Pastor John Rotharmel has seen a lot during his two decades at Lighthouse Community Church in LaSalle, Colorado.
But what’s going on lately has taken him by surprise—in a good way.
“Our church is experiencing a tremendous time of revival,” Rotharmel said. “God is doing some great things.”
Watch the NoCo Look Up Celebration with Will Graham
So when he got wind of a regionwide evangelistic event coming to Northern Colorado, hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, he was naturally interested. And after the Pastor’s Conference in August, he knew this was perfect timing for his church.
“We’re big believers in Billy Graham’s ministry,” he said. “Our church is excited. We have a bunch of counselors trained.”
A large-scale revival in this area is pretty uncommon, Rotharmel said, so the NoCo Look Up Celebration with Will Graham (Oct. 5-6) immediately grabbed his attention. The outreach came with opportunities for evangelism training and an event to invite friends and family to hear about Jesus Christ.
And more than 150 churches have come together for the sake of the Gospel in their region.
“I think it’s amazing,” said the Assemblies of God pastor. “It’s about Kingdom building, not ministry building. I’m 100% about standing beside our Presbyterian brothers, our Baptist brothers. I think it’ll be awesome how we’ll be able to worship Him in different styles. As long as it’s all about Jesus Christ, I’m all in.”
More than 500 prayer counselors have been trained and will be at Blue Arena at Ranch Events Complex in Loveland as Will Graham shares the Good News on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The events both start at 6 p.m. (MT) and will include award-winning musical guests Michael W. Smith, Rend Collective, Aaron Shust and Christine D’Clario. KidzFest, an evangelistic program designed specifically for children, starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Steve Rhoads, director of the NoCo Look Up Celebration, is looking forward to how God is going to move in the hearts of people in this region. He’s already seen a hunger for the Gospel as more than 700 women gathered together at an event featuring Will Graham’s wife, Kendra Graham.
Home to more than half of the country’s highest mountain peaks (14,000 feet or higher), Colorado is a magnet for those who love the great outdoors. Finding spiritual people is not a problem at all, Rhoads said. But finding people interested in a relationship with Jesus Christ is another matter altogether.
“In the middle of being outdoors and hiking, it still leaves you with some emptiness,” Rhoads said. “They’re interested in spiritual things. Unseen things. Mysticism. Nature. But it’s about having a walk with God that’s real and authentic. People know, baked into them, there is something bigger and that bigger thing is God.”
Please pray for Will Graham and the NoCo Look Up Celebration. Ask God to draw many open hearts to hear the Gospel this weekend. You can watch live or share with a friend at WillGrahamLive.com.
