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by Karen Gleason –
BILLY GRAHAM |
Anticipation is high as preparations shift into high gear for the Greater Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade, Nov. 18-21, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Ten thousand volunteers from 1,161 area churches representing 95 denominations are working together to organize the event. Salvationists are involved in a variety of ways in these preparations. Graham will have just turned 86 when he returns to Los Angeles 55 years after launching his first crusade there in a tent south of downtown Los Angeles—a campaign scheduled for three weeks and extended to eight (see feature in New Frontier, Vol. 22, No. 4, February 20, 2004). The November 2004 meetings will be his eighth crusade in this area. In a recent ceremony in Los Angeles honoring Graham, Billy Graham Evangelical Association Crusade Director Jeff Anderson read a statement from the evangelist. Graham wrote: “In many ways it seems like only yesterday that we walked into the ‘canvas cathedral’—which is certainly a good reminder to all of us that life is fleeting… We come bringing a message of HOPE and the possibility of a new beginning.” The four-day crusade offers a full schedule of events, including activities for children. Special guests include CeCe Winans, MercyMe, Tait, Michael W. Smith, The Katinas, Kutless, Jars of Clay, Marcos Witt, and more. The meetings will be simultaneously translated into several languages, including sign language. On Saturday, November 20, the crusade’s Love In Action Team will host a VIP Banquet for hurting people in our communities. People from economically deprived areas will be prayed for, invited and brought to the Crusade by individuals and churches participating in the Love In Action effort. Steve Allen, social services consultant for the Army’s Southern California Division, is working with Love in Action. For details on Love in Action and other crusade information, visit the website www.billygraham.org (information available in English and Spanish). The site also provides information on volunteer opportunities and choir participation. You may also call (626) 793-8000. The Salvation Army Pasadena Tabernacle Corps is a location for the KidzNet Billy Graham Pre-Crusade choir rehearsals. Meetings for the Graham crusade’s Christian Life and Witness Course were held in Spanish at the Los Angeles Central Corps, corps officers Captains Antonio and Aide Horta, and at the Santa Ana Temple Corps, corps officers Captains Oscar and Edith Tippol. Admission is free to the crusade; no tickets are necessary, and seating is first-come, first-served.