KAMLOOPS — While the holidays are a joyful time for many, some people are experiencing grief, depression or anxiety this season.
For this reason, churches in Kamloops have been hosting special services for those feeling low this Christmas.
Tonight’s (Dec. 20) Blue Christmas service will be held at the Hills of Peace Lutheran Church on Robson Drive.
It’s the third and final Blue Christmas service this season, with previous services having been held at Mount Paul United Church and Kamloops United Church.
“The three of our churches work together to try to offer services over the weeks leading up to Christmas in different parts of town, also in different weeks so that if people have more availability one week or another,” said Rev. Jane Gingrich of Hills of Peace Lutheran Church, “maybe the feeling is more intense one week than another, then there’s an opportunity for people to have that pause and that time.”
Tonight’s service begins at 7:00 p.m. and is titled a “Service of Hope and Healing.”
It will include quiet time, music, a time for prayer, communion, and the lighting of candles.
“I think it’s really important to recognize that regardless of whether a person is able to gather for this type of service, that it’s okay to feel like this isn’t a happy time of year and that it is real for people to experience struggles,” Gingrich said. “Even if people can’t come to a service where there’s a gathering of a group of people, part of a pastor’s calling is to be available to people as well. So, we have ministers, priests, pastors in a wide variety of denominations all around our city.”
