Festival Evangelism
A new model for high impact outreach

The “Great music! Good News!” festivals of the Luis Palau worldwide ministry are bringing a powerful evangelistic opportunity to cities around the globe. With more than 30 years of outreach in 70 countries, the Luis Palau team’s focus since 1999 on “festival evangelism” has drawn record-setting crowds in such diverse locations as Fort Lauderdale, Florida (300,000), Manchester, England (55,000) and Buenos Aires, Argentina (1 million).

These family-friendly events bring together hundreds of churches in a strong expression of unity, while equipping thousands of believers to share their faith. Through the weekend festival and related evangelistic events, many thousands recommit themselves to Jesus Christ or give their hearts to Him for the first time. Entire regions have the opportunity to “hear the voice of God,” as His people reach out with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

DC Festival with Luis Palau: Responding to an invitation from local pastors and other Christian leaders, Luis Palau met with 40 leaders in February 2002 to begin discussing the possibility of conducting a festival in the DC area. A steering committee has been formed to pray and survey the interest among all area churches. The committee is looking for a clear indication of support from a minimum of 250 churches before proceeding. At this stage, pastors, business people and the Luis Palau team are prayfully considering hosting DC Festival on The National Mall in Fall 2005.

The festival model includes:

  • Great Music:
    Nationally-known guest artists such as Third Day, Steven Curtis Chapman, dcTalk, Kirk Franklin, Hezekiah Walker, Avalon, Crystal Lewis, Point of Grace, Plus One, CeCe Winans, Mary Mary, Blind Boys of Alabama, Bob Carlisle and Audio Adrenaline have all participated in previous festivals.

  • Good News:
    1. Luis Palau and his partner evangelists present the Good News numerous times throughout the week and at the festival events.

    2. Thousands are equipped in Friendship Evangelism and trained as Festival Counselors to lead people in their commitment to faith in Jesus Christ.

    3. A locally led follow-up team will work with area churches to connect with decision-makers.

  • Extreme Sports:
    Professional skateboarders and BMX riders demonstrate their skills and give their testimonies at the 10,000-square-foot skate park constructed for the festival.

  • VeggieTales Children’s Area:
    A “kid-friendly” area featuring face-painting, balloons, games and more, plus a special children’s program that presents a clear Gospel message several times each day. VeggieTales’ Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are always around to say “Hi!”

  • Sports Zone:
    Some of the preeminent athletes in professional sports participate through demonstrations, appearances at fan “meet-and-greets” and by giving personal testimonies. Athletes who have shared their Christian “game plan” include future NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter, Miami Hurricanes Coach Larry Coker and NBA All Star LaPhonso Ellis.

  • Food Court:
    People can buy great food of all types, adding to the fun and family-oriented environment.

  • Corporate Sponsors:
    Local and national businesses make the event feel “normal” and safe to the non-churched, while raising as much as 20 percent of the budget.

  • Operation Compassion:
    Festivals emphasize showing the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in the community by meeting physical needs through food drives, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, or through meeting other locally-defined needs.

  • Major Advertising Campaign:
    By saturating the whole city/region with TV, radio, yard signs, billboards, etc., advertising opens the secular media to the Gospel and makes it easier for Christians to bring their non-churched friends to the event.

  • Free Admission:
    No offering is taken on site and no tickets are needed, so you can invite all your friends. The festival is funded beforehand through churches, individuals and sponsors, as a gift to the community.

    To express your interest in DC Festival 2005 or for more information:

  • Call: 703.838.8791
  • Fax: 703.838.8795
  • E-mail: dcfestival@palau.org
  • Address: DC Festival | 1650 Diagonal Rd | Alexandria, VA 22314-2857 For more information about Luis Palau festivals, go to: www.dcfestival.com

    For a printable version of this information please click here

    DC Festival with Luis Palau

    National Mall
    Washington DC
    2005

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