Anaheim Wrap Up
ANAHEIM HARVEST CRUSADE WITH GREG LAURIE DRAWS MORE THAN 123,000 TO WEEKEND EVENTS FILLED WITH MUSIC, MOTOCROSS AND MESSAGE OF FAITH, AUG. 8-10
14th Annual Southern California Harvest Crusade Features New Summerfest Youth Festival, 1000-Voice Choir, Max Lucado, Delirious, and Mercy Me
RIVERSIDE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2003—Combining elements of Southern California culture with a straightforward message of faith and forgiveness, Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie drew more than 123,000 people to Anaheim’s Edison Field this weekend, Aug. 8-10, for nightly evangelistic crusade events and a Saturday afternoon Summerfest youth festival. More than 103,000 people attended the three-evening Harvest Crusade held inside Edison Field, while some 20,000 people attended Harvest’s first-ever Summerfest in the stadium parking lot.
An additional 19,000 people from 48 states and 40 countries logged onto the Harvest Crusade throughout the weekend, watching in real time.
Called “the king of Southern California revivals” (Orange County Register, July 1999), the Anaheim Harvest Crusade featured music from a variety of genres and a nightly message from crusade evangelist Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. Speaking from a brightly lit yellow and blue stage set in the middle of Edison Field, Laurie spoke to audiences on topics like “How to be Saved,” giving an invitation for audience members to express their faith in Christ at the end of each nightly message. More than 8,000 people registered decisions of faith by the end of the crusade weekend.
Popular music is a trademark of a Harvest Crusade event, and the 2003 crusade did not disappoint, with a variety of artists performing throughout the weekend. Friday night featured Crystal Lewis, alt-rock band Switchfoot, and the Harvest Crusade Band, while the Saturday night youth-oriented Harvest Jam featured British band Delirious and Audio Adrenaline. New in 2003, the Sunday evening crusade featured “A Night of Worship,” led by Mercy Me, Tommy Walker, Crystal Lewis, Lenny LeBlanc, the Harvest Worship Band, and a 1000-voice community choir. Interspersed with the music, author Max Lucado delivered a five-minute devotional message.
The Saturday afternoon Summerfest youth festival was another “first” for Harvest. Drawing more than 20,000 people, the Summerfest featured a Freestyle Motocross demonstration led by top ten ranked X-Games riders Jamie McGuire and Dave Domingos, as well as a professional skateboard exhibition led by top X-Games skaters Anthony Carney. In addition to the sports exhibitions, the Summerfest featured music from top Christian bands Sonic Flood, Kutless, and The Elms, as well as a Kid’s Zone and a Sports Zone with climbing walls.
Marking its 14th year in Southern California, the evangelistic Harvest Crusades were co-founded by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., in 1990, and have drawn more than 2.8 million people to stadium and arena events in the U.S. and Australia.
Harvest Crusades continues its 2003 season with events in Newcastle, Australia (Sept. 11-14) and Auckland, New Zealand (Sept. 19-20). The Anaheim Harvest crusade is archived at www.harvest.org.
Media Contact:
Laura Swickard McGowan
laura@lauramcgowan.com
(847) 328-8009 phone
(847) 866-9511 fax
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