10/16/2026
From Pastor Dale:
I’m praying for my family and community of Bend, Oregon, this morning. I pastored Grace Baptist Church in Bend for 14 years. We ministered to a number of students in that community and we loved our time there.
I love kids. I’ve shed some tears since yesterday’s tragedy. This is why our church is applying such a stringent safety protocol in our children’s and youth ministry. We shouldn’t have to live with this concern, but we live in a broken world.
My 9 year old niece attends Silver Rail where the shooting occurred, and she is safely home this morning. Pray for her and all these precious children today.
2 Corinthians 1–“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
My son is a music teacher in nearby Redmond. He shouldn’t have to be concerned with such a tragedy happening in his classroom, but he lives with that weight daily.
My oldest niece is a volleyball coach at Bend High. She shouldn’t have this concern for her team, but she carries it on her capable shoulders.
My younger niece is a staff member at Bend High, and her husband coaches the water polo team there. They shouldn’t have to have this weight of concern and worry, but they do.
My two nephews teach and coach—one in Redmond, OR, and one in Anchorage, AK. They shouldn’t also have to be looking for danger daily, but that’s the reality of their jobs.
I’m praying for each of them by name this morning. I encourage you to pray for every educator and school staff member that you know today.
Pray for those impacted by this tragedy. Pray for the shooter’s family. Pray for the victim’s families. Pray for the heroic private citizen who ran toward the danger and put himself in harm’s way to save lives. Pray for every first responder you know who has to deal with what they see in a daily basis.
