In 1990, a small group of people set out to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to Southern California in a non-traditional, non-church environment. With little more than personal experience, deep conviction, and great vision, they pursued their simple strategy of presenting Christ’s timeless message in a contemporary format. A plan evolved for a casual evening of upbeat music, genuine worship, and a clear presentation of biblical messages.

At a time when many in America were questioning the effectiveness and the future of modern crusade evangelism, Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, and Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside believed that crusades had great potential for a new generation.

On faith, they rented the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa for several nights in the summer of 1990, not knowing how many people would show up for the event. Remarkably, more than 90,000 people attended what was the first Harvest Crusade, featuring Greg Laurie as the evangelist. The results confirmed that people are still interested in hearing straight talk about life’s challenges and problems.

Since 1990, crowds totaling more than 3 million people have attended Harvest Crusades across the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Anaheim. More than 243,000 people have registered decisions to commit their lives to Christ as a result of these crusades beginning in 1990.

Harvest has pioneered the use of cutting-edge technology to share its message of faith and hope with the world. Beginning in 1998, Webcast began its debut. More than 206,000 people have participated in Harvest Crusades via the Internet, watching live broadcasts from countries including the U.S., Macedonia, Brazil, India, and Japan. Throughout each live Harvest Crusade Webcast, volunteers are available to talk and pray with virtual attendees in "real time."

Besides conducting evangelistic outreaches, Harvest Ministries sponsors A New Beginning—an international radio program with messages by Greg Laurie—as well as a television program called Harvest: Greg Laurie, carried nationally on Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Television. Harvest Crusades, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation that exists for the sole purpose of presenting the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and to help believers mature in their faith. If you are interested in learning more about the Harvest Crusades, check out their website at www.harvestcrusades.org.