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ANTICIPATION is building for Rock the River (RTR). Youth will gather August 7 in
Cloverdale for bands such as Starfield, Skillet and Thousand Foot Krutch, along
with evangelistic messages from Franklin Graham.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has been working hard to spread
the word. Throughout May, many people attended the Christian Life & Witness course offered by the BGEA.
According to Franklin Graham, this course was “designed to help us revitalize our faith and share it with others. It is a
tremendous preparation for renewal and evangelism.”
“They teach in four lessons what other courses take 20 to do,” said Doug Fortune, lead pastor of Peoples Church of Surrey – who is also acting as the counselling and follow-up chair for this initiative.
Rock the River, he said, “is an amazing opportunity to reach young people in the Lower Mainland.”
Another heavily attended pre-RTR event was FM419, the youth-targeted counterpart
of the Christian Life course. Event organizer Jay Anderson reported there were
1,216 individuals present for the April 30 – May 1 conference.
“Close to 300,”"he said, “made an indication on their attendance card that the Lord was working on their
hearts.”
Although the Christian Life course and FM419 are over, there is still an
opportunity to attend a condensed two-hour make-up class July 17,10 am, at
Sonrise Church in Surrey. It is essential for anyone who wants to volunteer at
RTR.
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All this training is leading up to outreach – and youth will have the opportunity to participate in Community Action Projects
through the BGEA this summer, putting their goodwill into action. Teens will
assist in street cleanup June 5, as well as other projects sponsored by the
City of Surrey.
Participants will also be doing cleanups in wildlife areas, serving drinks,
painting over graffiti, and handing out Rock the River flyers. “They’re encouraged to use resources from FM419 to share the gospel,” said Anderson.
That evening, young people are invited to bring others to a BBQ and concert with
band Bondless held at Peoples Church. “We’re also going to have a hip hop dance class there,” said Anderson.
The youth will be on the streets again on Canada Day, handing out drinks and RTR
flyers. More than 900 people have signed up for the Community Action Projects.
As each one has been encouraged to bring friends, Anderson noted, the number of
volunteers could be staggering.
After the big concert is over, the discipleship begins. According to Fortune,
the team will be preparing follow-up letters and ensuring people are connected
to churches. The intensive follow-up process will take some six weeks.
About RTR, Fortune said: “Don’t miss this chance. People pray years for revival – and now it’s staring us in the face.”
– Shara Lee
June 2010
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