What is Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 featuring Luis Palau

and how does it fit into

PRAY–PROCLAIM–PURSUE?

Join the uniting of believers in movement and commitment to pray, proclaim, and pursue the transformation of Dallas for Jesus Christ. This summer you will have the opportunity to:

1. What is the Global Day of Prayer and 90 Days of Blessing?

The Global Day of Prayer is a worldwide celebration centered upon Pentecost weekend. The mission of this celebration is to unite the global body of Christ, to seek God for revival, intercede on behalf of our world, and collaborate for the blessing and transformation of our cultures. It is preceded by ten days of prayer (Acts 1:14), celebrated in public venues on Pentecost (Acts 2:1), and followed by 90 Days of Blessing in communities after Pentecost (Acts 2:42). The Global Day of Prayer for 2008 will take place on the Saturday, May 10 of Pentecost weekend.

For more information, visit the Global Day of Prayer website.

2. What is Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 featuring Luis Palau?

94.9 FM KLTY/Interstate Batteries Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 featuring Luis Palau is the nation’s largest, free, all-day Christian festival. This 94.9 FM KLTY will once again partner with world evangelist Luis Palau to mobilize and enhance existing church communities of the DFW metroplex. The event will include evangelistic messages from Luis Palau, contemporary Christian music from more than 30 top artists, a children’s area, food court, Livin It® action sports, and spectacular fireworks.

For more information, go to Celebrate Freedom ™ 2008 featuring Luis Palau.

3. Who is Luis Palau?

World evangelist and author Luis Palau (loo-EES puh-LAOW) and his ministry have shared the Gospel with more than 1 billion people through evangelistic events and media. He has spoken in person to more than 25 million people in 72 countries with close to 1 million registered decisions for Jesus Christ. His radio broadcasts in both English and Spanish are heard by millions more on over 2,600 radio stations in 42 countries. Mr. Palau has authored close to 50 books and countless articles on issues of faith, and has counseled with business and political leaders and heads of state around the world.

Luis Palau festivals have produced some of the largest audiences ever recorded in cities from south Florida to South America. His ministry also includes the Next Generation Alliance, created to grow and nurture partner evangelists, and Livin It® Productions, which uses action sports, film and video to reach young people for Christ. His latest book, A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian, is already a bestseller in China and will be released in the United States in 2008.

Luis and his wife, Pat, live in Portland, Oregon, where they have ten grandchildren and four sons, three of whom are actively involved with the ministry.

For more information, visit the Luis Palau Association website.

4. The costs to produce a Christian festival like Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 are substantial. What justifies such a large investment of money and resources?

The benefits of a festival are tangible and well worth the cost:

  1. Thousands of believers establish a regular habit of prayer and intentional outreach to those in their lives who need Jesus Christ.
  2. Through the process of pre-festival preparation, believers throughout the business, church, and civic communities develop and nurture relationships that lead to spiritual growth and transformation that extends far beyond the festival itself.
  3. The festival creates a God consciousness in the community, thereby supporting and encouraging believers to share their faith.
  4. Believers are excited and encouraged to see local media outlets reporting positively about Christians and the Christian faith.
  5. The city is blessed by community service projects that are either initiated or strengthened through the festival.
  6. The historic demonstration of unity in Christ through pre-festival grassroots publicity, media coverage and the festival events themselves is a powerful witness to the city. They provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience of the power of unity under God.
  7. The Kingdom of God is expanded in a visible way: thousands of people come to publicly declare a new or recommitment to Jesus Christ. This has impact for eternity on each decision-maker, and their walk with Christ touches those in their lives through God’s grace.
  8. Believers who witness the response at the festival are encouraged that God is truly alive, active, and able to change any heart. They are reminded of their own experience, renewed by what they have seen, and encouraged to continue praying for miracles in the lives of those they love who need Jesus Christ.
  9. Many believers who take part in the immediate counseling of those who commit to Christ experience the joy of sharing their faith for the first time and are inspired to continue doing so long after the festival concludes (Philemon 1:6).
  10. Those who have been praying for friends and family - sometimes for years - often witness the visible and miraculous answer to their prayers. Additionally, those in their churches are encouraged to see real fruit born from the prayer and persistence of people just like them, and are encouraged to reach out to their friends who have yet to be touched by God.
  11. New and recommitted believers tend to reach many people themselves in the immediate period following their conversion, spurring on additional growth and encouragement in the local churches they attend.
  12. Many non-believers who attend but don’t respond often take a significant step toward faith.
  13. The festival atmosphere is full of joy. We hear many reports about the impact this has on friends who attend, believers and non-believers alike.

5. Can we take advantage of Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 without having to give a huge amount of staff time and energy to it?

Our resources are designed to complement all that you are already doing to equip your people to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their friends.

For your pre-event church promotion we will provide your church with bulletin inserts and a short presentation video as well as any other promotion, training, and follow-up materials you request. As a participating church you and your staff are asked to:

  1. Pray. Encourage your congregation to begin praying specifically for five people in their lives who don’t yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Be a part of the Global Day of Prayer.
  2. Promote. Participate in the Pray–Proclaim–Pursue events by using the bulletin inserts and presentation video. Encourage your congregation to use these events as friendship evangelism tools and to invite the five people they are praying for to attend with them.
  3. Encourage your people to take part in Evangelism Training. Train your congregation to become Response Team Members for Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 by using the Luis Palau Association’s training kit and video.
  4. Commit to considering a financial gift.
  5. Follow up with decision-makers referred to your church after the festival.

6. Why does Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 have corporate sponsorships?

Corporate sponsorships cover up to 25% of the total budget. When public companies get involved as sponsors they lend their credibility to Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 in the perceptions of the secular community. This makes it easier for non-believers, skeptics and seekers to accept an invitation to the events from their Christian friends and colleagues.

Past sponsors have included professional sports teams, grocery and drug store chains, restaurants, car dealerships, hospitals, television and radio stations, advertising agencies, newspapers, transportation and logistics companies, and a wide variety of small businesses.

7. Who is Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 intended for?

The music at Celebrate Freedom™ 2008 featuring Luis Palau will be diverse and will have something for everyone from toddlers to seniors. There are several additional components that make it family-friendly, from action sports for teens to inflatable bounce houses for kids.

8. How many of those who record decisions for Jesus Christ at large events actually follow through and connect with a church?

In 1999, a thorough study of decision makers was done following a series of Palau festivals in the state of Maine. This study found that close to 70 percent of decision-makers who had been successfully reached by pastors following the festivals were engaged on a weekly basis in church or small group activities. Another independent study by Church On the Way found similar results.

The key to this success is related to our pre-festival emphasis on prayer and friendship / relationship-based outreach. Over the years we have found that a large majority of those who respond at our events were brought by friends who are believers and are already connected to solid local churches.

Therefore, our response cards ask that the decision-maker record their information as well as the information and church connection of the friend who brought them to the event. We usually then refer the decision-maker to the church of their friend, because with their friend’s help and encouragement they can have a smooth and energizing experience as they assimilate into the body of Christ.

For more information please contact:

Celebrate Freedom™ 2008
PO Box 702007
Dallas, TX 75370
Phone: 1-866-LuisPalau
CelebrateFreedom@palau.org