By Michael Ireland, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service 

RIVERSIDE, CA (ANS, July 29, 2016) -- In the midst of current events like the presidential runoff, increased racial tensions, and terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, many Americans are struggling to find hope in the midst of an uncertain future.

Across the nation, many people are asking questions like: “Why is there evil in the world?” “Will things get worse?” and “How can we find hope when life seems hopeless?”

Local pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie will provide eternal answers to these questions and more when the 27th annual Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie returns to Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Aug. 26 – 28.

With a trademark ability to present a clear gospel message in a culturally relevant format, drawing on the latest in current events, contemporary Christian music, and technology, Greg Laurie has been called the “evangelist of the future” by Billy Graham.

In addition to founding the Harvest Crusades—the longest-running annual evangelistic outreach in U.S. history—Laurie also serves as senior pastor of one of the largest churches in America, Harvest Christian Fellowship, which has campuses in Riverside and Irvine, CA, and Maui, Hawaii. He serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The Harvest Crusades outreach—this year called the 2016 SoCal Harvest—will feature a nightly message from Laurie, along with music from top name Christian musicians including Chris Tomlin, tobyMac, Skillet, for King & Country, Hollyn, Phil Wickham, and KB. The three-night event is open to the public and is free of charge. The Friday evening crusade will feature an emphasis on prayer and revival for the nation.

“Things seem upside down in our country right now and people are asking tough questions about the future,” said Laurie in a media release. “The Gospel message that we’ll be delivering during the SoCal Harvest is literally translated as ‘good news,’ and that’s really true—the good news is that there is eternal hope for each one of us when we trust in God.”

Founded in Southern California in 1990, Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie has grown from a one-time event at the Pacific Amphitheater to a large-scale evangelistic outreach that continues to serve as a launch pad for events across America and around the world.

The most significant outgrowth to date occurred this past March when Harvest hosted an event called Harvest America at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which was live streamed to more than 7,200 remote host locations and drew a combined 350,000 participants, making it the largest one-day live evangelistic event ever for U.S. audiences.

The Harvest Crusades with Greg Laurie events have drawn more than 5.6 million people to stadiums and arenas around the world, with another 1.8 million people attending virtually via the Internet.

Saturday Youth Tailgate Party: Students Gather to Help Feed Those in Need

This year, the SoCal Harvest weekend will include a youth tailgate party for students and young adults on Saturday, Aug. 27, with a focus on helping those in need. Hosted by Harvest Ministries, the tailgate will kick off at 2:30 p.m. under the Big A at Angel Stadium, and youth are asked to bring canned goods to support the work of Fred Jordan Missions. The tailgate party will include games, music, and two Rat Rod cars on display. More details are available at 2016 SoCal Harvest Tailgate Party.

Live Event Webcasts/Broadcasts/Social Media

All three nights of the 2016 SoCal Harvest will be broadcast live via the Internet at www.harvest.org and daily blog accounts of the crusade will also be made available. Updates about the Harvest outreach will be posted on Facebook (www.facebook.com/harvestcrusades ), Instagram (harvestcrusades or search #HarvestSoCal) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/harvest_org).

The 2016 SoCal Harvest will be broadcast locally on KKLA-FM and via satellite across the country on CSN Radio and Radio Nueva Vida. In addition, each night of the Harvest Crusade will air live on God TV (god.tv/tunein/us) with the ability to reach some 262 million U.S. and international households, and on JUCE-TV (www.jucetv.com), which is available to 60 million households across the U.S.

2016 SoCal Harvest Schedule of Events

All events will take place at Angel Stadium of Anaheim and are free and open to the public. Doors open two hours in advance of each program.

Friday, August 26 7 p.m.

Ø Friday evening will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from Chris Tomlin and for King & Country.

Saturday, August 27 7 p.m.

Ø Saturday evening will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from Skillet, KB, and the Harvest Worship Band featuring Phil Wickham.

Sunday, August 28 7 p.m.

Ø Sunday evening will feature a message from evangelist Greg Laurie and music from tobyMac, Hollyn, and Phil Wickham.

The 2016 SoCal Harvest begins at 7 p.m. each evening (gates open at 5 p.m.) and is free of charge. Angel Stadium of Anaheim charges $15 for parking fees for cars and $30 for buses. Each night the event will be interpreted in Spanish and signing for the deaf will be provided.

MEDIA NOTE: For more information about the 2016 SoCal Harvest events, or to arrange an interview, contact Laura McGowan at (847) 347-5206 or at laura@lauramcgowan.com , or access the Harvest Newsroom at www.newsroom.harvest.org .

Photo Captions: 1) Greg Laurie preaching. 2) Dan Wooding (with Mark Ellis) interviewing Greg Laurie at Angel stadium. 3) Greg Laurie with his wife, Cathe. 4) Michael Ireland.

About the Writer: Michael Ireland is a volunteer internet journalist serving as Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, as well as an Ordained Minister who has served with ASSIST Ministries and written for ASSIST News Service since its beginning in 1989. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China, and Russia. To help partner with Michael in ministry, log-on to: https://ACTINTL.givingfuel.com/ireland-michael.

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