A local church has a mission this week and in honor of Valentine's Day, it's centered all around love.

They say it's something that many people don't understand.

The Unitarian Universalist church of the Shenandoah Valley is a church in Stephens City that considers themselves a liberally religious community.

They don't turn anyone away and say they're fully committed to the inclusion of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered community into society.

To support their members, friends and beliefs, they are using Valentine's Day week to support marriage equality.

"What we want to do is raise awareness of that issue, but also make sure that people see there are religious people that are advocating for marriage equality. We aren't advocating for marriage equality in spite of our faith. We're advocating for marriage equality because of our faith," said Reverend Paul Britner.

The church will hold public vigils all week:

Monday, Feb. 11: Front Royal Courthouse
Tuesday, Feb. 12: Strasburg, Massanutten/King Streets
Wednesday, Feb. 13: Berryville, Main/Buckmarsh Streets
Thursday, Feb. 14: Winchester Courthouse
Friday, Feb. 15: Winchester, Creekside Station
Sunday, Feb. 17: Stephens City, Valley Pike/Fairfax Streets

Members will be holding signs and handing out "tie the knot" ribbons to support same-sex couples.

The church says this is not a protest but a public witness for a cause that is very important and affects many people in our community.

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