Posted on 07/13/2007 1:12:41 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
OMAHA, Neb. (The Catholic Voice) - Luis Palau's Heartland Festival taking place in Omaha this summer will be unlike any other - even for the internationally-known evangelical preacher.
For the first time in the history of Palau's festivals, the local Catholic Church has endorsed the event and plans to send representatives to participate in the festival July 14-15 on the Qwest Center grounds.
Since Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss showed his support for the festival, at least 11 Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha have signed up to participate.
"We're very, very excited that every sector of the city is covered from the Catholic perspective," said Father Ryan Lewis, vice chancellor and a member of the festival's local organizing executive committee.
Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Agnes Parish will represent the Hispanic community in South Omaha, Holy Name Parish will represent the North Omaha African American community, and parishes in Midtown, Bellevue and West Omaha will represent the other areas of Omaha, he said.
"We want strong, active, motivated Catholics who are very secure in their faith down at that festival doing evangelization and speaking articulately about the faith," Father Lewis said. "I would say the archbishop is very pleased with the response from the Catholic community and he continues to see it as a real opportunity to bring back the lost, those who have fallen away and those who've never really heard the message to begin with."
For the first time at a Palau festival, all participants will fill out a card indicating their religious denomination. The cards on which a person states he or she is Catholic or once was Catholic will be given to representatives from Catholic parishes who will follow up after the festival, Father Lewis said.
The archdiocese will have a large tent on the grounds where Catholic literature and items will be available and where priests will hear confessions all day long, he said.
"Initially there was so much fear about whether we were making a terrible mistake by getting involved, but I think it's quite the opposite," Father Lewis said. "I've been overwhelmed by how strong the Catholic response has been. It's certainly going to be a Luis Palau festival unlike anything he's ever experienced before and he's taking a risk by coming into this Catholic town and inviting the Catholics in."
Palau told the Catholic Voice he has been looking forward to the Omaha festival for some time.
"Since our team was invited by local leaders to bring the festival to Omaha, I've been impressed - and energized - by the vitality of the parishes and churches and by the visionary leadership in business and government," he said. "The Heartland Festival is sure to be a ministry highlight."
Didn't Billy Graham do something like this at his Crusades?
I had to look it up...
“What is a Luis Palau Festival?
Envision the biggest party you’ve ever attended. Multiply attendance by 100 or even 1,000. Now add two full days of fun, awesome Christian bands, world-class skateboarding demos, and opportunities to see your friends and family come to Jesus Christ. That, my friend, is a Luis Palau festival.
Since 1999, more than 6 million people worldwide have enjoyed Luis Palau’s “Great music! Good News!” festivals. A festival offers fun for the whole family, fantastic food, top Christian musicians, a VeggieTales children’s area complete with Bob and Larry, a community care area, and an impressive skate park featuring some of the best professional skateboarders, BMX and FMX riders.
Great music comes from guest artists like Chris Tomlin, Wynonna Judd, Third Day, Kirk Franklin, BarlowGirl, TobyMac, and many others.
Luis Palau gives multiple presentations of the Good News and calls to commitment to Jesus Christ. The Gospel is proclaimed throughout the festival grounds, through action sport and children’s evangelists, as well as through thousands of local Christians in attendance. More than 71,000 Americans have made public decisions for Jesus Christ at our U.S. festivals.
Behind the scenes, Luis Palau festivals are much more than two-day celebrations—they are year-long awakenings of entire cities to Jesus Christ. During the year leading up to a festival:
* Christians come together across denominational and racial lines to work, pray, give, and learn in order to make the evangelistic festival a success.
* LPA trains thousands of local Christians in friendship evangelism.
* LPA equips hundreds of local churches to disciple new or recommitted believers from the festival.
* Strategic outreaches to local government, education, women’s and business leaders change individual hearts—and over time, the heart of the city.
* Servant evangelism projects bring tangible help and the love of Christ to the city’s neediest residents.
* Citywide anticipation of the event grabs the attention of local secular media, generates public discussion of the Gospel, and makes people want to know more about God and salvation through Jesus Christ.
In each of our festival cities, LPA has left a legacy of unprecedented unity in the Body of Christ, and a core group of Christian leaders committed to ongoing, combined evangelistic outreach to their communities.
If you’re interested in having a Luis Palau festival in your city, please let us know. Contact us at info@palau.org. We will let you know exactly what it takes to get a festival in your city!”
Thanks for letting us in! It sounds like a great event!
Is this the same Luis Palau that said Chinese Christians should register with their government?
One has to wonder if they’ll do the same for all the different protestant denominations. And what if the person has decided to leave the Catholic church (was once Catholic)?
And what if they *were* protestant but now are Catholic? Who gets the card?
Does this mean that should Palau have an event in say, Salt Lake City, Mormons would have tables?
Perhaps the Buddhists and Muslims want to join in next.
>>Very sad to learn of this especially as the Pope are telling non-Catholics that we aren’t Christians, only they, are genuine Christians.<<
You’re from the AP aren’t you?
Look at the actual document, and get your facts straight.
Sorry I’m missing your point....
>>Very sad to learn of this especially as the Pope are telling non-Catholics that we aren’t Christians, only they, are genuine Christians.<<
You’re from the AP aren’t you?
Look at the actual document, and get your facts straight.<<
The Pope never said that other denominations are not Christian, it’s only been spun that way.
Here is a link to the document...
http://www.zenit.org/article-20090?l=english
Pay careful attention to this...
“It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church.”[12]”
Spun which way, and by whom? The current Catholic spin on another thread says that we're apostates. Maybe you could explain how we can be apostates, not "true churches" but only "communities", and yet still be Christians?
>>Spun which way, and by whom? The current Catholic spin on another thread says that we’re apostates. Maybe you could explain how we can be apostates, not “true churches” but only “communities”, and yet still be Christians?<<
I don’t speak for other FReepers. I speak for myself only.
And will post the Vatican document with highlights.
Most of the Catholic Parishes call themselves
‘communities’ too.
Good question.
Now this is good news!
I suspect that whatever the person puts on the card, that’s where it will be sent. I don’t know of any Catholics who have left for Protestant churches who still identify themselves as “Catholics.” Nor vice versa. The only ones who were “once Catholic” who I could envision as identifying themselves as “once Catholic” would be fallen-away Catholics who never identified with any other churches.
Is anyone representing the Catholic community?
what's that? Pretending to be someones friend in order to convert them?
I don’t know, it’s not my organization. Probably a good idea to write them..
But it sounds like fun! Where Larry the Cucumber is, so am I!
No pretending. As Christ befriended the 12, and more deeply the 3, that is what we are called to do. This is as opposed to showing up at a certain place, preaching the Gospel, having some repent and come to Christ, and then getting on the bus to the next event while leaving all those souls behind.
Friendship evangelism is taking the time to be part of the lives around us while living out the death, burial, and resurrection in our own lives as witness or testimony of God's saving power and grace.
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