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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (April 8, 2010) – Organizers of the upcoming Men’s Rally in the Valley Christian men’s conference at the Covelli Centre today announced final plans for the May 8 event, including the full schedule, 30 nights of local prayer meetings and a new Men’s Rally video featuring Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams.

            The schedule is posted on the event’s Web site at www.mensrally.org, and includes the starting times for Dave Dravecky, Rev. Gary Frost and five other speakers, four local church praise bands and drama group 34west.

            The 30 nightly prayer meetings that began Wednesday are scheduled at churches of various denominations throughout the Mahoning Valley, concluding with a prayer walk beginning 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 from Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Youngstown to the Covelli Centre.  The kickoff prayer meeting Wednesday was held at Triedstone Baptist Church on the city’s East Side.

            The Men’s Rally in the Valley, organized by volunteers from more than 30 Youngstown-area churches, aims to challenge Christian men to “walk the walk” of their faith, reaching beyond mere church attendance and tradition to follow the teachings of Jesus consistently.

            In the new video, Mayor Jay Williams talks about what the Mahoning Valley would be like if thousands of Christian men commit to “walk the walk” of their faith.

            The results would include an outpouring of love and forgiveness, he said.

            “Crime would decrease, our families would be stronger, and our children would have better role models,” Mayor Williams said.

            He also said such genuine commitment from thousands of local Christian men would create “a powerful witness to the transformative power of Christianity.”

            “If we as Christian men would stand with our families, and with our pastors,” he says, “that would send a strong signal and I believe other men would ask, ‘How can we be Christians also?’”

            The mayor asks in the video for prayer for the May 8 event.

            “I am excited about what prayer and commitment from Christian men could mean for the future of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley,” he said.

            The video is posted on the Men’s Rally Web site, at www.mensrally.org, and on YouTube.

            Tickets for the Men’s Rally are on sale at the Web site for $15, including lunch at the Covelli Centre (if purchased before May 3).  They are also on sale at the Lion & Lamb Christian Book Store in Salem, the Pasko & Associates insurance agency in Poland and several other locations listed on the Web site’s Get Tickets page.