Longest Night service planned Wednesday in Kennewick

Two Tri-City churches are teaming up to offer a Longest Night service Wednesday, with the aim of providing comfort and a safe place for those hurting the holiday season.

The service starts at 7 p.m. at Kennewick First United Methodist Church, 2 S. Dayton St.

The Kennewick church is joining with Riverview United Methodist Church in Pasco to put on the program.

“The holidays can be a struggle for a lot of people, especially if something is missing from their lives — if they’ve lost a job, if a loved one has died,” said Pastor Jerry Poole of the Kennewick church.

The service will include readings from the Bible, music and prayer. Everyone in the community is invited to attend.

Longest Night services are a tradition in many Christian churches. Typically held on Winter Solstice — the date with the shortest day and longest night — they recognize that Christmas isn’t always joyful for all.

“For me and a lot of us, it’s a time of joy. But it can bring out whatever else is going on (in a person’s life). It has a way of accenting whatever is going,” Poole said.

The hope with the service is to help people on a path to finding joy and celebration once again, he said.

This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Longest Night service planned Wednesday in Kennewick."