Harvest Crusades Return to Anaheim This August to Rally 'Decisions for Christ'

By Jackie Johnson
Special to ASSIST News Service

ANAHEIM, CA (ANS) -- Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie will bring the world to Anaheim this summer when it returns to Orange County, California, for its 22nd year running.

Greg Laurie

Riverside, California, pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie will deliver his trademark message of "hope and forgiveness" to crowds gathered for the "2011 Anaheim Harvest" at Angel Stadium, August 12 - 14, appealing not only to those gathered in the stadium, but to tens of thousands more who will watch a live broadcast of the evangelistic outreach via the Internet. Last year, the Crusades claimed over 11,034 decisions for Christ, not including the 755 that accepted Christ through Laurie's internet campaign.

According to a news release from Laura Swickard McGowan on behalf of Harvest Crusades, last year's number of Internet viewers easily doubled those of Anaheim's arena in-person attendance, with some 290,000 connections to the live webcast made by people from 47 countries. The Harvest Crusades will be webcast live again this year, utilizing additional online evangelism tools to reach an even larger audience.

Hosted by more than 145 churches -- from Irvine to Riverside to Temecula -- and utilizing 7,000 volunteers, this year's outreach will feature a nightly message from Laurie and performances from top Christian musicians.

Jars of Clay

Musicians for the 2011 Anaheim Harvest include: David Crowder Band, Kutless, and Crystal Lewis (Friday); Phil Wickham, Red, and Lincoln Brewster (Saturday); Jeremy Camp, Jars of Clay, and Francesca Battistelli (Sunday). The Sunday evening program will include special guest Louis Zamperini, a World War II prisoner of war survivor and a former American Olympic long-distance runner (1936, Berlin), who will share his story of faith.

Founded in 1990, the Harvest with Greg Laurie events are known for their ability to relate to audiences through contemporary means such as top-of-the-charts music, live Internet webcasts, and hosted video podcasts. 

However, the crux of each event remains the nightly message presented by Pastor Laurie. Called the "evangelist of the future" by Billy Graham, Laurie draws on Scripture, flavored with personal and cultural examples, to describe the relevance of faith in today's world. Laurie's messages encompass various topics that appeal to all ages and answer questions such as: Why am I here? Is God real? What happens when I die?

G3 Student Evangelism Training

More than 160 church youth and young adult groups (age 15 - 26) across Southern California are participating in Harvest's G3 evangelism training program so they can share the life-transforming message of the Gospel with people on the streets and in various locations around town in preparation for the 2011 Anaheim Harvest. More than 150 students are currently enrolled in the G3 program.

Training sessions will take place on:

* Saturday, July 16 in Huntington Beach
* Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 in Rancho Cucamonga.

2011 Anaheim Harvest Schedule of Events:

*All events will take place at Angel Stadium of Anaheim and are free of charge and open to the public

Friday, August 12 at 7 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

> Friday evening will feature a message from Pastor Greg Laurie and music from David Crowder Band, Kutless, and Crystal Lewis.

Saturday, August 13 at 7 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

> Saturday evening will feature a message from Pastor Greg Laurie and music from Phil Wickham, RED, and Lincoln Brewster.

Sunday, August 14 at 6 p.m. (Gates open at 4:30 p.m.)

> Sunday evening will feature a message from Pastor Greg Laurie and music from Jeremy Camp, Jars of Clay, Francesca Battistelli, and special guest Louis Zamperini.

Some of those who made commitments to Christ during a previous Harvest Crusade

Angel Stadium of Anaheim charges $10 for parking fees for cars and $20 for buses. Each night of the event will be interpreted in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Signing for the hearing impaired will be provided.

During the weekend event, a drive will be hosted to collect food for the homeless in Los Angeles County through the Fred Jordan Mission. Those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the "Boxes of Hope" drive.

Blog accounts and Video podcasts of each evening of the 2011 Anaheim Harvest will be made available athttp://blog.greglaurie.com/. "Behind the scenes" updates from Greg Laurie leading up to each Harvest event will also be available on Facebook and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/greglaurie.

Pastor Laurie's trademark ability to present a straightforward gospel message in a culturally relevant format through current events, technology, and contemporary Christian music has drawn more than 4.2 million people to stadiums around the world since 1990. Laurie also serves as senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the largest churches in the U.S., and serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse.

MEDIA NOTE: For more information about the 2011 Anaheim Harvest, contact Laura McGowan at (847) 328-8009 orlaura@lauramcgowan.com, or access the Harvest Newsroom at www.newsroom.harvest.org.

Jackie Johnson is native to Southern California, newly married, and a recent college graduate with a bachelor's degree in History and a minor in Biblical Studies. If you can't find her clutching to a book, she's probably outdoors with her menagerie-horses, dogs, husband. She moonlights as a writer of fiction and non-fiction, her equivalent life passions second only to Christ. She can be contacted by e-mail at: jacjohnson619@gmail.com