Thousands of people are expected at the Harvest 2016 outreach crusade in Duluth this weekend that will feature a message from California pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie and music by well-known Christian artists.
The three-day crusade will feature Lecrae, Chris Tomlin, Third Day and Phil Wickham.
The free event, which is a bit of a church service and concert, will be held at 7 p.m. tonight, Saturday and Sunday at the Infinite Energy Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Although it features a Christian pastor and Christian musical performances, Laurie is adamant that the event is not just for people who go to church every Sunday.
“This event is also for people who may be skeptical or perhaps never darkened the doorway of a church, yet has questions about life and about God,” said Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship and a member of the board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association “Everyone gets around the asking the big questions sooner or later- ‘Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? What happens when I die?’”
Laurie said his goal is to bring the message in a way people can understand and “come into a relationship with God. We encourage Christians to bring their non-Christian friends.”
Since he started Harvest in 1990, more than 5.7 million people have attended the events worldwide.
"We're really excited about the possibility of what God can do in this crusade," said Pastor James Merritt, lead pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, who has attended several Harvest events in other states. The event is being hosted by a number of churches in Georgia of various denominations.
Each night will be broadcast live and there will be daily blog posts. Updates will be posted on the Facebook page of Harvest Crusades and on Instagram.
The schedule includes:
Friday will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from Lecrae and Phil Wickham; Saturday will feature a message from Laurie and music by Third Day and Phil Wickham; and Sunday will feature Laurie, Chris Tomlin and Phil Wickham.
