Anaheim Crusade Wrap-up

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HARVEST CRUSADE DRAWS 51,000 FOR EXTREME SPORTS, MUSIC, AND MESSAGE OF FAITH

One-Day Harvest Crusade with Greg Laurie at
Anaheim’s Angel Stadium Features Summerfest
Youth Event and Evening "Night of Worship"

RIVERSIDE, Calif., July 12, 2004—Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie marked its 15th year of Southern California crusade events on Saturday, July 10 with a day-long schedule of events at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium.  Extreme athletes flew from ramp to ramp during a Motocross demo, BMX riders and skateboarders exhibited tricks on a Vert Ramp, and crowds danced to music from artists as diverse as Skillet to Fernando Ortega, but the underlying theme was the simple message of God’s love and salvation presented throughout the day by crusade evangelist Greg Laurie.

More than 51,000 people attended this year’s Southern California Harvest, with some 21,000 people participating in the afternoon Summerfest youth program, and an additional 30,000 attending the evening “Night of Worship” program.  More than 3,200 people dedicated their lives to Christ by the end of the crusade.

The Southern California Harvest was also broadcast live on the internet, with more than 8,000 people logging on to watch the events in real time.

The Southern California Harvest marked the return of the popular Summerfest afternoon youth festival, and featured Extreme sports including Motocross, BMX and Vert Skate from pro athletes including Christian Hosoi (skateboard), Mike Metzker (BMX and X Games qualified), Nate Adams (Motocross and X Games qualified), Kyle Loza (Motocross), Brian Dowdy (Motocross), Jimmie McGuire (Motocross), Thad Miller (BMX), Lance Mountain (skateboard), and Chad Kagy (BMX).  Summerfest also featured a SportsZone and KidsZone, and music from Tree 63, Skillet, The Elms, and By the Tree.

The evening crusade program called “A Night of Worship,” featured a message from Southern California evangelist Greg Laurie, known for his ability to communicate the timeless message of the Gospel in a fresh, culturally relevant way.  Musical guests included U.K.-based worship leader Matt Redman, Dove Award-winner Fernando Ortega, and singer-songwriter Tommy Walker, and a community gospel choir. 

Called “a formidable, flexible event that has stayed in step with the latest trends in communication, music and current events” (The Orange County Register, July 10, 2004), Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie has drawn more than 3 million people to stadium and arenas in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand over the past 15 years, employing unconventional methods like edgy music, Extreme sports, and live Webcasts.

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.  Harvest Crusades plans to host 2005 events in Newcastle, Australia; Christchurch, New Zealand; Augusta, Georgia; and Anaheim, California.

Media Contact:
Laura Swickard McGowan
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