“Everyday you are seeing something new about it, which is very encouraging,” says the pastor of Healing Place Church. “People are getting fired up about it. A lot of our people put signs in their yards. The billboards are up. You can really sense the communication this last 30 days is picking up speed in our community.”
The vision of Rock the River resonates with Pastor Rizzo, who founded Healing Place Church to reach a lost and hurting world. The congregation, which started in 1993 with 12 people, has grown to over 7,000 people gathering every weekend in 18 services in 10 locations from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Maputo, Mozambique.
For two consecutive years, Healing Place Church has been listed as one of America’s Top 25 Most Innovative Churches.
“Rock the River so resonated with all of our hearts,” he explained during a phone interview. “The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan’s Purse did so much in this community through Hurricane Katrina and also two other hurricanes last year. They put thousands of tarps on people’s roofs. The generosity of the BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse is always a huge thing for the people of Louisiana.”
Members of Healing Place Church are thrilled that the Festival team wants to “serve them and be a blessing to them,” says Pastor Rizzo, “and come into our community without strings attached other than sharing God’s love and providing encouragement.”
The team has done “a great job of connecting with area youth groups,” he adds. “Louisiana has its share of problems, like any state, of illiteracy, of youth getting in trouble with teen pregnancy, and also with violence and crime. We have a high percentage of young males who are incarcerated.”
Rock the River is “coming alongside and providing hope to the churches,” says Pastor Rizzo. “It is reaching young people, and providing an avenue for them to bring their friends and get fired up.”
Not only are the youth excited, but many older members think Rock the River is a great idea, especially because of the legacy of Dr. Graham. They are helping to get the word out and also supporting the outreach financially.
Pastor Rizzo says he definitely will attend the July 18 event on the LSU campus. “I love the concept, and I even like a lot of the music they’ve got lined up. This is going to be huge. Franklin Graham and his team have come up with what I really feel is a God-idea.
“We so value the BGEA and we are fired up to be part of this thing. Again, it’s an honor to partner with Franklin Graham,” Pastor Rizzo concludes.
- Visit rocktheriver.com for tour dates, band info, t-shirts and more.
- Check out the Rock the River Facebook page.
- Learn more about other Tour cities.
- Read about Franklin Graham’s burden for youth in the heartland.
- Wanna know about FM419?
