A REFUGE IN THE RUBBLE: GOD’S HOPE FOR VENEZUELA
Dear Friend,
A few weeks ago massive twin earthquakes shook the country of Venezuela, toppling buildings and claiming untold lives. They were the strongest to hit the nation in more than 120 years, and in one state alone, it’s estimated that 80% of the buildings collapsed. Within minutes, people around the world saw images of the immense tragedy and heartbreaking grief.
Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were on the ground in Venezuela within days to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of survivors, and they will continue to serve there for the foreseeable future.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a long history of ministry in Venezuela, including evangelistic events, discipleship training, and pastor conferences. We give God all the glory for the 146,000 lives He has transformed through these outreaches in the last eight years. Now, in their desperate time of need, we will continue to point these broken hearts to the only One who can bring hope out of the rubble.
Will you join me in praying for the people of Venezuela, as well as the chaplains and disaster response workers? Pray that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [their] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NKJV) in the coming days as they endure incredible sorrow.
REGINA CELEBRATION: ‘LIFT UP YOUR EYES …’
In John 4:35, Jesus addressed His disciples, saying, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (NKJV). As I flew into Regina, Canada, in June, that verse played through my mind like a song on repeat.
The capital city of Saskatchewan, Regina sits in the heart of the Canadian prairies, surrounded by fertile ground and cropland as far as the eye can see. Just as Jesus used the fields to point out a spiritual need and opportunity, I couldn’t
help but prayerfully believe a blessed harvest was being prepared for the Regina Look Up Celebration.
From the beginning, we saw an incredible unity among the churches, a groundswell of prayer coverage, and a passion for the Gospel. But spiritual warfare is real, and this journey was a battle—right up to the end. Mere weeks before the event, the venue informed us that there was a scheduling conflict, and we were forced to change it to a single-day
event on Friday, June 12.
While discouraged, we knew that God was in control. We proceeded in prayer, trusting our Saviour and preparing for the harvest, knowing that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NKJV).
My friends, God—in His eternal faithfulness—answered the prayers of the believers in Regina! More than 3,600 people filled the Brandt Centre, and we praise God that more than 210 people responded to the Gospel message and surrendered their lives into the loving hands of the Saviour.
Will you join me in praying for all of those who responded to the Good News of the Saviour at the Regina Look Up Celebration? Let’s praise God for His faithfulness and pray that each new believer would grow in their faith.
My friends, we serve an awesome God, and we are blessed to share His peace and hope with a lost and dying world. Thank you for your partnership in this life-changing work. Your prayers and support are being multiplied as—together in one voice—we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, NKJV).
May God bless you
Will you pray for Yoshiko and for all those who made decisions for Jesus Christ during the Celebration? Please ask God to embolden these new believers so they can reach their neighbours with His love. Next, Will is preaching the Good News during the Regina Look Up Celebration on12–13 June in Saskatchewan, Canada. Will you also lift this event up to the Lord in prayer? Thank you for your partnership in the work of the Gospel. God is using you in powerful ways as He draws people to Himself all around the world.
May God bless you,
Will Graham
Executive Vice President
“You Don’t Need to Save Them—Just Introduce Them to Jesus”
Ahead of the God Loves You Tour in Manchester this October, “I Am Andrew” prayer rallies took place on Saturday 11 July, across five locations in north-west England. These meetings gathered believers to pray for revival and inspire them with one simple challenge: bring the people you love to meet Jesus, the way Andrew did with his brother Simon.
“We’ve been talking about I Am Andrew since the very beginning, because that’s the heart of the ministry,” said Scott Lenning, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) Festival Director. “People see the God Loves You Tour as an opportunity to reach their friends for Christ.”
Olaide attended the rally at Message Community Church in Manchester, after taking BGEA’s evangelism training Christian Life and Witness Course (CLWC). The gathering reframed how he thought about evangelism. “You don’t need to save them, but you introduce them to Jesus,” he said. “There’s so much in eternity for the person you’ve introduced to Christ.”
A woman called Reggie was also there, having been invited by a friend who knew she had a heart to reach her community with the Gospel. “I thought it was just going to be a small group,” she said, encouraged to see so many people praying for revival. “It was amazing!” By the end of the event, she’d signed up to volunteer at the Tour.
At Message Community Church in Manchester, five buses are already booked to bring people to the evangelistic event in October, and they will host a discipleship course the following week for anyone who makes a first-time commitment to Jesus. Leading up to this autumn’s outreach, they are hosting CLWCs every night for three weeks so as many church members as possible can learn how to share their faith with others.
“I was born in Manchester,” said John Harrington, who serves on the church team. “I want to see my city revived.”
Over 100 Christian Life and Witness Courses Are Equipping Believers for Evangelism and Discipleship
CLWCs exist to give believers practical guidance for sharing the Gospel and Biblical principles for discipling new believers. One recent course on the outskirts of Greater Manchester drew dozens of church members including Dele, who learned something he hadn’t expected.
“The course reframed my priorities,” he said. “It’s reminded me that it’s not just about going to work or hanging out with friends, but it’s important to be a witness in those places.”
“Our current culture is so much further from God than it was 5, 10, 20 years ago,” Dele continued. “People don’t even know what Christianity is about, or they have an incorrect belief about it. That’s why evangelism is so important today—there’s so much need for it!”
Dele went on to describe why events like the God Loves You Tour are so valuable to believers who want to evangelise. “It helps someone like me to have something to bring a friend to, and it stimulates conversation before and after,” he said. CLWCs are still running across Manchester and the surrounding region. To find one near you, visit GodLovesYouTour.org.uk.
Please continue to pray for the upcoming God Loves You Tour, that many across Manchester and the surrounding regions would come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
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