Living Memorial Tree
The 33rd Annual Children’s Memorial Service took place Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Brook Hill.
The Children’s Memorial Service is held each December at Brook Hill for families who have lost a child. The service is a quiet time to grieve, but also to reflect and find strength by comforting others going through the same pain. The Children’s Memorial Service began in 1990 by Jim Witmer, whose friend had lost a child and who was searching for peace. Today it continues as a safe place to laugh and cry and share stories about loved ones, those recently deceased or gone for many years. The service traditionally ends with singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.
Each year, a Living Memorial Tree is decorated with ornaments inscribed with a child’s name, and their birth and death dates. The tree has a place of honor in the sanctuary.
2023 Service
This year’s service was live-streamed and is viewable below and on Brook Hill’s YouTube channel. Follow along with the bulletin for the service [PDF].