The third We Are One event will encourage church unity through worship and charity fundraising for downtown Fresno, April 16. The event will begin at Eaton Plaza at 6 p.m.

Created by senior Tyler Duerr, ’09 alumnus Andrew Rurik, friend Josh Ansiel and Ryan Townsend, college pastor at Northpark Community Church, the focus of the night is to promote unity, worship and justice throughout the Christian community, according to Duerr.

“We Are One at Eaton Plaza is an attempt at amplifying our first event,” Duerr said. “It’s locally focused and directly partnered with the Community Food Bank again. We hope that including the mayor and expanding our group of church partners allows the event to have an even bigger impact on the community.

“One difference is that it’s not being held at any one church; it’s being held at a public amphitheater in the heart of downtown Fresno. We hope that this allows for a new perspective and a bigger impact on our community.”

This series of events began in Dec. 2008 with a night of worship and giving.

“We Are One was born with the hopes of uniting the church to answer Christ’s call to us as Christians,” Duerr said. “We began contacting churches from all corners of the Fresno/Clovis area in an attempt to unite as one to make a difference in the community. This first event raised $3,500 as well as five barrels filled with canned food for the Community Food Bank.”

In Feb. 2010, “We Are One: Hope for Haiti” focused on raising about $1,800 through charity organizations and donations. For the third installment in the series, Townsend hopes its impact continues to grow.

“We Are One is in the process of accomplishing great things; not because of a detailed master plan, but through relationships and God’s favor,” Townsend said. “The reasoning was that we should use our gifts to serve people; music can be a thing that unites people together to serve those in need rather than being a selfish pursuit.”

Duerr anticipates the expansion the event by coming alongside local leaders to increase publicity.

“We’ve managed to inform and include Fresno’s Mayor Ashley Swearengin on our goal,” Duerr said. “She’s provided opportunities for the event that we never thought possible. Quiring General, our sponsorship partner, has also opened many doors for the event by making our vision of We Are One at Eaton Plaza financially possible.”

The future of the events relies on the willingness of other volunteers to take on larger roles in the process.

“The future is completely up to others,” Townsend said. “More events will be dependent on whether people get on board and commit to seeing them happen.”

As for Friday’s event, the goal remains the same: to bring help to others through a night of worship and fellowship.

“We’re hoping simply for an even bigger impact, an increase in moment, and raising of awareness,” Duerr said. “We want this impact because we feel strongly about being united and acting as the church. It’s our call to arms as Christians, so let’s fight this fight together.”

For more information, read the Feb. 11 2010 article, ‘Hope for Haiti’ continues ‘We Are One’ series or check out We Are One’s Facebook page.