Members of Saddleback Church are supporting those in mourning following a mass shooting at a pub near the church’s main campus that killed four people, including the suspected gunman.
Cook’s Corner, a Trabuco Canyon bar, was the location of a mass shooting Wednesday night and is just a few miles from the Saddleback College Lake Forest campus.
Saddleback In an email to The Christian Post, Pastor Andy Wood revealed that he spoke with local law police and they “set up a base camp at our Lake Forest campus” while church members “went to the hospital to minister to families,” including the family of one of the victims.
“This is a tragic event that has left our community heartbroken and dismayed,” said Wood, adding that “the one word that I experienced amongst all of them was heartbreak.”
“We are grateful for our local law enforcement and their quick response which saved many more lives. Now the work of comfort and the long journey of healing begins. And that’s where the church comes in.”
Wood believes the Church needs “to practice the ministry of presence right now,” noting that believers “don’t need to have answers or say anything profound” at this point, instead “we just need to show up and sit with people who are hurting.”
“The Bible teaches us that God draws near to the brokenhearted, so in times like this, we draw near to God, because he promises to draw near to us,” he continued. “Prayer is our first response, not our last resort.”
In keeping with the importance of prayer, Saddleback is scheduled to host a community prayer vigil on Friday evening at their Lake Forest campus and the surrounding community is invited.
“We invite anyone and everyone to join us in prayer for the family and friends that have been devastated by this tragedy, for the first responders and medical staff, and for healing in our community,” Wood told CP.