As the deadline approaches, people reliant on computers, whether for business or personal use, grow more frantic to prepare for possible complications in what has become known as the Y2K bug.

Ideas that planes will drop out of the sky, the government will shutdown, and all utilities will fail have led to the formation of committees and groups who aim to educate the public on what is expected to happen.

In a unique way, this has opened up the door for a ministry supplied by The Joseph Project 2000, which is a non-profit organization that prepares Christians to act in a time of crisis.

The "vision" of the ministry is "to prevent and respond to the potential impacts of the year 2000 computer problem in a professional and balanced manner engaging Christians in proactive personal and professional awareness, preparedness and service, so that they might be ready to bless their neighbors during any potential time of difficulty."

The Joseph Project along with a multitude of interdenominational churches are sponsoring a free one-day seminar called the "Atlanta Year 2000 Community Awareness Seminar" on Sept. 12 at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. The seminar is open to public and will be from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. followed by various break-out sessions for businesses and the community.

On Sept. 11, city officials and pastors are invited to attend a special seminar from 7-9 p.m. at the Atlanta City Hall East.

"Because of the size of the 'fix,' Y2K is no longer a technical problem, it is a resource problem that could affect the lives of individuals around the world," said Shaunti Feldhahn, founder of The Joseph Project 2000.

The seminar is modeled after one held recently in Medford, Oregon in May, who was one of the first city's to host an awareness event for the public.

Speakers at the Atlanta seminar include: Jim Lord, national Y2K speaker, consultant and author; Michael Hale, chief information officer and Y2K project director for the state of Georgia; Larry Burkett, president of Christian Financial Concepts and syndicated Christian-radio host.

Locally, Tom Cloud, a national consultant for several large corporations including Federal Express and Johnson & Johnson, will be speaking at Flat Creek Country Club in Peachtree City, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. He will open a question-and-answer forum at the end of the program. The program is free, however, reservations are required as seating is limited. For more information, call 770-487-5500.