(Seattle)-On Sunday, hundreds gathered at the University District campus of Pursuit Church for a moving candlelight vigil. Attendees held flags, shared Scripture, and remembered LeBron Givaun, known by friends as a loving husband, father, and recent follower of Christ. One young woman shared that lighting a candle felt like “lifting hope above the gunfire.” Another church member said, “It’s powerful to see strong faith and raw grief standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder.” Community leaders stood with the Givaun family and committed to ongoing prayer and support.
Shortly before 7:20 p.m. on July 31, the 28‑year‑old and his family arrived for a young adult BBQ at the Pursuit Church in Seattle’s University District. Witnesses described seeing a white Elantra pull into the parking lot and someone inside open fire. Givaun was struck once and collapsed near the steps. Emergency crews could not revive him, and no one else suffered injuries. Based on patterns at the scene and witness accounts, authorities characterized the shooting as a deliberate, targeted act, not random violence.
Praying For Pursuit Church And Those Affected
Almighty Father,
You know every name. You see every tear. You watch as raw grief intersects holy ground, when bullets fly where worship should rise. Right now, the family of LeBron Givaun grieves. The young widow moves forward with a son at her side. Pursuit Church bears the weight of loss, longing for sanctuary to be sacred again. We ask for Your nearness. As Scripture put it so tenderly, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18)
Bring peace, O God—not a truce with pain, but a comfort high above it. Turn the steps outside their church, once a crime scene, into a place of hope, refuge, and healing.
Lord Jesus,
You wept at tombs, even though You’d raise them. Let Pursuit Church become a living vigil, cradling the result of faith wounded, not defeated. May the staff under Pastor Johnson and Amy Wuerch walk gently with the Givaun family. Open hearts to weep together. Let the lives impacted see You more fully.
From tragedy, sow mission. From grief, birth ministry. Turn memories into ministry. Make mercy their message. Let Pursuit Church rise with worship louder than fear, with care deeper than despair. Let this tragedy not be the last chapter but the catalyst for a resurrection of love and gospel vision.
We pray for the city of Seattle, wounded by violence and weary of unbelief. Let this moment not be glossed over. Call church leaders, laypeople, city officials, community members into one chorus: “Here am I, send me.”
In Your name,
Jesus—our Advocate, our Shepherd, our Peace. Amen.
Pastor Rick Penn is an ordained pastor, writer, and the founder of Get-Prayer.com, a resource built to help believers develop a consistent, grounded prayer life.
With more than 20 years of preaching the Gospel, Pastor Rick brings deep theological training and lived pastoral experience to everything he writes. He holds a Master of Divinity from Virginia University of Lynchburg, an M.A. with a concentration in New Testament Studies from Baptist Bible Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Averett University.
His writing reflects a personal commitment to making prayer accessible to everyday Christians. Whether he is writing a prayer for someone in a hospital waiting room, walking through fear about the future, or sitting down with a blank prayer journal for the first time, Pastor Rick writes from a place of both theological grounding and pastoral care.
Pastor Rick hosts In The Moment, a Christian television program airing on Roku through AIM Christian Television. Viewers can watch the show at aimchristian.com/yourmoment and listen as a podcast on Spotify.
Before founding Get-Prayer.com, he served in the U.S. Navy, where he built his communication skills as a writer, editor, and public affairs professional. He now applies those disciplines directly to ministry and teaching.
Every article on this site reflects his core conviction: Prayer is not a performance of faith. It is the daily practice that holds everything else together.
Pastor Rick Penn is the author of all content on Get-Prayer.com.
Rick currently resides in Pennsylvania, where he continues to teach, write, and encourage believers to deepen their walk with God through prayer and the study of Scripture.
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