San Jose Harvest Crusade Wraps up with Nearly 40,000

Greg Laurie's Silicon Valley Harvest Crusade in San Jose wrapped up yesterday with a total attendance of 38,600 people, and 4,042 people making professions of faith. More than 30,000 watched the event online via webcast.

On the first night, 10,000 people attended the crusade, with 1,033 coming up to stage to give their lives to Christ.

Saturday afternoon, the Harvest Ministry held its first crusade entirely in Spanish. By the request of many of Bay Area's Latino pastors, the crusade will no longer be interpreted through headphones, but it will come to Spanish audiences live with Spanish-language Christian bands and a live interpreter behind Laurie.

In addition, a youth event called "Amplify" attracted thousands of teens and young adults on the second night of the crusade, with an estimated 18,000 filling the seats in the venue.

Christian music's most popular artists graced the stage at the crusade, including Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Seventh Day Slumber, Kutless, Todd Agnew, Crystal Lewis and Chris Rice.

Nearly ten years ago, "America's pastor," the Rev. Billy Graham, had visited the Bay Area at the invitation of local pastors. He held crusades in September and October of 1997 in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, where thousands committed themselves to Christ.

The Silicon Valley Harvest Crusade was held13-15 October.

This was the first time Harvest hit San Jose and only the second time the ministry held a crusade in northern California. Some 220 churches worked together to help bring Laurie's signature straightforward message of faith to the community.