COVID-19, the coronavirus, The Virus, a modern-day plague. It goes by many names, and it changed the way we see the world. Some would say irrevocably. And amidst the chaos, we find ourselves craving for some degree of normalcy, comfort, and love. Humans want each other’s company, and when we lack that closeness, it invariably feels like we are alone. Christians are not immune to this. If anything, we are taught from the earliest days in our walk with Jesus, to gather: “[W]here two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV). And so we’ve had to cope in many ways, and one of them is through digital outreach.

Harvest Ministries had been one of the early adopters to embrace this “new” way of worshiping. And while there is nothing new now about “online church,” this year Harvest at Home became a home for many displaced from their houses of worship, and there was distinct feeling about it being different. Already recognizing that the church had to embrace technology to stay current with a new generation of Christians, Pastor Greg Laurie sensed a need for people to connect on a deeper level and tailored the worship experience directly for people tuning in every week—at an average of 300,000 a week.

When many churches across the country closed, many people have found other things to do on Sunday mornings—while others have just decided to wait it out. But what we learned this year is that God was not waiting to act. God was moving. Fast. He was ahead of this whole crisis, and if there were anyone in history capable of making lemonade out of lemons, it would be the humble carpenter from Nazareth. When Jesus walked this earth, people just came. Some far, some not so much. They sat in fields, in empty auditoriums, and on empty roads to have the chance to gleam of a bit of His wisdom. There was a real commitment and passion from the people to know Him, and they did what they had to do. They just needed some way to hear from Him.

As Pastor Greg shared in his profile in the Wall Street Journal, “[W]e’re navigating waters we’ve never been down before.” He continued: “Part of me thinks there will be a huge surge of people who will want to be in church again once the pandemic subsides. The other view is I think Christians will be apprehensive about being in large crowds,” he added. “I foresee a big question mark.”

That question mark, and whether or not we answer it the right way, may define the future of church-going. But the pandemic hasn’t changed our mission; if anything, we’ve doubled down on our efforts as we move into the future. Whether we go back to a “new” normal with our usual gatherings, or get used to a different way to worship, it is safe to say that the kingdom of God only advances by preaching and prayer—by knowing God and making Him known.

Having seen over 140,000 people make professions of faith through various outreaches, we know we’re experiencing something incredible—something that only God can do. And as we look at the success of these various outreaches, we see the future of the church.

We’re ecstatic about what God’s going to do, and we hope you are too.

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Your year-end gift is crucial in helping us meet our goal to reach the maximum amount of people in the coming year. Make a gift today and make an eternal difference for God’s kingdom.

The Greg Laurie Podcast has tens of thousands of dedicated listeners from all over the world. And when we relaunched this podcast earlier this year, it received over a million downloads in its first month and continues to average among the top 25 Christian podcasts in the United States. But over and above numbers, this show is changing lives everywhere.

One listener had this to say:

Since I started listening to pastor Greg I have realized how much I needed Christ in my life , Pastor Greg’s daily devotions and Podcasts help so much to understand how essential our daily relationship with God is needed. Gracias usted cambio mi vida para estar más cerca de nuestro señor. [Thank you, you changed my life to be closer to our Lord.]

Another woman commented:

I listen to your podcast for nearly 3 years, you help me accept Jesus. I am currently receiving cancer treatment and your new believer bible is what kept me going. I read your devotions every morning.

With podcasts experiencing tremendous growth in the past year, we want to continue to be there and available for people to find hope and encouragement every single day and at no charge. Harvest Ministries wants to reach more people than ever before in the coming months, and your financial gifts help us meet that goal through ministries like our podcast, Harvest at Home, and future cinematic crusades.

Thank you to our Harvest Partners for bringing real hope to people literally around the world.

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Your year-end gift is crucial in helping us meet our goal to reach the maximum amount of people in the coming year. Make a gift today and make an eternal difference for God’s kingdom.

The importance of reaching out during times of crisis can never be overestimated. The need for the gospel far exceeds the limitations as dictated by a global pandemic. Closing our physical doors might have been a setback for some, but for Harvest, it has been the opportunity of a lifetime. The door for gospel proclamation remains wide open, and many around the world got a chance not only to worship with us but bring others to the Lord through Harvest at Home.

