“That the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
—1 Peter 1:7, ESV
With beautiful beaches, emerald rainforests, and lofty high-rises, Australia’s Gold Coast is aptly named.
The area became known as Gold Coast after World War II when tourism exploded and real estate prices soared.
“It is a city of wealth,” said Chris Jacoby, city director of the Gold Coast Look Up Celebration, “but also extremes—homelessness, prostitution, drugs, and crime.
“People are hopeless and searching for something to fill that void. Many people don’t believe in God, and most Christians only attend church once every three weeks at best.”
During next weekend’s Celebration, Will Graham will share a message of hope worth infinitely more than gold—how to receive eternal life in Jesus Christ. The Afters, TAYA, and Planetboom will join Graham at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre to shine the light of Christ through music and testimonies.
A Burden for Australia
More than 380 churches are involved in the Celebration, with many believers joining regular Zoom calls to pray for the event.
In preparation for the upcoming outreach, over 1,000 people have completed the Christian Life and Witness Course, which teaches participants how to live out their faith and share it with others. Of those, hundreds have signed up to become prayer volunteers at the Celebration where they will pray for people who respond to the Gospel and help connect them to a local church.
The buildup has created a flurry of excitement for pastors. “They have been praying for something like this for years,” said Jacoby.
It’s a country near and dear to Graham’s heart.
In the past eight years, he has held multiple evangelistic outreaches across Australia: Alice Springs in 2016, Goldfields in 2018, and Tasmania in 2022. His father, Franklin Graham, also held a six-city evangelistic tour from Perth to Sydney in 2019.
“Will Graham has a burden for this great country and loves the people and culture,” Jacoby said. “He’s coming back to Australia to share the simple but powerful message of hope that is the Gospel.”
