Franklin Graham rocks on in Western Canada
CALGARY, AB—After Franklin Graham's highly successful Rock the River Tour in the U.S. last year, music lovers are snapping up tickets for this year's Rock the River West tour to be held exclusively in three Canadian locations this summer.
Edmonton, Calgary and the Fraser Valley of western B.C. will each play host to the one-day event featuring cutting edge Christian rock music punctuated by the compelling words of Franklin Graham.
Frank King, communications director of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, says more than 500 Canadian churches have partnered with BGEA to spread the word and sell tickets.
"Tickets are only $10 each. We want to take away as many barriers as possible so that young Christians will come and bring their unchurched friends," says King.
Last year's Rock the River tour hit four American centres along the banks of the Mississippi, with 65,000 youth jamming an arena in St. Louis. This year, there are no American dates. Instead, Franklin Graham, himself, chose Canada.
"I believe he has a cabin in Alaska and he rides his motorcycle through the western provinces," King notes. "He felt God moving him to bring [the tour] to youth in Western Canada."
The Canadian venues are smaller than the 2009 locations. Canada Olympic Park in Calgary is the largest with a capacity of 30,000, followed by Telus Field in Edmonton and the Cloverdale Fair Grounds in the Fraser Valley.
Bands scheduled to appear include Starfield, Ten Thousand Foot Crutch, Downhere, Flyleaf and many others. King says the loud music and the milling about of exuberant teenagers may not be suitable for children 11 and under, but the opportunity to reach a new generation of Christians and to share the gospel with their non-Christian friends is tremendously exciting.
"The vast majority of those who make the decision for Christ are teenagers. They're open to hearing the truth," King says.
Security will be tight at each venue with concertgoers being checked for drugs, alcohol and weapons. Teams across the nation are praying for success and safety during each event.
"We want those types of people who carry knives and guns to come and learn there's a new way of life that's good for your physical, emotional and eternal health," says King.
David Macfarlane, director of national initiatives for BGEA, says Rock the River West will be an exciting stimulus for the local church.
"We have to reach the next generation by thinking in the new ways. This will be a catalyst to catapult the church to reach the younger generation. They are the future of the church," he says.
Success will be measured by how many non-Christians attend, by the numbers who come forward when Franklin Graham gives the invitation and by how many are connected with local churches post-concert, says Macfarlane.
"How many respond is an exciting indicator," he says. "Whenever I speak across the country, someone comes up to me and says they gave their life to Christ at a Billy Graham event. If, a year later, people have become a functioning part of the local congregation, that's ultimate success."
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