Churches in the Scottish Highlands are getting ready to welcome world renowned evangelist Luis Palau for the most significant outreach in the region since the Lewis Revival sixty years ago.
The Highland Festival with Luis Palau will kick off on June 8 in conjunction with some 80 congregations from various denominations, including the Church of Scotland, the Associated Presbyterian Church and the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Teams of evangelists will visit several small Highland communities that are often overlooked in evangelistic efforts in the region, including Gairloch, Mallaig, Lochinver, Buckie, Golspie, Fort William and Thurso.
The so-called ‘mini festivals’ will be joined by Luis Palau and his son Andrew and draw together musicians, athletes and children’s entertainers.
“Highland Festival seeks to confront a secularised and increasingly materialistic Highland culture with the relevance of Christ's love to every aspect of society,” said Kevin Palau, executive vice president of the Luis Palau Association.
“I’m excited to see that this outreach wants to encourage and equip churches who are striving to improve their ability to positively impact their surrounding culture with this same message of love and hope.”
Skateboard and bicycle stunt teams will take the outreach to many schools across the region. A team of youth speakers will deliver a positive message to the students and speak on key issues for Scotland’s youth, like stress, bullying and drug and alcohol abuse.
The festival will culminate at Bught Park in Inverness on June 19 and 20 with a programme of children’s entertainment and practical demonstrations and testimonies from extreme sports athletes, a method of outreach Luis Palau’s ministry has found very effective in drawing large numbers of children and teenagers with their parents.
Luis Palau will share the Good News of the Gospel during the two-day stop in Inverness, while local churches will follow up with people who respond to the message of the Gospel.
The Highland Festival marks the evangelist’s first visit to Scotland in 30 years. His last outreach in the country was his 1979 to 1981 Glasgow Crusade.
“My father has a tremendous love for Scotland. His family down in Argentina became Christians back in the 1940s through the witness of Scottish missionaries,” said Kevin Palau.
“Thirty years ago, dad travelled across Scotland over a three year period sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, but as dad has often said, ‘God has no grandchildren.’
“For that reason dad and our team are pleased and honoured to partner with hundreds of churches, denominations, and followers of Jesus with the common goal of reaching out to friends and neighbours with the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
