c. 2000 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) In Richmond, Va., they’ll be grilling hot dogs, visiting nursing homes and “blessing” folks with free car washes. In Hayward, Calif., they’ll be passing out vouchers for clothing and giving away Bibles.

And from Pittsburgh to Denver, there are plans for major collections and distributions of food to hungry and homeless people.

Across the country and the world, churches are gearing up to take part in Jesus Day 2000 on June 10. The day is an extension of previous observances of the March for Jesus, in which mostly evangelical Christians have marched, prayed and sung in city streets.

But this year, organizers decided to take their efforts a giant step forward.

More than singing, the day is a focus on service.

“It’s a call to the church, first of all, to become more like Jesus,” said Tom Pelton, organizer of Jesus Day 2000. “It’s a call for us to do what Jesus did and to approach people the way Jesus approached people with humility and with servanthood and with care and with compassion.”

The March for Jesus has traditionally been particularly popular with charismatic Christians, but Jesus Day’s focus on the needy has prompted a broader involvement of Christians. Organizers nationwide say the event will be interracial and interdenominational, including Pentecostals, other evangelicals, mainline Protestants and Catholics.

The Rev. Jim Wallis, convener of Call to Renewal, an alliance of religious organizations working to overcome poverty and racism, said he and Pelton’s umbrella groups are pooling their resources on that day _ and he hopes far beyond it.

Wallis hopes the cooperation on June 10 will lead to greater achievements concerning public policy to reduce the number of the nation’s poor.

“The fact that we’ve got almost now every group involved, we’re getting closer to that day when the churches are going to speak with a unified voice on this question,” he said.

Pelton said Jesus Day events are planned in about 500 U.S. cities and more than 100 other countries.

He hopes it will bring together Christians who have focused primarily on either social action or evangelism rather than both.

“I think the bottom line is that we all need each other and that we can help one another really communicate the whole gospel,” he said.

George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group, said the plans for the day fit into a pattern of expressions of concern by church groups about the poor and disadvantaged. But while most Americans consider poverty to be a major issue, only 1 in 5 adults surveyed gave time or money to help the poor in the previous 12 months.

“I think the real question will be: `Beyond a one-day event, will Christians actually take the ball and run with it for a prolonged period of time?”’ said Barna, whose firm is based in Ventura, Calif.

Pelton said the recent focus by some evangelicals on racial reconciliation and prayer for their cities has helped propel Jesus Day 2000 participants to do more work outside their church walls.

“There’s just a whole new climate,” he said.

MaryRose Ramos, organizer for the events in Hayward, Calif., said the unity that began with groups marching and singing together in the streets once a year has served as a foundation for them to work together now in other ways.

“It’s kind of along with that `What Would Jesus Do?’ kind of thing,” she said. “When he was here, he didn’t sit only in the temple. He was out among the people. There’s a need to do that. Our churches have abundance and we need to share that.”

Local organizers also say the infusion of a service-oriented aspect of the day has boosted church involvement in Jesus Day.

“I think people really have been touched with the vision of having a joint day of service and celebration,” said Jeanine Guidry, Jesus Day 2000 organizer for Richmond, Va. “A lot of times in the Christian world we see either/or …. The vision behind Jesus Day is that they’re both part of the same picture.”

The Rev. Phil Eberhart, an Episcopal priest and the citywide director for Jesus Day 2000 in Denver, said there are more mainline Protestants and a wider array of denominations involved this year than in the past March for Jesus events.

“The needs are so great in our culture that I think everyone can rally around that and work together,” he said.

Ramos said churches in the San Francisco Bay area are “adopting” blocks for the day _ from a trailer park to areas known for gang activity to a block where middle-class, working people live.

“Feeding the hungry can also mean the spiritually hungry,” she said. “We didn’t want to go just to disadvantaged areas. We wanted to do things that were appropriate for all the people that are here.”

Pelton wants the hopes of the day _ that no child will be hungry, that those who are suffering will not be alone _ to become everyday goals for Christians across the globe.

“This day represents what we’re hoping will become a lifestyle for the church and the nation,” he said.

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