Several years of prayer and preparation led to more than 70 churches from throughout Northeast England coming together for Festival Teesside with Andrew Palau earlier this month.
In an effort that can only be described as historic for the region, this evangelistic festival, along with more than a dozen surrounding events, is considered one of the largest and most significant evangelistic efforts the region has seen in recent history.
Working to serve the region and proclaim a powerful message of hope in Jesus, Festival Teesside brought together thousands of Christians from throughout the region and led more than 1,685 individuals to indicate a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
The campaign – led by evangelist Andrew Palau and his wife, Wendy – featured unique gatherings and outreaches, including dinners, prison events, youth outreaches, ministry to marginalized communities, skate outreaches, events for seniors, and multiple school assemblies. All this led up to the free, two-day festival at Stewart Park in the heart of Teesside on June 8 and 9 featuring award-winning artists Martin Smith, LZ7, Leah McFall, Elle Limebear, Faith Child, Philippa Hanna, Saintz, Galactus Jack, Soul Box, and Gas Street.
In addition to the first-rate musical line-up from mainstage, the family-friendly festival included a massive children's area, complete with extreme sports demos, inflatables, climbing wall, and food trucks. Andrew Palau highlighted the evening by sharing a clear Gospel message from the main stage and encouraging those in the crowd to give their life to Jesus Christ.
In total, more than 30,000 people were reached in person with the Good News, while thousands more continue to encounter a clear Gospel message through an ongoing digital evangelistic effort led by Palau.
Even more, the collaborative nature of the campaign helped to bring renewed vigor and excitement to the local church congregations. They are energized and ready to keep the momentum going through the establishment of an Evangelism Team. This team, made up of leaders from multiple local churches, will work to ensure evangelism stays front-and-center within the church congregations, while more than 45 Alpha groups have also been established to help individuals grow in their new-found faith.
"Nothing brings me greater joy than partnering with local believers to lift up the name of Jesus in a region," said Andrew Palau about the campaign. "I love the United Kingdom. I owe a debt of gratitude to this great nation. It was British missionaries who brought the Gospel to my family many years ago in Argentina. As such, I consider it an honor and privilege to offer our support, working with, through, and for the local Church, to lift up the name of Jesus and share His love with this region."
The stories of changed lives and community impact are already pouring in. "One of my friends who recently became a Christian," shared one volunteer, "brought her husband to Festival Teesside where he responded on the Sunday evening. Now her whole family is following Jesus!"
While local leaders continue in this effort, the Palau Association is moving on to support similar campaigns in cities across the globe. Upcoming efforts for the Palau Association include outreaches in Cairo, Egypt; Lusaka, Zambia; Denver, Colorado; Mendoza, Argentina; and several cities throughout China.
You can learn more about the Luis Palau Association and their worldwide work at www.palau.org.
About Andrew Palau:
For more than 30 years Andrew Palau has shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with millions of individuals around the world through festivals, digital media, and the printed word. In his role as evangelist for the Luis Palau Association, he has been instrumental in building the LPA model for citywide evangelistic outreach to every sector of society. He has led hundreds of citywide campaigns on six continents, with notable festivals in Washington, DC; New York City, New York; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Manado, Indonesia; Cairo, Egypt; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bogota, Colombia; San Jose, Costa Rica; Kingston, Jamaica; Lilongwe, Malawi; Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; and Manchester, England.
Andrew is also passionate about raising up other evangelists through a global network spanning dozens of nations, offering encouragement and insight to thousands of emerging voices.
He and his wife, Wendy, live in Portland, Oregon, close to the world headquarters of the Palau ministry. They have three children, Christopher, Jonathan, and Sadie.