A Message to Our Church Family

Dear Church Family,

We write to you with heavy hearts to share deeply tragic news.

On Tuesday, our dear brother Nic Crews was the victim of a shooting and died yesterday afternoon. We are shocked, grieved, and struggling to take this in. There are no words that can make sense of a loss like this. Please be in prayer for Nic’s wife, Alyssa, and their young children, and all who loved him. Pray for God’s mercy, comfort, and nearness in the midst of this unimaginable sorrow.

Many of you were with us at our recent night of lament. We now find ourselves living in the very prayers we offered—crying out to God in confusion, anger, and deep grief. Scripture gives us permission to mourn honestly while still turning toward the Lord, who is “near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

When we gather this Sunday, we will make space to grieve together, to pray, and to hold onto the hope we have in Christ—even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

We are grateful that a team from Trauma Recovery Network will be available to offer their counseling services free of charge at 1pm after service ends in the Family Learning Center. Since we do not know how many people will decide to utilize their services, we ask for your patience as they will  do the best they can with the volunteers that are there. 

Lord, have mercy on us all. With love and sorrow,

The elders and ministry staff