One woman left us the following note:

I’m thankful for your Harvest at Home services. We’re showing them at the retirement community I work at so the residents can continue to worship on Sundays.

Writing from Arizona, another man told us how he reached his parents in an assisted living facility:

With COVID-19, I started watching Harvest at Home seriously, and I was able to visit my 92-year-old parents during lockdown. . . . I’ve gotten my dad to watch regularly. And during the second Sunday, he said, ‘When I say my prayers tonight, I’ll pray what Pastor Greg asked me to pray.’

Today? “Every Sunday, he is thrilled to watch Harvest at Home. I’m getting my whole family to watch it. Just really excited about what God is doing, with the number of people coming to Christ.”

And just like that, what started as an outreach to his family has turned into an evangelistic opportunity as the whole facility began tuning in to Harvest at Home weekly.

Can God use a pandemic to bring people hope and meaning? Yes! And thanks to the support of our faithful Harvest Partners, we’re able to reach people otherwise unreachable with the hope of the gospel message. People who would perhaps never step foot into a church building have experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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When you make a year-end gift to Harvest Ministries, you support outreaches like Harvest at Home. Thank for your supporting evangelism in your world!

Amidst the hoopla generated from “new” media, it is easy to forget that radio remains a strong and preferred medium for the gospel message. With 91 percent of adults listening to radio weekly, we want to provide hope for people wherever they may be.

As of 2020, Pastor Greg Laurie’s program, A New Beginning, has had its most aggressive expansion, adding over 30 stations (from its 1,000 stations a short year ago) in some of the country’s most populous demographic areas, extending its reach by some 10 percent!

We are reminded of the unique voice Pastor Greg has on radio and that his teachings are changing lives every day. Reaching people where they are is indeed very important, and his “everyman” appeal and mastery of gospel presentation are tremendous gifts that are illustrated by the many stories coming to us.

In an unpredictable year, your support has helped shine the light of God’s hope to listeners like Summer, who wrote to us the following:

My world, as I knew it, seemed to turn upside-down. I felt completely alone, and it felt like I had no one to turn to. Even now, just thinking about it, tears flow down my cheeks. In my absolute determination to stay out of my own head and the negative thoughts that seemed to be flooding it, I turned on the radio . . . and began listening to your show. It was as the Lord was speaking directly to me, through you guys. Your words were quenching a thirst I didn’t even know I had.

Absolute beauty and perfection beamed through my radio, giving me hope and strength and courage sermon by sermon. . . . I really believe that you all played a huge role in saving my life and bringing me closer than I ever could have imagined to the Lord.

As we think of all that God has done in 2020, we’re so thankful for our radio listeners and supporters. Thank you for making 2020 a year of hope!

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When you donate to Harvest Ministries this season, you invest in a ministry that is positioned to reach further than ever in 2021 with the hope of the gospel!

Thousands of letters reach us every year at Harvest Ministries. When listeners reach out with comments, mentions, letters, and emails, we read every word. And we’re so thankful that we’re able to make an impact for so many.

Here’s just a sampling of the many notes we get:

Dear Pastor Greg, I’ve listened you every morning on my way to work these past 11 years. I pray God blesses you doubly for blessing me in the Lord.

I started listening to your sermons on the radio on my way to work every morning. The simple and effective way you deliver and explain God’s Word unlocked the door to my heart for the Lord Jesus to come in.

Your preaching is so simple yet so straightforward. There’s so way one can say it’s confusing or unclear. I wish I had the ability to spread the word like you. God bless you, Pastor Greg!

It’s so awesome how God has blessed your ministry Pastor Greg, and I’m so grateful for all the hard work you put into your calling. God bless you and your family!

Pastor Greg, I have learned so much from you. And I would like to thank you. I didn’t realize how little I knew about the Bible until I started listening to you. I have used what I have learned from you to tell others and have had the opportunity to help bring others to Christ. You are a blessing to me, and I pray God’s richest blessings on you and your family. Thank you, Pastor Greg, for all that you do.

Many thanks to the Harvest Partners who share the vision to bring solid, biblical encouragement to so many across the world. Has your life been changed by God through Harvest Ministries? Let us know!

