New Providence Baptist Church, 2411 Beaver Valley Pike, New Providence, will host a service of remembrance on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. The service will offer a way for anyone who has lost a loved one or friend to honor his or her memory and discuss ways to cope with the grief that accompanies the holiday season without them.

The service will begin with a special musical composition, after which pastor Ron Rush will address attendees and speak about heaven and losing a loved one around the holidays. The event will also feature two guest speakers who will discuss the subject: Pam Zimmerman and Connie Kreider. Zimmerman and Kreider will sing a couple of arrangements, accompanied by harp, and the service will conclude with a candle lighting and final prayer. After the service of remembrance, attendees will be invited to share light refreshments in the church's fellowship hall.

Zimmerman lost her husband, Don Enterline, in August 1996 when he drowned at the age of 41 in the Susquehanna River during his annual fishing trip with his son. Kreider's eldest daughter, Rebecca, died at the age of 27 after having a brain aneurysm in April 2010. Both Zimmerman and Kreider will share their stories and methods for navigating the holiday season and remembering their loved ones.

"The purpose of this service is to give those mourning the losses of loved ones an opportunity to experience a Christmas service where the absence of those loved ones is acknowledged," said Trina Barr, organizer for the service of remembrance.

Barr began the service of remembrance five years ago and has held it at a different location each year. Barr first thought of beginning the program after the GriefShare program, which she also organizes, concluded for the year. The service of remembrance serves as a way for members of the community to continue to support each other through grief through the end of the year.

During the candle-lighting ceremony, each attendee will light five candles, each with its own meaning: one candle is lit for grief, one for love, one for hope, one for courage and one for memories. Rush will speak during the candle lighting and assist attendees. "It's important that we celebrate the life that we have shared with each other and cherish the time we spend with loved ones," said Barr.

For more information, contact Barr at jebarr@frontier.com.