A prayer service planned for next week will bring people together to pray for local schools after last month’s tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

“We’re trying to get as much participation from the city and people in general and city officials and clergy to come together that day for prayer,” said Joyce Wooden, co-pastor of In God We Trust Ministries. “We’re all praying in our individual spots, but just to come together in corporate prayer, that’s the whole goal of this.”

The service will be held Jan. 26 at 11 a.m. at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, 3488 Godwin Blvd. In God We Trust Ministries is sponsoring the service.

The service is in response to the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook, where a 20-year-old gunman entered the school and killed 20 first-graders and six educators before turning the gun on himself.

“We don’t want anything like that to happen in our area,” Wooden said. “We’re trying to make contact with all these people to bring focus to this situation.”

Wooden said she expects participation from Vice Mayor Charles Brown, Superintendent Deran Whitney and others.

“Hopefully, we will have other people come out and share with us,” she said.