Humble Beginnings:

In 1990, a small group of people set out to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to Southern Californians in a non-traditional, non-church environment. With little more than personal experience, deep conviction, and great vision, they pursued their simple strategy of presenting Christ's timeless message in a contemporary format. A plan evolved for a casual evening of upbeat music, genuine worship, and a clear presentation of biblical messages.

Back to the Future:

At a time when many in America were questioning the effectiveness and the future of modern crusade evangelism, Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, and Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside (currently one of the 15 largest churches in America) believed that crusades had great potential for a new generation. The format would be contemporary and, while the crusades would be relevant for people of all ages, they would appeal particularly to youth.

On faith, they rented the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa for several nights in the summer of 1990, not knowing how many people would show up for the event. Remarkably, more than 90,000 people attended what was the first Harvest Crusade, featuring Greg Laurie as the evangelist. The results confirmed that people are still interested in hearing straight talk about life's challenges and problems.

Taking the Message to the World:

Since 1990, crowds totaling more than 3.4 million people have attended Harvest Crusades across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Events scheduled for 2007 include visits to Raleigh, NC (June 22–24); Anaheim, Calif. (Aug. 3–5); Modesto, Calif. (Aug. 24–26); New York City (Sept. 23); and Wellington, New Zealand (Oct. 26–28). Venues for Harvest Crusades range from 60,000-seat stadiums, like the recently reconfigured Angel Stadium of Anaheim, to the 10,500-seat minor league Dukes Stadium in Albuquerque, NM. Since 1990, more than 280,000 people have registered decisions to commit their lives to Christ as a result of the crusades.

High Tech, High Touch:

Beginning with its first live crusade webcast in 1997, Harvest has pioneered the use of cutting-edge technology to share its message of faith and hope with the world. Since that time, More than 334,000 people have participated in live Harvest Crusade events via the Internet.

Even through the use of technology, Harvest has maintained its commitment to impact people on a personal level. "We offer a number of ways for people to connect to the Harvest Crusades non-traditionally, through webcasts and video and audio podcasts," said Greg Laurie. "But all of those technological offerings are simply tools to bring people into a one-on-one conversation about their faith in Jesus. At Harvest, we want to be both high-tech and high-touch."

Besides conducting evangelistic outreaches, Harvest Ministries sponsors A New Beginning—an international radio program with messages by Greg Laurie—as well as a television program called Knowing God with Greg Laurie that airs internationally on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Church Channel, and others. Greg Laurie serves as president of Harvest Crusades, Inc., a position for which he receives no compensation. Harvest Crusades, Inc., is a not-for-profit corporation that exists for the sole purpose of presenting the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and to help believers mature in their faith.