‘Let the healing begin’ at New Life

The bullet holes have been patched, the walls have been repainted and the only thing keeping New Life Church closed Tuesday was the weather.

But things are far from normal at the Colorado Springs church, the site of Sunday’s shooting that left three dead, including the gunman, and two wounded.

Church officials announced Tuesday a “family meeting” will be held there at 7 p.m. today for church members, police and firefighters who responded to the shooting, local and state officials and the public. According to the Colorado governor’s office, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien will attend.

“Tomorrow night’s meeting will be critical to New Life Church, for our healing and for us to move forward,” pastor Brady Boyd said at a news conference.

“It’s simply a chance for us to get together for the first time after this event and let the healing begin.”

Boyd said the church plans to have Sunday services as usual, and will host a memorial service for the two teens killed early next week, once their father is able to be moved from the hospital.

But it has canceled the remaining performances of the church’s Wonderland Christmas celebration, which features a live orchestra, singing and drama, because of the shootings.

“The Bible says there is a time for mourning and a time to rejoice,” Boyd said. “We felt it was inappropriate right now, given the circumstances of our church and our mourning over the Works family, to celebrate that.”

Although security will be heightened, he said Sunday’s events showed the church’s security plans work, and he doesn’t want an overbearing police presence.

“The reality is we live in a world that is full of violence and evil,” Boyd said, adding, “We’re not going to come here on Sunday looking over our shoulders in fear we are going to be attacked.”

He said he learned through media reports of shooting suspect Matthew Murray’s rants about Christianity, but he remains at a loss to explain the tragedy.

“I wish I knew because it would give me a great deal of comfort and comfort others, but there is no way for any of us to know that now,” Boyd said.

He likened it to persecution of Christians that happens in other countries, and called the two teenagers who were killed “martyrs.”

“The reason these two young ladies were shot in the parking lot was because they were attending a church service,” he said. “In every sense of the word, these young ladies were martyrs.”

He said he has been praying for the family of the gunman, for “the parents who have to bury a young man.”

As for the gunman, Boyd said, “I forgave him immediately.”

“We’re not holding judgment against him. We’re all capable of being sinners, murderers,” he said.

AFTERMATH INFORMATION

- New Life Church will hold a “family meeting” at 7 p.m. today, a public gathering to mourn the loss of two of its members and “begin our healing process,” pastor Brady Boyd said.

- It is open to the public. c The church is offering free counseling for members from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday at Woodmen Valley Chapel’s main campus, 290 E. Woodmen Road.

- New Life is accepting donations for a memorial fund for the family of Stephanie and Rachael Works. For information, visit www.newlifechurch.org, and click on the “Works Family Memorial Fund.”

- Funeral arrangements have not been completed. New Life officials expect a memorial service to be held at the church early next week.

- New Life officials have canceled remaining performances of the Wonderland Christmas celebration.

- In Denver, there will be a memorial service today for Tiffany Johnson and Philip Crouse, who were killed in a related shooting at a Youth With a Mission facility the same day as the New Life shooting.

- The service for Johnson and Crouse will be at 10 a.m. at the Faith Bible Chapel on West 62nd Avenue and Ward Road in Denver.