The tragic shooting happened thousands of miles away, but the devastation is being felt across the country.

That's why a group of Grand Junction residents gathered at a local church to do the only thing they can right now, pray.

"I feel like we're following god's purpose for the church to be there for the hurting," Church of Christ member Trisha Yeager said.

"We live in a fallen world, but it has to be that way in the sense that we have a choice, and sometimes we all make bad choices, and sometimes those choices help others, but there is hope, we can be forgiven, we can build a better world," minister John Cooper said.

Friday, Cooper and the church held a special service for the young lives lost in that Connecticut school.

"I think faith is the key to know that ultimately, there is a better world," he said.

For Cooper, it’s a service for a community he knows.

"We lived only about five miles from Newtown, and I've been through there many times, even people there were members of our church."

But it was also a service for the members of his Grand Junction church to grieve for the victims.

"In the midst of tragedy there are still people who care about each other, there are still people who care about everyone and there's still a god who cares about us," Yeager said.

About 25 people showed up for the prayer vigil, in the audience, some children just about the same age as the ones who lost their lives this Friday morning.