Harvest Crusade Keeps Current by Amping Music and Technology

The twisting skateboarders and back-flipping motorcyclists have disappeared from this year’s Harvest Crusade, with organizers focusing on what made the three-day Christian revival so popular in the first place: the music and the message.

In contrast to recent years, the 17th annual Harvest Crusade, a free event that begins tonight at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, has no skateboard exhibitions, no motocross spectacular and no fireworks display.

Instead, the event’s planners hope an all-star lineup of Christian musicians and compelling sermons by Pastor Greg Laurie, founder of the Riverside-based Harvest Christian Fellowship and creator of Harvest Crusade, will draw thousands of newcomers, both Christians and others, to the stadium or to the live Internet feed (www.harvest.org/crusades).

The program begins at 7 tonight and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. Sunday.

“This year we have gone back to a musical lineup every night we think is very appealing,” said John Collins, executive director of Harvest Ministries. “The focus is on getting people here in the evenings.”

Musicians scheduled to perform include the newsboys, David Crowder Band, Kutless and Crystal Lewis.

Harvest Crusade’s Anaheim event regularly draws enormous crowds. More than 100,000 people attended last year’s three-day event.

Members of the megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship and like-minded evangelical churches throughout Southern California are encouraged to bring friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to enjoy the musical acts and hear Laurie’s message, in hopes they may turn to Christianity. If they do, they’re invited down to the outfield grass at Angel Stadium, where volunteer counselors pray with them and give them a Bible and resources for finding local churches.

Each year, about 10% of those attending become Christians, according to organizers.

Harvest Ministry member and crusade volunteer Mark Johnson, 47, of Riverside plans to bring newcomers each night. But Johnson is still working on one co-worker to come along despite his reluctance over the past few years.

“I’ve had him as close as the parking lot,” Johnson said.

Organizers are trying to attract younger people, booking music acts that appeal to them and taking advantage of new technology to help spread Laurie’s messages.

Saturday evening is devoted to “Amplify,” a program geared to youth. The new title, replacing “Youth Jam,” is a double entendre signifying a night with pumped-up decibel levels and preaching, Collins said.

This year, Harvest Crusade will also provide video podcasts of each evening’s sermons in addition to audio podcasts and live webcasts. While webcasts allow Internet users to watch the crusades each night, podcasts allow users to download the segments onto MP3 and video players for viewing or listening at any time. The concerts will not be recorded for the Internet.

“Really recognizing the power of new media is something that is bearing fruit for us,” said Paul Eaton, a Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor who’s overseeing the crusade’s Web component. “Last year, no one knew what podcasting was when we were doing it. This year it’s a mainstream item.”

The technology allowed 50,000 people in 61 countries to watch or listen to last year’s Anaheim crusade, organizers said.

Eaton’s staff of 30 employees and volunteers, who jokingly refer to themselves as the “Geek Squad,” also plan to offer behind-the-scenes footage and interviews for download. One volunteer will be chatting with singers and band members, and another will be roaming the stadium to capture the Harvest Crusade experience.

“It’s about what’s going on in hallways, [and] if you’re in the nosebleed sections, what’s going on there.” Eaton said. “We’re just having some fun with it.”