'We need to grieve'

Mountainview Christian Church in Highlands Ranch held a prayer service and candlelight vigil May 8 memorializing the victims of the STEM School shooting the day before.

Senior pastor Ken Hensley led the service, which featured song and prayer from leaders of the church. At the end of the service, the congregation sang “Amazing Grace” while holding candles to remember the victims, students and families of the school — which is just down the road from the church — especially Kendrick Castillo, who died to protect others during the shooting.

Hensley described his experience at the Northridge Recreation Center, where parents were taken to reunite with their children. He talked about the different emotions he saw — from worry and confusion to relief and love.

He spoke about how he saw families coming together, evident by one family of four, with one high school-aged and one middle school-aged student, holding hands walking down Broadway.

“We need to grieve," he said. "We need to express our doubt, we need to express our anger. But in the end, if you are a person of faith, and you are a person of hope, a person that believes, I would encourage you to be a person who holds onto the God who holds onto you.”