evangelism

Preparing for the Harvest

By Charlene Israel
CBN News

CWNews.com–-On May 18, Franklin Graham kicks off his first U.S.festival in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Getting ready for those three days takes a tremendous amount of effort and organizing.

But there's one kind of preparation that organizers say is key to the festival's success.

It's one week and counting, and volunteers and workers for the Franklin Graham Festival are doing their most important work to prepare, as they did a prayer walk around Norfolk, Virginia's Scope, the site of the upcoming gathering.

Franklin Graham's festival starts on May 18 in Norfolk, Virginia.

One pastor prayed, "We agree today that through this festival you'll speak through Lord God the man of God, Franklin Graham. That you'll use him in a mighty way that thousands of souls would be saved."

All the preparations early on were bathed in prayer, from the organizing of the churches to training of volunteers.

Crusade organizers say that prayer is the most important part of the preparation. That's why prayer rallies are held around the country in the months and weeks prior to the crusade.

"We say there are three major components to a festival," said Franklin Graham Festival Director Sherman Barnette, "Number one is prayer -- this entire festival needs to be born in prayer, needs to be bathed in prayer. It's only as God brings, and as He answers the prayers of His people will we see people come to Christ."

Barnette said that the other two components are "Operation Andrew" and training the volunteers.

He explained, "It's (Operation Andrew) basically writing the names of people down and praying for them by name, and then bringing them to the festival."

Some 10,000 to 15,000 volunteers are involved in making the festival a success, with many participating in "Operation Andrew."

All important, too, is that churches be ready to receive the new Christians who will need discipling in their new walk with Christ.

That's the third component - training. More than 7,000 of the volunteers for the Norfolk festival have attended discipleship training classes.

But everyone agrees that, without prayer, the festival would be just a gathering.

But because of months of behind-the-scenes prayer support, many are expecting to see great fruit.

Robert Enriquez, one of the festival's prayer warriors, said, "I know there's going to be a mighty anointing that's coming here, and I know there's going to be multitudes coming to this place."

Another prayer supporter, James Myers, said, "I believe this place is going to be exploding in the love of God. I believe people are going to turn their lives around and truly live for God."

Exactly what the organizers say is the purpose behind all the planning.

Barnette said, "When preparations are limited, the results will be limited -- so we try to spend as much energy and time as possible preparing for the harvest."

For more information on Franklin Graham's visit to Hampton Roads click here.

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