WND | HARVEST AMERICA 2018 ARRIVING SOON IN DALLAS

Senior pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in California and Hawaii, has been leading large-scale public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades since 1990.

Since 2012, his events have been known as Harvest America, which not only fill a major stadium with those who wish to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but occupy church sanctuaries, meeting rooms, home living rooms and more across America.

The 2018 Crossover event this year will be held June 10 at AT&T Stadium in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as hundreds of other sites that will be connected electronically.

Leaders of the mission outreach say the event will include performances by Chris Tomlin, the rock band Switchfoot and Phil Wickham.

The objective, simply, is to proclaim the message of Jesus.

“You were created to make a difference. It’s time to answer the call,” ministry coordinators are explaining to supporters online.

“On one day, we will gather as one church, to proclaim one message: that Jesus Christ is the answer. Pastor Greg Laurie and the Harvest America team are reager to put their 28 years of experience to work in your community.”

The aim is to present the Gospel in a comfortable and non-threatening environment.

For some, that’s a huge stadium event with friends and family sitting nearby.

For others, it’s “local churches and host locations.”

It was nearly that Laurie’s stadium events began.

Since then, he has taught nearly 8 million people, in person or online around the United States, about Jesus.

“With an unprecedented 306,000 Americans in live attendance, Harvest America ranks among the largest presentations of the gospel in U.S. history,” its organizers say.

Laurie also has a weekly program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, was the 2013 honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer and is on the board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

He’s authored more than 70 books.

Along with the top Christian artists, the 2018 event on June 10 have a pre-event concert with Christian rap/hip-hop artists Trip Lee, K. B. and Tedashii.

Gates will open at AT&T Stadium at 2 p.m.

Laurie follows the model of the Billy Graham crusades, which are scheduled based on the invitations of local churches working together.

“More than 300 DFW-area churches participated in Harvest America 2016, and it is anticipated that an even greater number will take part in Harvest America/Crossover 2018,” organizers said.

It is the second season that Harvest, through its new links to the Southern Baptist Convention, is holding its crusade as a merged event with the SBC’s Crossover.

Local pastors spearheading the effort include Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Bryan Carter of Concord Church of Dallas and Robert Morris of Gateway Church.

“When it comes to reaching the lost, I’m grateful that every generation has a Billy Graham, and Greg Laurie is a Billy Graham to our generation,” Morris said.