A Pub Was Never This Good

(I so wanted to go to this crusade!)

Thursday, May 4, 2006

They all came for God: New Zealanders come in droves to Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) -- More than 21,000 New Zealanders filled the Westpac Center Arena in Christchurch, April 28-30 to hear evangelist Greg Laurie. The event was New Zealand's first full-scale evangelistic event, making it one of the largest evangelistic outreaches in the country's history.

Over three nights, some 21,000 adults, teens, and children gathered at the arena to listen to popular music from Christian recording artists Audio Adrenaline, Steven Curtis Chapman, and The Katinas before settling in to listen intently to the message of God's forgiveness and love presented each evening by Southern California pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie.

Speaking conversationally on topics like, "Jesus and the Skeptic," "Everyday Jesus," and "Immortality," Laurie addressed spiritual issues head-on, explaining the need for a Savior and the ultimate price Jesus paid for humanity.

As Laurie described the forgiveness that is available and free to anyone who asks, over the course of the weekend more than 2,000 people made their way to the floor of the Westpac Centre to commit their lives to Christ.

The Press newspaper in Christchurch reported that Laurie gave a "straight-from-the-shoulder message which held the audience spellbound for 40 minutes."

The paper reported: "Some came for the music, some came to hear Greg Laurie, but they all came for God. Thousands of people last night packed the Westpac Centre for the first night of Harvest '06."

Harvest ’06 chairman Pastor Murray Robertson said: "Christchurch has not been visited by this caliber of preaching since Billy Graham was here in 1959. Greg Laurie connected with us as a common man, which is what the Kiwis so appreciate about him." Pastor Robertson himself came to faith in Christ at Mr. Graham's crusade in Christchurch.

Some 120 local churches worked together for two years to bring Harvest '06 with Greg Laurie to the area, and they left no stone unturned to spread word of the event throughout the South Island. Despite a population of nearly 350,000, for weeks Christchurch appeared to be blanketed in Harvest '06 bumper stickers, billboards, and bus ads, and the question everyone seemed to be asking was, "Who is Greg Laurie?"

That question came in handy during the weekend as 50 teens from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, called the SWAT Team (Students with a Testimony) joined with local churches to provide answers about Harvest '06.

The students, who each paid their own way to New Zealand, talked with youth at coffee shops and local hangouts, inviting them to attend the event and sharing their own powerful stories of God’s transformation in their lives. During the weekend, the SWAT Team led 150 people -- primarily youth -- to faith in Christ.

Local media also jumped on the bandwagon as curiosity about the Harvest '06 event grew. In addition to coverage from The Press, hosts from a popular rock station interviewed Greg Laurie about the event, and nationally recognized radio talk show host Simon Barnett served as the emcee for the Sunday evening program.

"The Harvest Team and Greg Laurie have elevated the awareness in our city that we need the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have come as servants and have demonstrated that there is hope for our city. We've never seen anything like this," said David MacGregor, senior pastor, Vineyard Fellowship in Christchurch.

While the first night of Harvest '06 nearly filled the Westpac Center, the Saturday night Amplify youth program was overflowing, with some 8,000 in attendance before the doors were closed, leaving outside hundreds who did not arrive in time to stake out a seat.

The latest and loudest music from alternative band Audio Adrenaline, Grammy Award-winning musician Steven Curtis Chapman, and local band Satellite was a definite draw, but it was the message from Laurie that appeared to really capture the attention of the youth in attendance.

"The youth of Christchurch have shown a great hunger to hear the word of God," said John Collins, executive director of Harvest Ministries. Indeed, by the end of the evening, 863 youth came forward to declare a decision to follow Christ -- more than 10 percent of the crowd.

At the conclusion of the three-day Harvest '06 event, Collins added, "Every pastor I've spoken to locally believes Christchurch has been profoundly impacted by this weekend's events. The sense among Christians here is that God has begun a work that will continue on long after this weekend. It is our hope and prayer that many of the young people who were introduced to Jesus Christ these last three days will grow up to impact their generation for Christ."

Harvest Crusades, known for presenting traditional Christian beliefs in a culturally relevant way that appeals to all ages, employing of-the-moment methods like Internet technology and popular Christian music, has drawn more than 3.3 million people to stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 1990. Each Harvest event features a message from Greg Laurie, founder of the Harvest events and pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the 15 largest churches in the U.S.

Archived web casts of Harvest '06 in Christchurch, New Zealand are available for viewing at www.harvest.org

 Harvest with Greg Laurie will hold two additional crusade events in 2006, including its 17th annual Southern California Harvest in Anaheim, Aug. 11 – 13, and a first-time visit to San Jose, California, Oct. 13 – 15.

MEDIA NOTE: For more information about the 2006 Harvest with Greg Laurie events, contact Laura Swickard McGowan at (847) 328-8009 or cellular (847) 347-5206. E-mail: laura@lauramcgowan.com; website: www.lauramcgowan.com