Will Graham
Will Graham is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ under the banner of BGEA.
A Celebration is a free, family-friendly outreach preceded by months of prayer and evangelistic training in partnership with area churches. Following each event, new believers are connected with a local church for discipleship. Sharing the Gospel invites people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ—but there’s more. In the words of Billy Graham, “Evangelism is more than simply encouraging decisions for Christ. It is urging people to become disciples—followers—of Jesus Christ.” Lives are affected and changed for years afterward—and for eternity!
Upcoming Evangelistic Events
The Message and the Goal
- To mobilize the Christian community to gather as many people as possible to hear the message that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, NKJV).
- To provide an opportunity for inquirers to respond to the Gospel and be counseled personally.
- To refer inquirers to a participating local church for follow-up and Christian nurture.
- To strengthen the local church.
Will Graham addresses a crowd of people who responded to the Gospel during the Look Up Tour in Idaho Falls in September 2023.
The Afters lead the audience in worship during the Goldfields Celebration with Will Graham in Kalgoorlie, on the edge of the desert in Western Australia.
More than 5,900 people attended the three-day Quinte Celebration in Belleville, Ontario, while another 9,900 watched the event online.
The Method
A Celebration isn’t just an evangelistic event; it’s a process of prayer, training, outreach, and follow-up—and it begins and ends with area churches.
For months ahead of the Celebration, local Christians are praying and working behind the scenes preparing for the outreach.
Through the Bring a Friend (or I Am Andrew, internationally) program, a Celebration uses individual evangelism in a mass setting. It strengthens and builds local congregations through involvement and training opportunities.
Long after the event, churches carry on the work—discipling those who came to faith during the Celebration.
Prayer
Without prayer, we could not survive as Christians nor would we ever hold a Celebration. Every aspect of the Celebration directs believers toward prayer—determined, heartfelt, ceaseless prayer.
Evangelism Training
Many committed Christians have never shared their faith because they don’t know how or they are afraid. The Christian Life and Witness Course teaches Christians how to effectively and confidently present the Gospel. The classes also prepare believers to pray with people who come forward at the Celebration.
An Action Plan for Witnessing
Christians put their learning into practice through the Bring a Friend (or I Am Andrew, internationally) program. After participants identify family and friends who need to know Jesus Christ, they commit to pray for and build relationships with them—leading up to an invitation to the Celebration, where their friends and loved ones will hear the message of salvation.
Spiritual Renewal
As Christians prepare for the Celebration, bring friends and family to events, and worship with other believers, the Lord can bring renewal into individual lives and congregations.
Christian Unity
The church is never stronger than when it is united with one common goal: to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lasting relationships and bonds are formed in planning for the Celebration that unite community churches.
New Christians in Local Churches
The Celebration process is designed to bring new believers into churches where their spiritual growth is encouraged. New Christians add vitality to congregational life and worship.
Follow-up
Each person who responds to the Gospel during the Celebration is connected with a prayer volunteer. Prayer volunteers pray with those who come forward and help connect them with a local body of believers based on their church preference or the church that invited them to the event.
Churches help follow up with and nurture new believers as they grow in their faith.
Organization
Each Celebration is organized as a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), and a leadership team of local pastors and laypeople serves as the controlling body of the Celebration. This team coordinates the schedule of events, leads various working teams, raises Celebration funds, and partners with BGEA in the ministry and outreach of the Celebration.
Since involvement and mobilization of local churches is critical to the success of the Celebration, each church is encouraged to form a local church leadership team—usually composed of four to six people. These teams help share event information, distribute Celebration materials, and recruit volunteers.
Local working teams and a Celebration director assigned by BGEA assist the local church leadership teams in their work, which extends over a few months’ time.
Our Finance Policy
BGEA is committed to the highest standards of financial integrity and accountability. The local leadership team, if agreed, raises a percentage of the total Celebration budget, with all funds going toward the Celebration budget. All financial activity is promptly receipted, reported, and audited at the conclusion of the Celebration.
Neither Will Graham nor the BGEA team receive any part of contributed funds designated for the Celebration. His salary, travel, accommodations, etc., are expenses paid by BGEA.