In the early ‘90s, Oleta Adams, a gospel singer turned R&B pop performer, had a global hit with the song “Get Here.” It goes something like this: “You can reach me by airway, you can reach me by railway, you can reach me on an airplane, you can reach me with your mind. You can reach me by caravan, cross the desert like a wandering man, I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can.” I can only imagine the solitude of someone trying to get to where they need and want to go.

This little analogy might well sum up the faith journey of Louise Shiboder and her mother, May Lachance, who live in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. For the uninitiated, Chilliwack is a small city located approximately 60 miles southeast of Vancouver; it is bounded by water with the Fraser River to the north and the US/Canada border to the south. As with most small towns, Chilliwack’s residents tend to be a resilient bunch, and Louise and her mom are no different.

“God Just Found Me”

A woman of deep faith, who can recall having only a couple of books in the house growing up, one being the family Bible, embarked on her journey with Christ, not without questions or hesitations. She says: “I didn’t want to be a religious person; God just found me.”

Her faith has been severely tested over the years. With a variety of serious medical ailments, highlighted with a profound reaction to microwaves (the unit, not the appliance), which leaves her unable to have a computer, any relatively modern devices, or cars for that matter. (She owns classic—that’s what she would like to think of them—automobiles, circa 1977–78, when the computer wasn’t such a prevalent component in the automotive industry.) The result is an isolated life in a small house without most of the modern conveniences we’ve expected. It doesn’t stop her in her enthusiasm for the Lord; if anything, it brings her even more conviction.

As she mentions several times, “my life is full because of my disappointments, there is a ‘message’ amidst the mess.” She is a shiny example of God using someone as His instrument for His glory.

The good news is that God doesn’t need any technology to get his message of salvation across. As it turns out, Louise’s only way to get communication from the outside of her four walls is a small radio that she faithfully listens to Praise 106.5 on from across the border in Bellingham, WA.

A Source of Joy

These days, it is easy to get overwhelmed by a sense of isolation. In an already reasonably lonely life, the pandemic has brought an acute sense of loneliness for many people, which Louise eagerly shared with us. Her relief? A radio broadcast by Pastor Greg Laurie brought her such joy that she felt compelled to call us and leave a message.

You see, Louise is an excellent example that our joy and happiness doesn’t come from the world. It comes from a much more significant (and reliable) source, our Lord. Amid her challenging circumstances, there is joy coming through her voice on the telephone. As she related her travels with Jesus, she mentioned several times how comforting it was to feel like she wasn’t alone, and that, even though she and her mom don’t get to see many people, she knows that she has fellowship with her fellow Christians, even if it is just by listening on the radio.

As she recalls, it’s a little bit of a gamble as to whether or not the transmission will get to them, but come rain or shine; she is faithfully listening, knowing that the broadcast will provide her with much-needed warmth, comfort, and, she makes this very clear, a biblical education. “Sometimes, the Bible can be a bit complicated, and Pastor Greg always explains it in a way that is easily understood and digested.” She continues: “There is a friendliness that emanates from his voice, and it feels like we have a friend speaking with us.”

It is a message that we hear time and time again during this pandemic, and whether you live close by in Southern California or Canada, the idea of experiencing loneliness is not an uncommon feeling. The importance of having someone or something to rely on is especially relevant.

The good news is that God reaches people through whatever ways He pleases. And wherever we find ourselves, we don’t have to feel alone.

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Do you have a story of God reaching you through our radio program, A New Beginning? We’re listening.

It would be easy to dismiss A Rush of Hope only as a grandiose cinematic event meant to distract us from the sad fact that Harvest Crusades would not occur this summer. It also would be easy to attribute how it generated interest to a craving for something, anything that would fill the void in our lives. It would be easy, indeed.

However, as 1.8 million people tuned in over Labor Day weekend through a variety of digital outlets, with over 17,000 professions of faith, we quickly came to realize that even with the most optimistic view, God, as always, exceeds our expectations (Ephesians 3:20). As 2020 started, we had a somewhat lofty goal of 100,000 professions of faith, which was based on having our usual in-person crusades, and as we all know, we had to move rather quickly to find a way to change tack, as the year suddenly moved to an unprecedented place, the likes we had never experienced before. A Rush of Hope became the vehicle that enabled God to enter people’s homes and hearts.

