Luis Palau Festival - update March 2009
Preparations are now well in hand for the June 2008 Highland Festival outreach conducted by Argentinian evangelist Luis Palau and the Luis Palau Association
Two lead-in events are planned for the end of March: -
Church Leaders Kick-off Luncheon
on
Thursday, 26 March, 2009
from
12 noon - 2.00pm
at
Culduthel Christian Centre, Inverness
<Click here to register>
and all are most warmly invited to a:
United Service Launch Rally
on
Friday, 27 March, 2009
at
7.30pm
in
East Church, Inverness
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The general 'flow' of a Festival Programme includes the Stage One run up, the Festival itself and then the post-festival legacy.
You can listen to an interview which Luis Palau gave to Christians Together at the end of last year when the evangelist, his son Andrew and others of the LPA team hosted a leaders meeting in Inverness.
Pastor Randy Burtis of the LPA now writes:
Highlands Festival Summary
Highlands Festival with Luis Palau will take place in June, 2009. It is aimed at reaching a secular Highland culture with the message and relevance of Christ's love. This outreach effort will also focus on encouraging and equipping churches who are working to improve their ability to impact their surrounding culture with that same message.
Seventy-six congregations (nearly half the churches in the region) from Inverness to Thurso have committed to being part of this evangelistic effort. There is strong cooperation from Scripture Union, Youth Inclusive, and Youth For Christ, as well as nearly every denominations.
Lord James Mackay of Clashfern is chairman of the organizing committee, and Angus MacKenzie, a longtime respected businessman is leading a finance committee composed of leading businessmen from the Highlands.
Highlands Festival with Luis Palau is much more than a single evangelistic event. It is a broad effort that reaches an unprecedented number of people.
Small Towns Initiative:
· Between 6th June and 13th June evangelistic teams will visit several small communities throughout the Highlands which are often overlooked in evangelism efforts. Luis Palau, his son Andrew, and other evangelists will minister in Highland towns and villages along with musicians, athletes, and childrens ministries.
At the present time, these “mini festivals” are planned in Gairloch, Kinlochbervie, Ullapool, Buckie, Golspie/Brora, Fort William, and Thurso. Others are under consideration.
· In many of the towns, the Luis Palau ministerial enrichment team will meet with local ministers in an intimate conference setting.
· Skate board and bicycle stunt teams will travel to more than 30 schools with a team of youth speakers who will present a positive message and address issues such as drug and alcohol abuse.
Focused Evangelism:
In the week leading up to 19-20 June, the focus will shift to Inverness. A number of creative events have been designed to capture the attention of a specific audience. Christians will bring their friends who have not experienced the joy of serving Christ and Luis Palau will clearly share the gospel. The venues chosen are familiar and comfortable to the unchurched audience.
· A women's tea will be conducted for several hundred women.
· With the help of Lord MacKay and other Christian businessmen, an evangelistic luncheon for the business and civic community will be conducted.
· Due to the traditional nature of the Highlands, one or more evening events will feature more classical music along with the presentation of the gospel.
· A massive food drive will be conducted in cooperation with Blythswood Trust to replenish food supplies to local food banks who are in very great need during these troubled economic times.
The Final Celebration:
The culmination of the week’s activities will be an outdoor, contemporary event at Bught Park aimed at reaching families and youth. This all day festival-like gathering will consist of several components.
· A large children's' area run by volunteers from churches will feature face painting, bounce castles, music, crafts and other games. Two or three times during the day a children's evangelist will share the story of Christ with the children and parents who gather around a central stage.
· An action sports park will feature an international team of champion skateboard and BMX bicycle athletes who will demonstrate their skills and share their testimonies. These demonstrations have proven very successful in attracting thousands of children and teens who come with their parents. A young evangelist will present the gospel.
· Toward late afternoon a series of concerts will take place on a large concert stage set up in the park. Top musicians will perform and share their faith with the audience. Nationally known footballers and other athletes will give testimony, and Luis Palau will again give a clear evangelistic message that will touch an audience of 5-10,000 people.
Whether the goal is reaching a more traditional group or a younger audience who has had little contact with Christianity, the methods are strategically chosen for the intended audience. The real power behind the initiative is the unprecedented cooperation of the churches and individual believers across the Highlands.
The Legacy:
Not only will the region be touched by many creative evangelistic events, it is the intention of the organizing committee and the Luis Palau Association that the effects of the Highland Festivalbe long lasting.
· Hundreds of believers will betrained in personal evangelism and in how to pray with those who respond to the message of Christ's love. Long after the festival is over, that training will serve the mission of the Church in the Highlands.
· The scope and visibility of this widespread evangelistic activity will place the gospel and those same churches in a position of higher visibility in the minds of thousands of Highlanders.
· The unity of the church will be strengthened as so many work together for the first time.
· Through the food drive and other activities, the relationship of the church with the community will be strengthened.
· It is our prayer and expectation that in the months to follow, even more people will come to Christ as they continue to think about questions that were raised in their hearts during the Highlands Festival with Luis Palau.
Ed Footnote:
Luis Palau led an outreach to the Highlands in 1979 to the towns of Wick and Lairg. See foot of earlier article.
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