Lives Changed for Eternity in London
Dear Friend,
We praise God that hundreds of lives here in the United Kingdom have been changed by His love and truth—and we thank you for helping make this Gospel ministry possible. I recently returned from an incredible time in England, where I preached and urged the thousands who gathered in London’s ExCeL convention centre to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31, NKJV).
Each time I have shared the Gospel in the United Kingdom over the last few years, I have been struck by a deep hunger for God’s truth among people from all walks of life—and this time was no different. In the months leading up to the God Loves You Tour, believers from nearly 1,800 churches prayed with us and were trained to participate. The Lord was also at work among young people. More than 2,000 students attended 12 special worship and equipping nights we sponsored to help them share their faith with others. We then encouraged them to bring their friends to the tour event.
As we saw God moving in amazing ways across southern England, we asked the venue to expand the seating from 10,000 to 15,000 for the night of the outreach. We give the Lord all the glory for the 17,000 people who filled the hall, with every seat taken and with people standing along the walls. Security had to turn thousands more away—and many of them gathered outside the convention centre to pray and sing praise to God!
Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, The Afters, Dennis Agajanian, and the Tommy Coomes Band did a wonderful job of leading the crowd in worship. I shared a message from Mark’s gospel and urged all those in attendance to respond to God’s free offer of salvation in His Son. The Holy Spirit worked in countless hearts, and hundreds walked forward when I gave the invitation—including young people, who made up nearly 40% of those who responded.
One of them—a 16-year-old girl—told us, “Everybody is hungry for God in my generation right now, and He is moving. Everybody is ready for it, and God is there, for them to receive Him. They just need to come to Him.”
Others who came forward, like Rachel, were older. She’s 55 and first heard about Jesus Christ only six weeks earlier. Then, she decided to attend the God Loves You Tour after seeing advertisements throughout the city. One of our prayer counsellors, Fiona, had been praying ahead of the event, asking the Lord to direct her to the right person. She is also 55—and God led her straight to Rachel. Through tears, Rachel told Fiona that she was having a tough time. In the face of her difficulties, she was eager to surrender her life to the Lord in repentance and faith. We praise Him that Rachel said a heartfelt prayer to receive salvation through Jesus Christ.
Fiona was filled with gratitude for the opportunity to point Rachel to the Gospel. “I’m so glad I volunteered,” Fiona told us. “I came in obedience to God, and now I can tell that this is yet another way to bring people to Jesus.” Please pray for each person who made a life-changing decision for the Lord and that He will continue drawing many people to faith in Jesus Christ all across the United Kingdom. We are already praying and making plans to return next summer—and beyond.
Looking Ahead
With so much turmoil in the world, many hearts are filled with worry—but as believers, we can be confident that God holds the future in His hands. We need to make the most of every opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel that brings hope and peace regardless of circumstances. God has opened many doors for us to proclaim His peace in the coming months, including a Festival in Brussels, Belgium, where I will preach in September. The following month, my son Will is going to proclaim “the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10, NKJV) in Estonia, followed by the Sunshine State Good News Tour in four cities across Florida from 26 October through 1 November. I am so grateful for your commitment to reaching men, women, and children far from God with His love and truth. Thank you.
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President & CEO
He Wanted the Confidence to Respond
As thousands gathered at ExCeL London for the God Loves You Tour, chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were there ready to serve. The chaplains began ministering at noon, offering a warm welcome to arriving volunteer stewards, counsellors, and early visitors. As the event began, all chaplains moved inside the venue to help out wherever they were needed. After Franklin Graham preached and gave the invitation to receive Christ, hundreds came forward—and the
chaplains were ready, stepping in to pray, listen, and walk with those making the life-changing decision. The event had ended, and the room was clearing out, as announcements were made for coach departures. George,* a man in his 70s, remained seated in a near-empty block—quiet, still, and waiting.
A chaplain walking the arena noticed him and stopped to check in. George explained that he had been deeply moved by the message but hadn’t felt confident enough to go forward. So, he waited. For 30 minutes, he sat alone, hoping someone would come. “I didn’t want to leave until someone prayed with me,” he said. The chaplain sat beside him and talked about what it means to follow Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit worked in his heart, George made a decision that changed everything. He prayed to surrender it all to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. It may have been the final response of the night—but for George, it was the right time.
She Ran to Meet Jesus
For weeks leading up to the God Loves You Tour, believers across London prayed boldly for those far from the Lord—and then invited them to the event. We praise God that many of these men and women had the privilege of watching Him answer their prayers as friends and family members made life-changing decisions for Jesus Christ.
Lydia* invited Maja,* a friend she had recently made at a fitness class. Maja, who is from Poland, told Lydia that the event was on her birthday, and she would likely be out of town—but the Lord had other plans. Maja’s 12-year-old daughter, Ada,* heard about the tour and wanted to go. The family changed their plans to attend the event together. During the music, Maja was captivated by the worship and then listened closely as Franklin shared the Gospel message. When he invited those in the audience to receive forgiveness in Christ, Ada ran to the front—and Maja followed closely behind. Both prayed to follow the Lord in repentance and faith. “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Lydia said. “I was so pleased for them.” Peter,* a local pastor, brought his 70-year-old father, Thomas, to the event. The two spent the evening together, and the Holy Spirit was working in Thomas’ heart. After the event ended, Peter found one of our Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains and asked if he could pray with his dad. Thomas has a hard time walking and didn’t go forward during the invitation—but he wanted to talk to someone.
He was waiting for medical test results and was burdened with a deep sense of uncertainty. When the conversation turned to faith, Thomas was honest. He didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and didn’t know where he would spend eternity. The two talked about Franklin’s sermon and read Scripture together. After a few minutes, Thomas said he was ready to receive Jesus Christ. He quietly prayed and surrendered his life to the Lord.
We praise God for these new sisters and brother in the Lord—and for answering the prayers of Christians like
Peter and Lydia!
‘Now My Whole Family Is Saved!’
For years, Nadine had been asking God to save her entire family—particularly, her two daughters. She rejoiced last year when her eldest daughter came to faith in Jesus Christ and continued to faithfully pray that her teenage daughter, Billie, would make the same choice. Last month, Nadine travelled three hours by coach from Birmingham to London for the God Loves You Tour
and brought Billie with her. Billie was hesitant—she had grown up hearing about Jesus but never felt ready to make a decision for herself. “I’ve always been really hesitant toward the idea,” Billie said. “I’ve always been too scared.” Beneath her hesitation, God was softening her heart.
“The Bible is about forgiveness, God wants to forgive,” Franklin Graham said during his message. “You’ve got to come to Him through Jesus Christ. … Is he calling you tonight?” The fear and doubt that had weighed her down began melting away. “God was trying to get my attention,” Billie said with tears in her eyes. And she simply couldn’t ignore it. She was among the crowd of 1,000 who walked forward at the invitation.
When asked how she felt, Billie had no words. Instead, she burst into tears of joy, clinging to her mother who tightened her embrace on her daughter. Through sobs of her own, Nadine cried, “Now my whole family is saved!” “The enemy tried to stop us from coming,” Nadine added. “But I’m so glad we pushed through—because tonight, my daughter gave her life to Jesus.”
Nadine may have been waiting for years, but God’s timing is never early or late—it is always perfect. “It was all in God’s time, not mine,” she said. “I’m just so proud of all of them and so thankful to Jesus for what He’s done in my life and theirs.”
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