Harvest Crusades
In 1990 Greg Laurie started holding his first public evangelistic event which would soon be called the Harvest Crusades. Since the first Crusade it has been estimated that nearly 4 million people have attended in stadiums, amphitheaters, and like venues.
A typical Harvest Crusade begins with worship—a foundation that Laurie believes to be very important. After opening worship, songs from the Harvest Crusade Band (or local "praise teams" depending on the venue) and featured guest musicians perform and share stories of how they believe God has changed their lives. Since all Harvest Crusades are held at the invitation of local churches, it is not uncommon for local pastors and other special guests to offer prayers between musical performances. After the music is finished, Laurie presents a simple evangelical gospel message from the Bible, often advertised as a "down to earth talk about heaven." At the end of this message, Laurie invites the attendees to come forward toward the stage and publicly repent from their sins, profess their trust in Jesus Christ, and ask for salvation. After coming forward, each individual is greeted by a trained volunteer "decision follow-up counselor" from a local church. These counselors pray with the supplicants, answer questions, and provide them with free materials including a Bible.
Harvest Crusades are always free and open to the public. Some venues the organization has used charge for parking, but Harvest Crusades receives no compensation from these venues. Instead, the organization is supported by private donations.
Read more about this topic: Harvest Christian Fellowship
Famous quotes containing the words harvest and/or crusades:
“Power lasts ten years; influence not more than a hundred.”
—Korean proverb, quoted in Alan L. Mackay, The Harvest of a Quiet Eye (1977)
“During the crusades all were religious mad, and now all are mad for want of it.”
—J.G. (John Gabriel)