Scripture says "faith without works is dead".
 
At a vigil Wednesday, Youngstown's clergy and community leaders met to lay out their plan to put their faith to work.
 
The foundation - 70 days of prayer and fasting.
 
Beyond the spiritual significance in that number, the coinciding with the unofficial end of Summer.
 
"We believe we can curtail some of the violence in our community and change the narrative and energy by having a powerful presence of the faithful," says Rev. Lewis Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.
 
But where do the works come in?
 
Dr. Irvin Waller, professor emeritus of criminology at Canada's University of Ottawa, says applying proven tools and practices like Violence Interrupters will deliver the results that vigils can't.
 
"The street workers go into the hospitals emergency rooms...this is a critical moment because when you're in a hospital emergency room, you're probably in pain...but you may have feelings of revenge so you want to go back and get the person who attacked you," says Dr. Waller.
 
Valley preachers who led Wednesday's vigil seemed to be on the same track as Dr. Waller.
 
"We're asking families and the community to enlist themselves to be mentors, volunteers," said Rev. Macklin. "It's going to take the sacred and the secular working together."
 
The works to match the faith.