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"Southern California Harvest 07" to Feature Message of Faith from Evangelist Greg Laurie and Music from P.O.D., tobyMac, Leeland, David Crowder Band and More

RIVERSIDE, Calif., June 29, 2007—Since 1990, millions of people around the world and throughout Southern California have attended Harvest with Greg Laurie events, coming to hear a straightforward message of faith from Riverside, Calif. pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie and the very best in Christian music. This year is no exception as the evangelistic outreach prepares to return to the Southland for its 18th year running, hosting the three-day "Southern California Harvest 07" at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, August 3–5.

Known in Southern California as simply the "Harvest Crusades," Harvest with Greg Laurie events have been around for nearly two decades, relating to audiences through contemporary means that these days include top notch music, live Internet webcasts and hosted video podcasts. But the crux of each event, the nightly message presented by Laurie, has remained unchanged over the years. 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 talks encompass topics that appeal to people of any age and answer questions like: Why am I here? Is God real? What happens when I die?

While Laurie's message is unwavering, the music provided at each Harvest event reflects the ever-changing culture and is comprised of on-the-cusp bands and solo artists. Musicians at the Southern California Harvest 07 will include multi-platinum rock band P.O.D., David Crowder Band, Leeland, tobyMac, Phil Wickham, and Crystal Lewis. The Southern California Harvest will also include a Saturday evening event called Amplify, designed especially for teens and young adults. Typically the best-attended night of a Harvest event, Amplify is expected to also draw a large Saturday night crowd in Anaheim for bands P.O.D. and Leeland.

"Although the Southern California Harvest Crusade is now in its 18th year, it carries special significance as our 'hometown' event," said Greg Laurie. "Since 1990, we have seen tens of thousands of lives impacted spiritually through Harvest events in Southern California, and we are praying for many to attend this year."

SWAT/G3 Student Evangelism Training
For each Harvest with Greg Laurie event, a group of SWAT Team (Students with a Testimony) teenagers from Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., travel to the event city to share the message of the Gospel with people on the streets, on the beach, in coffee shops, malls, and other hot spots where youth hang out. The SWAT Team outreach is an important aspect of each Harvest, and students pray with hundreds of people through the course of the week leading up to each event.

This year, the SWAT Team has launched a new program called G3 Student Evangelism Training, with the express purpose of equipping students from area churches to evangelize in their own communities. The third of three G3 training classes will take place at Calvary Chapel Beachside in Huntington Beach on Saturday, July 21. Students from churches in Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire are expected to participate in G3 training.

Southern California Harvest 07 Facts and Figures
As preparations are underway for the Southern California Harvest, facts and figures include:

Some 4,000 local volunteers will serve as follow-up workers during the Harvest event, praying with people in attendance.
Some 90,000 bumper stickers and 500,000 invitations to the Southern California Harvest 07 will be distributed locally.
Church youth groups from locales as wide-spread as Orange County to Los Angeles to the Inland Empire will "take the message to the streets" and hand out some 125,000 Amplify invitations to youth throughout Orange County and beyond.

Southern California Harvest 07 Schedule of Events
(events are free and open to the public)
Friday, August 3—7:00 P.M. Southern California Harvest

Friday evening will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from the David Crowder Band, Phil Wickham, and the Harvest Crusade Band.

Saturday, August 4—7:00 P.M. Amplify (Harvest Youth Event)

Amplify, a Harvest concert event designed for youth, will feature P.O.D. and Leeland, as well as a message from evangelist Greg Laurie.

Sunday, August 5—6:00 P.M. Southern California Harvest

Sunday evening will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from the tobyMac, Crystal Lewis, and the Harvest Crusade Band.

The Southern California Harvest begins at 7 P.M. on Friday and Saturday nights (gates open at 5:30 P.M.), and 6 P.M. on Sunday night (gates open at 4:30 P.M.), and is free of charge. Angel Stadium charges $10 for parking. Each night of the event will be interpreted in Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and Vietnamese, and signing for the deaf will be provided. All three days of the Southern California Harvest will be broadcast live on the internet at www.harvestcrusades.org. Video podcasts of each message and "behind the scenes" footage and interviews will also be available at www.harvest.org/podcast.

Greg Laurie, who founded the evangelistic Harvest Crusade events in 1990, also serves as senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the 15 largest churches in the U.S. During the past 18 years, the Harvest Crusades have drawn more than 3.4 million people to events in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Laurie also serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse.

Media Contact:
Laura Swickard McGowan
Laura@lauramcgowan.com

Phone:		(847) 328-8009
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