Using music and fellowship to combat the issue of gun violence among young people

Roanoke, Virginia – As far back as I can remember, the concept of using a firearm to resolve a dispute between young people was completely out of the question.

“When I was a child . . . We had fights and we fought with our hands. And the next day, we were shaking hands and playing basketball together,” said Rev. Preston Tyler of Hill Street Baptist Church. “And so we didn’t pick up a gun.”

Now, however, youngsters under the age of 18 are becoming embroiled in gun violence, and this is happening more frequently than ever before.

“When they have gun violence, and they’re dying, they haven’t even lived a life. And that’s a major concern with us,” said the Pastor. “Because we want our babies to grow up and to flourish and be the next doctors, the next president, the next whatever. But if they keep shooting each other, that’s not gonna happen.”

The 2024 Youth Safety Summit was held on Sunday at the Hill Street Baptist Church, which was the host location. Through the use of music, motivating talks, and camaraderie, the event brought attention to the message that the church wants to convey to young people, which is “guns down, prayers up.”

“We’re trying to make awareness that you don’t have to pick up a gun. You can pick up the Bible, you can pick up a friend and come on over to the church and have fun here,” said Rev. Tyler.

These are the kinds of gatherings that bring the community and the church together in order to do something positive.

“We’re not giving up. We’re gonna keep going, we’re gonna keep pushing. And we’re gonna keep striving to make sure that we can solve problems without having gun violence,” assured Rev. Tyler.

To make Roanoke a more secure place to live and to ensure a bright future for the next generation in the Star City.