Bucharest Festival Results

June 2, 2008

Eighteen years after his father, global evangelist Luis Palau, became the first person to openly share the Gospel in a post-Iron Curtain Romania, Andrew Palau brought one of the most ambitious outreaches ever staged in Eastern Europe to Bucharest this past week. Activities for “BucurestiFest cu Andrew Palau” ranged from small gatherings in schools, churches, prisons and senior centers to a massive outdoor concert in the shadow of the People’s Palace.

More than 14,500 people heard the Good News during a ten-day campaign that included extreme sports demos, activities for kids and families, and concerts that showcased musical styles ranging from classical to hip-hop to rock. The Luis Palau Association used the resources of their London-based European offices to support local churches in staging the festival. In a city where evangelical churches are widely considered to be “cults,” dozens of congregations and ministries united to take God’s Good News to this city of 3 million.

“When my dad came here in 1990, the people were just emerging from the tyranny of the communist regime and hungry for the Good News of God’s love,” said Andrew Palau. “This week, we were blessed to meet face-to-face the results of that harvest – people who came to faith through Luis and have since made incredible contributions to the Kingdom.”

Indeed, many of the hundreds of volunteers, counselors and leaders of BucurestiFest first came to faith through Luis Palau’s 1990 campaign. Dozens of churches have since been planted throughout Romania, and the outreaches during the festival week extended to every corner of Romanian society. Highlights included presentations of the Gospel at four prisons (including the maximum security Rahova Penitentiary), schools and senior centers, luncheons for women, educators and business/civic leaders, and a classical music concert.

Festival weekend showcased the Livin It® actions sports team; freestyle soccer star Don Magness; British musical artists Band With No Name and Hillsong London; and Romanian musical groups Catacer, Vitamina C, and Proconsul.

Evangelism, or course, was the primary focus of the festival. At week’s end, more than 1,750 documented decisions for Christ were collected and an estimated 14,500 people had attended one or more of the events. Andrew Palau returns to the United States this week where he will host “BeachFest with Andrew Palau” in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on June 13 and 14.

May 15, 2008

In a unique opportunity to return to Romania with the Good News after nearly two decades, the Palau Association is working side by side with leaders from area churches to hold Bucharest Festival with Andrew Palau, May 31 – June 1, 2008.

Read the latest reports on Andrew’s blog by clicking here.

Nestled in Southeastern Europe, Romania was founded on Christian values, being first reached with the Gospel during the expansion of the Roman Empire. During the years of the World Wars, Romania fell under the power of a Communist Regime. After the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, Romania found itself in an economically and spiritually impoverished state. Though a nominally Christian nation, today in Bucharest—a city of over 3 million people—only 0.5 percent of the population are Evangelical Christians.

In 1990 and 1991, Luis Palau spent 20 days in Romania at the invitation of the newly established Evangelical Alliance of Romania. Taking place just weeks after the fall of the Communist Regime, these campaigns brought together more than 340,000 people to hear the Good News, with more than 85,600 individuals making public commitments to Jesus Christ. The seeds that were planted 18 years ago have flourished, maturing many of the decision-makers into church leaders who now have a heart, vision, and passion to reach the up-and-coming generation with the Good News.

Bucharest Festival with Andrew Palau will be a major evangelistic outreach in the heart of the city. Using our unique festival model – incorporating extreme action sports demonstrations, an interactive children’s area, live musical performances, and multiple presentations of the Gospel – our plan is to reach the city with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Click here to download the Bucharest Festival PDF. Print the third page and post it where you will be reminded to pray for this God-honoring campaign.

Click here to support this outreach today. Thank you for your heart for sharing the Good News around the world.