20,000 Expected in Downtown Detroit for April 16 Prayer Walk

DETROIT, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At least 20,000 followers of Jesus are expected to gather together in downtown Detroit as part of a massive Detroit Prayer Walk on Saturday, April 16 starting at 8:30 a.m. at Comerica Park.

Over 500 area Christian church and para church organizations from a range of city and suburban locations have committed to participate in order to pray for millions in Detroit and the region. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to volunteer for community service in a variety of ways in order to show the love of Jesus through not only prayer, but also action.

The Detroit Prayer Walk is being coordinated through a collaboration of churches and Christian organizations called EACH, which stands for Everyone a Chance to Hear. The effort includes a partnership with the national faith-based organization Volunteers of America, which will staff a volunteer action signup section at Comerica Park during the Prayer Walk.

EACH has also committed to constructing two mobile medical and dental units to help struggling people across the region through a partnership with Covenant Community Care in Detroit. In addition, EACH is committed to providing 10,000 meals a day to be served during a 40 day impact period starting Easter Sunday. The meals will be provided by Detroit Rescue Mission and Forgotten Harvest.

A morning event at the beginning of the Prayer Walk will include songs of worship by local musicians and short messages by area pastors including Bishop Edgar Vann from Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit, Bob Shirock of Oak Pointe Church in Novi, and Christopher Brooks of Evangel Ministries in Detroit. The Selected of God Choir, recently featured in the Chrysler advertisement shown worldwide on Super Bowl Sunday will also be featured.

"There is tremendous power in prayer and there is tremendous power in volunteer action," said Bishop Vann. "That is exactly what Jesus commanded us to do – to pray, listen for God's direction, and then do the work He sets before us."

The Prayer Walk will cover a 1.6-mile route from Comerica Park to the Spirit of Detroit and back along Woodward Avenue.

Parking will be available to walkers for just $5 a car and some churches will be providing bus or van transportation for some of their members.

"We hope that hearts are opened and we see a time of great renewal for our city and region – both spiritually and physically," said Pastor Shirock. "It all starts with people coming together in the name of Jesus."

More information can be found at www.eachtoday.com.

EACH stands for "Everyone a Chance to Hear." More than 500 Detroit area churches are committed to showing the love of Jesus through prayer as well as thousands of different acts of community service. The period for 40 days of prayer and action begins on Easter Sunday, April 24.

* Note – Media wishing to cover the event will have access to a riser by the main stage in front of Comerica Park for video and photography.

SOURCE EACH