Just as Joshua circled the city of Jericho in the Old Testament, members of the Tri-State community will surround Ironton and pray for its redemption. But before the Joshua Walk begins on June 12, organizers are holding a community worship service to kick it all off.

“We’ve got people involved from many different churches,” said pastor Brent Baker, of Central Christian Church. “A lot of churches are canceling their services for Sunday night and are going to join us. It really is just to ask God’s blessing on the Joshua Walk.”

The worship service kick off is Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Ironton High School auditorium. Baker said more than 100 churches in the area have been contacted about the service and he hopes they will all be in attendance to get more details on the Joshua Walk and participate in the praise time, responsive readings and a lot or prayer.

And prayer is the main purpose of the Joshua Walk, Baker said, with the goal being to change the community.

“It became clear that it’s not just about Ironton anymore, but about the Tri-State community,” Baker said.

Each day for six days, participants of the Joshua Walk will gather in the evenings and pray while walking a quarter-mile stretch around Ironton. On the seventh day, the people will walk their portion seven times.

Baker said organizers and people involved with the walk have been compiling a list of prayer concerns for the community.

“The very first one on our list is to remove the drug addiction that is plaguing our community,” he said. “I think God is going to make the sure the players are going to get caught or stopped from doing what they’re doing.”

Other concerns on the prayer list include praying for economic relief, praying against alcoholism and child abuse, praying for a healthy pride in the town and that the roads be paved and the infrastructure be improved and also that the community has a sincere change of heart and attitude.

Baker said the preparation for the Joshua Walk and worship service has begun to break down the walls of the denominational divide amongst churches.

“Like I said, it’s not about Central Christian, its not about First Baptist, it’s not about First Nazarene, it’s about all of us working together,” he said. “We’re seeing churches joining arms that normally wouldn’t.”

Baker said that anyone can join the worship service and Joshua Walk, not just those that are members of a church. That is one of the reasons the worship service is being held at Ironton High School, he said.

“We didn’t what one specific church associated with it,” Baker said. “It’s about us all coming together in the ‘big C’ church not the ‘little c’ church.”

The worship service begins at 7 p.m. For more information about the Joshua Walk, visit www.joshuawalk.com or call 532-2930.