 Greg Laurie |
Evangelist Greg Laurie, a weekend WND columnist, is preparing for this weekend’s Southern California Harvest 2009 in Anaheim, Calif., and says despite having done pastoral ministry since the age of 19, he’s depending on other people for the success of the events.
On his blog at GregLaurie.com, he says this year’s event, a celebration of 20 years of evangelistic ministry in Southern California, will depend on those who come to the meetings at Angel Stadium.
“I hope you are all planning on coming and, most importantly, bringing someone with you that does not yet know the Lord,” he writes. “We have found that 85 percent of those who come forward at the invitation to follow Christ were brought by a friend.
“Someone like you,” he writes.
Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., launched his pastoral ministry leading a Bible study of 30 people when he was 19. Since then, the small group has grown into a church of about 15,000. The congregation today is not only one of the largest in the nation but also ranked one of the most influential.
Laurie started large-scale public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades in 1990, and about 3.9 million people have attended over the years in stadiums in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
This year’s events in Anaheim, marking perhaps the longest-running annual outreach in the country, will include messages from Laurie and will be highlighted by performances from top Christian artists Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Relient K, Skillet, the Katinas and Crystal Lewis.
The events are free – except for the Angel Stadium parking fees – and broadcast live on the Internet at Harvest.org, with video podcasts and blog accounts at GregLaurie.com.
Participants also are being asked to contribute food that will be collected for the homeless in the Los Angeles County area through the Fred Jordan Mission.
The event trademark is the straightforward gospel message, presented in a culturally relevant format. Christians are encouraged to invite friends, family members, coworkers and acquaintances to hear the message of the Bible.
Since the launch of Harvests, more than 317,000 people have expressed a decision to follow Jesus, the organization reports.
Laurie also serves on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, and he holds honorary doctorates from Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.
“Remember, God reaches people through people,” he’s written on his blog.
WND reported last year when thousands responded to the Gospel message delivered by Laurie during his Greater Philadelphia Harvest 08.
“Life is filled with pain, but God can intervene and change you and forgive whatever sin you have committed,” he told the crowds attending there. “It’s not about how good or bad you are; it’s about Jesus. If you’ll come to Him, he will forgive you.”
Laurie also has been talking about the tragic vehicle accident that claimed the life of his son, Christopher, 33.
“To hear that your son has died is a parent’s worst nightmare. If I didn’t have Christ in my life giving me hope, I don’t know how I could have gotten through a single day,” he told people in Philadelphia.
“But Christopher was ready to meet God. The moment he took his last breath on earth, he took his first breath in heaven,” Laurie said.
“I’ll never be at peace with death, because death is the enemy.
But here’s the good news. Christ has overcome death because he died on the
cross and rose again. Death does not have the final word – God has the final
word. When a believer in Jesus Christ dies, he goes immediately into the
presence of God,” he said.
Related offers:
Are We Living in the Last Days? How to be Prepared for the Lord’s Return
For Every Season: Daily Devotions (hardcover)
