Greg Laurie Announces Growing 'Spiritual Hunger' among Gen Zers and Millennials
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Aug 22, 2024
Pastor and Harvest Crusade pastor Greg Laurie recently shared that he once had a conversation with late evangelist Billy Graham about the gospel and its impact on reaching souls.
"I can't believe that God allowed me to do this and to be doing it for 35 years," Laurie, who leads Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, recently told CBN News. "[When] we started these Harvest Crusade [events], never did we think we would be doing them 35 years later, but we are, and they're going strong, and it's a whole new generation."
He contended that there's a "spiritual hunger" among Gen Zers and millennials based on recent positive reactions to the Christian faith, The Christian Post reports.
"They're searching," Laurie said. "They're looking for answers, and I find myself in these crusades being simpler than I've ever been. I just feel my job is to make this information accessible and understandable."
"It is my belief that most Americans have never [encountered an] accurate, understandable presentation of the Gospel," he continued. "They've heard the word 'Gospel.' They've heard variations of Gospel preaching, but have they actually just heard the simple Gospel message presented in a way that they can comprehend?"
The preacher went on to say that this simple message is one found at the heart of the biblical narrative.
"The power of our message is in the death [and] resurrection of Jesus Christ," he said.
He also recalled a dinner he had years ago with Graham, where he asked the late evangelist what he would say to a younger Billy Graham if given a chance.
"Billy said, 'I would preach more on the cross of Christ and the blood — that's where the power is,'" Laurie recalled. "So, now, at this point [in] ministry, I find that I'm really simplifying my message."
In response, helping people make a decision to follow Christ and then build upon that relationship results in something powerful.
Last month, Laurie saw 50,000 people attend his recent Harvest Crusade, held July 20 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
"The fire marshal literally shut the doors, and there were people outside ... worshiping," Laurie said.
About 3,500 people surrended their lives to Christ in-person while 1,500 more made the same decision when watching the crusade online.
One week later, Laurie saw 2,000 people get baptized in a separate baptism event. Last month's baptism follows the 2023 Jesus Revolution baptism, which saw 4,500 people be baptized.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Greg Laurie
