, USA Ministries for Child Evangelism Fellowship says they are in touch with local CEF staff in Nashville. “CEF is actually heartbroken by the events yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee and at The Covenant School. The Bible tells us to weep with those that are weeping, and they certainly are and we do as well.
“We reached out to [CEF staff] as soon as the news broke…and contacted our state director there. Of course, they’re heartbroken and they’re reaching out to the school and the community and the churches in the area to see if they can support them in some way.”
Representative photo of a school hallway. (Photo courtesy of Kyo Azuma via Unsplash)
In the wake of horrible tragedy in the Christian community of Nashville, grief-stricken believers are coming together.
CEF’s state director in Tennessee, Jeff Nichols, recently began a relationship with The Covenant School in Nashville. Nichols has reached out to his contacts at the elementary school to offer support from the ministry.
Pry says, “We want to serve the community. We want to serve the hurting.”
CEF offers biblical trauma resources for kids through their “Do You Wonder Why?” booklet. Sadly, this isn’t the first time this booklet has been distributed following a school shooting in the US.
“In fact, that booklet was used after the Uvalde school shooting that took place,” Pry says. “I personally had taken a vanload of booklets down there and we distributed them all in Uvalde, Texas to all the churches and God used that in a mighty way. That’s what we would like to do here in Nashville as well.”
Do You Wonder Why?, booklet by CEF. (Photo courtesy of Child Evangelism Fellowship)
If you want to give towards CEF’s Gospel ministry to kids, click here.
You can also contact CEF for information on other ways the ministry could use support as they serve the heartbroken Nashville community.
Pry reflects, “When these tragedies happen, it takes time for people just to get over the shock of it and then the question comes, ‘Well, what can we do to support the people that need support?’ Of course, people will come from all different areas. There will be counselors that are brought into the situation for the children, I’m sure, and pastors will get involved. That’s usually when we then have an open door to to provide these booklets because they’re meeting with people, they’re reaching out to people.”
In the meantime, Pry says, “We can’t minimize the value of prayer…. We had a time of prayer specifically praying for the folks, all the people that are involved — the school, the churches, the community, the families, and even the family of the shooter because we know that they are hurting as well today.”
Pray wisdom for CEF staff members serving as the hands and feet of Jesus in Nashville. Ask the Lord to be very near grieving families and kids, that they would sense His comfort.
Header photo courtesy of Mike Labrum via Unsplash.