The gospel doesn’t take a “break,” doesn’t stand on the sidelines, and it certainly doesn’t wait for us to be ready. The message of the power of Christ is an everyday event, a present reality, and it is especially with us when times are ripe with discord, fear, and uncertainty. In a year where most people are somewhat waiting for what is next, Harvest has experienced an abundance of faith, as we surpassed our goal and witnessed more than 100,000 professions of faith. He is faithful; He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life.

What People Are Saying

As the testimonials came fast and furious over Labor Day weekend, we continued to be humbled at the extraordinary response from believers and non-believers, who chose that time to commit their lives to Jesus. Here some of what was written:

“Thank you for doing this for us; God will prevail and can’t shut the gospel up. God bless you all who are participating in this.”

“What a beautiful, wonderful, amazing God we serve! God bless you, Greg, Jeremy, MercyMe, and For King and Country! Thank you for shining your lights for Christ and encouraging others to do the same. In Christ alone, my hope is found! He is my light, my strength, my song!”

“Thank you, Pastor Greg, we stand with you every Sunday and are so proud to be in your flock. Thank you for a night of hope and A Rush of Hope in our home. Thank you, Jesus, for calling us and saving us and giving us ears to hear and eyes to see.”

“OH, WOW! I cried. It was so good. I sent a link to a close friend whom I’m encouraging to come to Christ. I’m praying that he watched, and if he didn’t ‘seal the deal,’ I’m going to bring him to the Lord today! Thank you, Harvest, and thank you, Jesus! I’m SAVED AND HAVE THE JOY AND HOPE FROM CHRIST MY REDEEMER AND LORD .”

“Mr. Laurie, because of listening to your sermons and watching the trailer for A Rush Of Hope, I decided to rededicate my life to Christ.”

“Thank you so much for your movie. I’m an emotional mess. Thank you for reminding me of hope and bringing the Lord back into focus. I was able to share it with friends, but I think I needed it as much as them.”

The Church Shall Prevail

We are being told that 2020 is lost and that our only hope is to look forward to next year. At Harvest, we know that it has turned out to be one of our most successful years of ministry. Our ministry is stronger than ever, and it is because we have certainty in our hearts. You see, the Lord is not waiting for things to happen. He needs us to be in the arena, bringing His message of love and hope to a world that desperately needs it. God has a plan, even during difficult times, and His plans include us.

We’ve taken some of the most challenging circumstances our church has ever faced and done something we had never done before. We found a way to reach people who had lost hope and brought a fresh perspective to the masses. We went where the people were and delivered the gospel, and let the love of Jesus shine. Pastor Greg Laurie and his team had His message, it was transforming, and it was such a joy. We hope you were a part of it.

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Learn more about A Rush of Hope and to catch showtimes in your area.

Have you been impacted by a Harvest event? We’d love to hear your story.

We’ve all heard the saying, “God works in mysterious ways.” It would be tempting to say that the only mysterious thing is when we don’t listen, but I digress. Pastor Rob Miller, now the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Mission Viejo, certainly heard early in his life—the only problem was that he didn’t quite understand what the gospel meant. Rob had a heart for the Lord, and alongside his wife Karen, attended church faithfully, yet there was still something missing. He used to tell her: “There is a secret that I can’t figure out. You know, I see something that I just don’t have.”

It mirrors what many people, who are new to the gospel, experience and feel. It all sounds great, but sometimes, the real-world connection is hard to make. After all, a lot of those “stories” are thousands of years old, and the relevancy to today’s world can seem a bit nebulous. In his book, World Changers: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things, Pastor Greg Laurie demonstrates, through these cherished Bible stories, how God uses ordinary, imperfect people who choose to answer His call with results defying what they thought possible.  We know that the Bible is the integral Word of God, so we can rest assured that its foundation is absolute. Rob was about to discover that fact.

