2003 Crusades News Release

Coast to Coast, Crusades Will Combine Culturally-Relevant
Message of Faith with Hip Music, Webcasts, and Youth Events

RIVERSIDE, Calif., May 9, 2003—Traveling from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasmanian Sea, Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie will take its culturally-relevant message of faith to five coastal cities in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand in 2003. Harvest’s 14th crusade season begins on July 19 & 20 with a pair of crusade events in Honolulu and Lahaina, Hawaii, with additional Harvest Crusade events being held in Anaheim, Calif. (Aug. 8-10); Newcastle, Australia (Sept. 11-14); and Auckland, New Zealand (Sept. 19-20).

While Laurie’s Harvest Crusades attract a broad audience, the elements of each crusade are particularly appealing to the young and young-at-heart. Featuring skateboarding demos, ultra-hip alternative and rock music by the hottest Christian bands, and live crusade Webcasts, the Harvest Crusades use the latest trends to translate a timeless Gospel message to a new generation. While these elements make each event memorable, it’s Laurie’s straightforward message that has drawn crowds to Harvest Crusades year after year.

The Los Angeles Times said, “Laurie’s basic formula for reaching the unchurched hasn’t changed from his first crusade in Orange County in 1990: Provide the hippest Christian entertainment in a non-threatening environment, then give people who normally wouldn’t darken a church door a healthy dose of the Gospel.”
(July 12, 2002)

Founded in 1990 by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. (the eighth largest church in the U.S.), the Harvest Crusades have drawn more than 2.8 million people to arenas and stadiums across the U.S. and Australia.

A New Take on the 2003 Harvest Crusades

• Harvest will launch its first-ever Summer Fest youth event on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 2 – 5 p.m., during the Anaheim Crusade at Edison International Field. Featuring live music, a Freestyle Motocross Exhibition, skateboarding exhibitions, and a Sports Zone, the festival will precede the Saturday night Harvest Jam program designed specifically for youth. Musical guests will include Sonic Flood, Kutless, and Pax217.

• Harvest Crusades will visit New Zealand for the first time in 2003, holding a two-day rally on Sept. 19-20 in Auckland that will launch a three-year evangelistic outreach throughout the country. The New Zealand event will be the final stop on Harvest Crusades’ three-country tour, following events in the U.S. and Australia.

• Harvest Crusades will hold its inaugural Maui, Hawaii crusade at the Lahaina Civic Center Amphitheater, July 20. Harvest has hosted five events in Honolulu, most recently visiting Aloha Stadium in 1998.

2003 Harvest Crusade Schedule

Each night of the Anaheim Harvest Crusades will be webcast live on www.harvest.org and will be translated into Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Vietnamese, and sign language. All Harvest Crusade events are free and open to the public.

Media Contact:
Laura Swickard McGowan
laura@lauramcgowan.com
(847) 328-8009 phone
(847) 866-9511 fax