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Celebrating Advent in Hope

The annual church-to-church Advent leaves Hope United Church at 5 p.m

Local churches are gearing up for the annual Advent Walk on Dec. 5.

The community event celebrates the season leading up to Christmas. The word Advent is derived from a Latin root which means “coming” or “arrival.”

“It’s a season filled with expectation, spiritual preparation and wonder as we prepare for the anniversary of the birth of the Christ child,” said walk coordinator Ken Wotherspoon. “The walk is an opportunity to taste a bit of diversity in our church families as we proceed down the streets of Hope walking together from one church to the next one.”

Each congregation will present a 10-minute program before leading the procession to the next building.

Walkers will leave Hope United Church on Third Avenue at 5 p.m. and end at Northwest Harvest Church, where refreshments will be served following a presentation.

The Hope and Area Transition Society is joining the walk this year as part of the Hope for Peace Campaign, which raises awareness about victims of violence throughout the world.

Dec. 6 marks the anniversary of the Montreal massacre at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989. The Hope and Area Transition Society is encouraging people to light a candle on this day and take few moments to think about what they can do to raise awareness in their community.

“Violence against women affects us all and whether we realize it or not, everyone knows someone who has been directly affected by it,” said Cheryl Lacey, a councillor with the transition society.

“Perhaps it is a neighbour, a friend, a family member, an employer/employee, client, clerk, parent, teacher, nurse, doctor, actor/actress, waitress or loved one. Domestic violence is still prevalent in our society and is not limited to age, race, level of education or wealth.”

For more information on the Hope For Peace campaign, contact the Hope and Area Transition Society at 604-869-5111.