As I looked into the faces of the young people who packed our Rock the River events last month, I saw so much emptiness, pain, confusion, and desperation.
Some of these kids have never had a truly loving relationship with an earthly father, much less a relationship with God the Father. Many don’t even know that God is there and cares for them. They don’t know they are sinners. My heart breaks for them, and I believe God’s heart breaks for them.
I want them to know God’s love. I want them to know that God sent His one and only Son “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10, NIV). That’s what Rock the River has been all about, and I’m thankful to report that thousands of lost young people were saved by repenting of sin and turning in faith to Jesus Christ.
Crowds Jammed the Riverfront
Young people jammed the riverfronts, with crowds as large as 65,000. The point of Rock the River is simply to provide a setting that attracts teens, where they want to come, so I can preach the Gospel to them. Jesus said that we are to be “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), and the music at Rock the River is the lure to attract their attention.
But the most important thing is not the concert.
“What I thought was awesome” said a 15-year-old trained as a counselor for the St. Louis event, “was seeing kids come to Christ. I’ve helped four kids pray to receive Christ today myself.”
I preached the Gospel three times and gave an invitation four times at each event. While I preached, my team and the band members were behind the stage praying. In between the preaching, the bands played. I wish you could have witnessed how energetically everyone participated and how enthusiastically they joined in praise and worship as the night continued.
Thank you for praying. God blessed in every detail, even the weather. Thunderstorms were all around us in Baton Rouge, but it never rained. In St. Louis the weather was hot and clear. The day before our Quad Cities event, downpours left the ground soaked and muddy, but we had no rain during the event. Forecasters predicted a 70 percent chance of rain in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and it rained all night. But when we were ready to start, the sun was shining.
Hundreds of churches partnered with us for each Rock the River event. During the months of preparation, we trained 6,657 people through our Christian Life and Witness classes. We give God praise for the powerful work He did in each city, and is still doing in individual hearts and lives, through the preaching of His timeless Gospel.
What’s Next
I believe God is leading us to have an evangelistic concert tour every summer. Pray with us as we begin preparations to reach more young people for Christ in other cities in the United States and Canada.
People want to know if we’ve given up on the traditional Crusade format. The answer is no. As I write this letter, I am on my way to Bogotá, Colombia, for an evangelistic Crusade in a land known for lawlessness and extreme violence. Please pray for the people of Colombia.
Besides our upcoming Crusades and preparing for another Rock the River Tour, we are launching the World Evangelism Through Television project, My Hope, in Thailand this year, then in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The Bible says that we are to use “all possible means” (1 Corinthians 9:22) to reach lost people with the message of repentance and salvation. Your prayers and your gifts are extremely important for this. Thank you for allowing God to use you in ways that will last for eternity.
May God bless you and your family,
Franklin Graham
President
