Detroit church offers help to parents and children trying to deal with emotions from school shooting

DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) - A church in Detroit opened their doors Saturday night with a vigil for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and to help people right here in metro Detroit.

Christopher Marks came to his church with his 2-year-old daughter to find comfort from Friday’s shooting in Connecticut.

“I was sitting on the side of my bed this morning in tears along with my wife.  That’s something that any parent shouldn’t have to deal with.  We shouldn’t have to worry about sending our kids to school and not knowing if they are going to come home in the evening,” said Christopher. 

He also has two other young daughters with his wife Kelley Marks.  They help run the youth ministry group at Mt. Zion New Covenant Baptist Church of Detroit.  They said the kids who knew about the shooting kept asking why it happened. “That’s an answer that we don’t have,” said Christopher.  “All we know was that we are left to deal with afterwards.  And we can’t deal with that alone.”

“To let them know that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior and that we love them and that we are covering them through prayer and sacrifice and we’re here for them,” said his wife Kelley.  She is also a youth leader with the ministry group.

They wanted to be there for the rest of their community too and had a vigil inside the church where anyone, especially parents could bring their children and have them talk with pastors and counselors to help them deal with how they are feeling.

“We’re here to talk to them and hear what they have to say and let them know that this is not something they should be in fear of.  That they don’t have to be in fear of going to school every day.  That they’re covered,” said Christopher.

The vigil went from 6-7 p.m. Saturday.  Church leaders said they will be there for anyone who wants to come down to the church to talk about the school shooting or whoever needs help with what to do and say to their children who might have questions or may feel scared about going to school Monday.

The church is located at 8231 Second Avenue in Detroit.