He quoted John 10.10 in which Jesus said: “I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”
“This generation needs to realise that God isn’t only interested in deeply spiritual things but he cares about your love life, your sex life, your business, your careers, your athletic desires, your musical tastes. He cares for them at every level,” he said.
Yet the very people who need the Gospel the most are the ones the Highland churches are struggling to attract. It’s for that reason they have asked Luis, who has enjoyed huge success worldwide with his festival model, to come. As one local pastor put it, the Highland churches are hoping that Luis’ visit would “jumpstart” spiritual life in the region again.
“I feel there is a lack of spiritual food and that the young generation does need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way that’s meaningful to them,” he believes.
“And that’s why we’ve got skateboarding, BMX, a children’s area, because we want to get the young people’s attention. Then when you’ve got their attention you can talk to them about the Lord.”
That doesn’t mean diluting Scripture, he stresses. It simply means taking a different approach: “The message is sacred and unchangeable but the context in which it is presented, the trappings around the message do need to be adapted to the times so that the young people feel this applies to me.”
The ‘mini-festivals’ that have been held in several Highland towns over the last few weeks have generated a “good response”, says son and fellow evangelist Andrew Palau. In Golspie, some 300 of the town’s 1,000 inhabitants turned out for the event.
Being someone who returned to Christ only after 27 years of dabbling in drugs, alcohol and relationships, Andrew knows how to speak to the hearts of young people.
“I tried to keep it fun and encouraging but also address the things that are really on their hearts like eternity, forgiveness and power for living,” he says after preaching at mini-festivals in Fort William, Forres and Buckie, which saw a number of young people give their lives to Christ.
“So many people are spiritual seeking, they were very receptive to the message,” he says. “Kids are aware and it’s nice to present it [the Gospel] to them and to see how readily they respond. Not all of them, but many, we had a good response.”
With the venue set, the programme finished and the churches mobilised, all that’s left to do now is wait and pray for the main event in Inverness’ Bught Park this Friday and Saturday.
Some 6,000 prayer cards have been issued to local churches asking each churchgoer to try and bring at least one non-churched friend or family member with them.
And Luis’ excited: “My main passion is to see people know they are going to Heaven when they die. I would like people to have the assurance of eternal life. We’re here to try and lead people into the Kingdom of God and enjoy life the way they were meant to.”