Where It Started

Who better to preach the gospel than a salesman? (Some would argue that Jesus may have been the world’s best salesman—with the best product!) That’s the career Rob had embarked on in the early ‘90s, and, as it turned out, this would be where the connection with Christ would occur. Like most salespeople, a large chunk of time is spent in the car driving from one appointment to the other; Rob was no different. One day, while at lunch, he heard Pastor Greg on the radio, whose broadcast followed the venerable Chuck Smith, founding pastor of Calvary Chapel. In his program, Pastor Chuck had been talking about the Old Testament and rebellion, and it truly struck a chord with Rob.

Upon listening, he realized that he was definitely in the midst of a rebellion and away from the Lord. Rob had doubts and questions, some that he never really asked himself, never mind someone else. He increasingly felt the need to experience the forgiveness he had heard so much about but had yet to experience. However, after listening to Pastor Greg, and for the first time, he felt something “click,” he experienced a conviction like never before and knew instantly that now was the time to accept Christ as his Savior, thus beginning a journey that would take him on a ride he could have never imagined.

“God Called Us, and We Went!”

After giving his life to the Lord, Rob felt a passion burning a deep fire inside of him. He wanted to proclaim the Good News to anyone who would hear him. It included clients of his (he was still a salesman) who became the recipients of his newfound faith. You see, as new Christians, we have a responsibility to share what has transformed us. For Rob, this became his calling; knocking on doors, becoming a street witness for Jesus, attending Bible studies, reading the Word, exposing himself to new and varied teachings, it became all-encompassing. In his mind, Jesus was bringing people to him and equipping him with the necessary tools to disciple.

This led to his and his wife’s going to England to plant a church, where he spent 14 months bringing the gospel to the UK. He is fond of saying: “God called us, and we went!” (This may sound easy and a no-brainer; however, listening to what God is saying to us and acting upon it is sometimes a bit harder than it seems.) They eventually returned to the US, and while he still felt convicted about his mission for God, somehow the bills needed to get paid, so he returned to his former company to resume his sales work. In 1999, he and his family started to attend Calvary Chapel, Mission Viejo, where he quickly involved himself in all facets of ministry. From ushering to family ministry, Rob became a “jack of all trades,” all with one goal in mind: to glorify Him.

Into Full-Time Ministry

Finally, his sales days were over, and in 2004 he joined the staff at CCMV, becoming an Associate Pastor in 2006. He also committed to furthering his education by pursuing a Master’s Degree in Theology from Talbot Seminary in Southern California, near Los Angeles. He eventually became the senior pastor in 2015 where he continues to teach the gospel, helping men and women further understand His purpose for their lives and defining what modern-day ministry should be.

In today’s uncertain times, steady leadership has never been more critical, and when the world is seemingly bouncing from one crisis to the next, and no one has any answers, we, as Christians, know that the answers are back in the book. We have a manual to follow, and we know that God works amid chaos, and His grace and peace are not only offered, but it is free!

Pastor Rob Miller has spent a lifetime following Him and knew all along that the only steady answer resided in a foundation in Christ. His life and commitment to seeking Him are bringing light to a world that desperately needs it.

Who knew that a lunch break would so thoroughly transform one man’s life? If you think about it, there is nothing mysterious about it. It is about opening your heart, genuinely listening, and committing to do the work. Rob Miller is a marching soldier for Christ, and His army has never been more powerful.

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Has your life been impacted by Jesus through a Harvest event? We’re listening.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

It has been said that we can live 40 days without food, 3 days without water, and approximately 8 minutes without air; however, we can’t live a second without hope.

That’s what Pastor Greg Laurie demonstrates in A Rush of Hope, his cinematic masterpiece premiering Labor Day weekend on several digital platforms across the country. Summer is typically a busy time for our church, as we prepare feverishly for Harvest Crusades. Every August, and for the last 30 years, we’ve seen over 6 million people attending in person, and more than 500,000 making professions of faith. 2020 has been anything but typical, and this year’s crusades have become a casualty of the ongoing pandemic. While mass gathering was out of the question, Pastor Greg sensed a need for the community to find comfort and hear a message which would bring people together. His ambitious film filled that purpose in a way that has not been done before.

A Rush of Hope is his answer to the growing questions most of us have had while going through difficulties: Why are we here? What is our answer to challenging circumstances? How do we cope with loss?

