Will Graham’s evangelistic tour in the Philippines continued Saturday, with a children's event in the morning and an evening Celebration for people of all ages.
KidzFest featured song, dance and more to present the Gospel story in a youthful way to the more than 20,000 in attendance.
As the evening event approached, prayer volunteers greeted people with a handshake and a smile. Believers from more than 1,600 churches in the Philippines helped prepare for the Greater Pangasinan-Metro Manila Celebration.
Rizal Park, the venue for this weekend’s events, is named after one of the country’s heroes, José Rizal. “They say this is the center of the Philippines. Everything kind of radiates from Rizal Park," explained Celebration Director Jeffrey Ferris.
Local Filipino artists including Exalt Worship, Papuri!, Building Bridges and JoAnn Cerdenia used their musical talents to set a worshipful tone for the evening—and send the melody of worship into the city of Manila.
As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Manila contains a wide variety of transportation forms—from jeepneys and mopeds to tricycles and carriages.
To assist those with a desire to attend the Greater Pangasinan-Metro Manila Celebration, about 200 buses brought people to the event from outlying communities.
More than 35,000 people stretched across the area in front of Rizal Park’s Quirino Grandstand to hear a message of hope.
After leading the crowd in both hymns and modern worship songs, Mark Christian introduced his friend and ministry partner Will Graham, who traveled “a long way to tell you a really cool story about a Savior who loves you.”
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” —Psalm 98:4
Will Graham shared a message from the book of 1 Samuel, using the story of Hannah to relate to the brokenness mankind continues to experience today.
“Broken lives and broken marriages are the result of sin. And we experience this brokenness because we’re separated from our Creator.”
But, Will explained, God sent His Son to redeem our brokenness and give us abundant life. On Saturday night, 35,000 people were given an opportunity to accept that gift from their heavenly Father.
Those in attendance at Saturday’s Celebration only represented a fraction who heard the Good News. An additional 2,800 people from 35 countries watched the live stream of the event online.
“Christ can change your life. Christ can do a miracle in your life, but you must be willing to come to Him,” Will Graham said Saturday night in the Philippines.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” —Romans 10:9-10
After years of preparation and nine events, the 2019 Greater Pangasinan-Metro Manila Celebration with Will Graham wraps up Sunday. Tune into the live stream to get a glimpse of the Filipino culture and be encouraged in your faith: BillyGraham.org/Manila.
