Pastors seek funding from business community

The Carson City Ministerial Fellowship is coming to the business community to ask for assistance to create an impact center.

The center would provide training for "restorative justice mediators," crisis counselors and chaplains, meeting rooms for mediation and a coffee house and youth center, called Holy Grounds.

According to the Rev. Ben Fleming, the fellowship is mailing information booklets to the business community asking for support of the city-wide prayer and memorial service to be held Sept. 11 at the Carson City Community Center.

"We want the community to know this is a service of remembrance," said Fleming of the Sept. 11 Prayer 9-11 event.

Those who contribute $500 are considered bronze donors; $1,000 is a silver partner, and $5,000 is a gold partner. Each donor will be recognized in some form at the Sept. 11 event.

The Rev. Jim Hukari has compiled information and with the ministerial fellowship created a mission of their efforts.

"The impact center will be the hub of a multiplicity of city-wide efforts to reach out to youth," Hukari said in the plan.

"It should be large enough to house something like a skate-park and coffee house and intimate enough to provide things like sewing and cooking classes. The possibilities are endless."

The fellowship also sees the center's use as a mediation place or an avenue "to bring restorative justice to the region." Restorative justice seeks to include victim, offender and community to be directly involved in responding to a crime. The goal is to bring healing to all parties.

"The intention of each ministry is not that any one church would benefit, but that we could think beyond our respective 'turfs' and reach out to the whole city with the life transforming impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ," Hukari said.

IF YOU GO

What: Prayer 9-11

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 11

Where: Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.

Cost: Free

Information: 841-0525

Donations: Make checks payable to PRAY 911. All gifts are tax-deductible, a receipt will be issued by the ministerial foundation.