There can be no doubt that we are living in contentious times; an ongoing pandemic, social unrest, and an upcoming hotly contested election are a few of the things that are impacting our global society. This leads us to question our very existence, and, after all is said and done, faith and our relationship with God becomes an essential part of the national (some would say global) conversation.

What’s the old saying? “There are no atheists in a foxhole.” Amidst a growing sense of uncertainty, men and women are more inclined to turn to God to get the answers they desperately want and need.

The film breaks down those queries in three distinct stories; growing social unrest in the ‘60s and ‘70s in the South, a story of redemption between a father and a son, and a tragic loss between a young man and his wife. With a mix of storytelling, featuring music from Bart Millard and MercyMe, as well as live performances by artists such as for KING & COUNTRY and Jeremy Camp, and compelling narration from Pastor Greg, it brings those issues front and center and examines the role God plays in healing us and helping us move forward.

As Pastor Greg mentions, “there is no magic bullet”; God is not a “fixer.” There are no convenient answers, but only the truth. Sometimes that truth hits us right between the eyes and makes for rather uncomfortable conversations. That’s where Pastor Greg shines. His uncanny ability to keep God at the center of any conversation, while making it comfortable for non-believers to be a part of it, is a skill that can only be acquired through a myriad of uncomfortable moments. He has experienced real loss (with Christopher’s tragic and untimely passing) and is able to parlay these experiences into the kind of empathy that is rarely seen, whether you are a pastor or not. As most of you know, he is a famously plain-spoken man. An everyday man. Forget for a moment that he is the spiritual leader of a very large congregation. This is the kind of man that hops on his motorcycle and goes riding with a few of the guys and enjoys the fellowship of his fellow men.

How does this relate to the film? In every possible way. Through his gentle yet firm manner, his teaching of the Bible is why people tune in. He makes the complicated simple, the sometime nebulous verses easily understood, all with the aw-shucks manner that he has become famous for.

Every. Single. Time. It comes back to a simple message: Do you have a relationship with Jesus? It’s that direct. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not about religion (for the record, Laurie thinks that “religious” people are a bit odd); it’s about an essential relationship. It’s about believing that with Him we are not alone. It’s about our willingness to walk through the fire and still trust and, more importantly, believe.

As one of the stories in the film relates, we choose to still believe as a result of the challenges, not in spite of them. Now more than ever, this message resonates with the audience who has heard all the arguments and experienced the discord and the anger. We need more; we should want more.

A Rush of Hope is what we need today. A message out of a mess, stories of loss and acrimony, of love, redemption and compassion. But at the end of it all, it is still about one thing: hope.

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A Rush of Hope, a cinematic crusade from Greg Laurie and Harvest ministries, will release this Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4–7. The film will be available on dozens of online social channels and on several national cable networks and streaming services.

Every single day, A New Beginning radio reaches listeners all over the world. We don’t always know who is going to find us, but every so often someone leaves a message that reminds us why we do what we do. For instance, take our broadcast on 1160 AM Chicago: Hope for Your Life. One listener left us this message:

Hi, my name is Philip and I live in Chicago. I listen to Pastor Greg on 1160 AM. Well, back in 2016 I went through a very dark period in my life. It got so bad that I didn’t even want to listen to the radio anymore, so I would drive to work in the morning, just in total silence.

One day I turn on the radio and I just started flipping channels, and it just so happened that Pastor Greg’s show came on and I started listening to it. It gave me hope. It gave me strength. It brought me back to the Lord, and I started going to church.

And I still listen to him in the morning. It gets me from my front door of my house to the front door of work. I’m a Harvest Partner, and it’s just been a total joy, and I actually enjoy going to church. I enjoy listening to Pastor Greg. I like his insightfulness. I like his humor. And it’s just been a blessing at a time in my life where I needed some intercession. I believe God sent Pastor Greg into my life. So thank you very much.

Thanks to our faithful supporters for enabling us to be there for Philip during this difficult time. Have you been impacted by A New Beginning radio or another one of Harvest’s outreaches? Let us know here. If you’d like to bring hope to more listeners like Philip, consider partnering with Harvest on a monthly basis as a Harvest Partner.