If there's anything that marked Leading The Way's first official city-wide Evangelistic Celebration in Middle Georgia, it was prayer.
For months, prayer warriors gathered weekly to cry out for God to bring spiritual revival in Middle Georgia. College students heard about the Celebration and also held a prayer rally. One woman shared that she had been praying for her city for 40 years—and this event was God answering those decades-long prayers.
Hundreds of people from all ages and backgrounds streamed to the front of the Coliseum to surrender their lives to Christ.
"One of the things that immediately attracted us to come to Macon, Georgia, is how many people have been praying, and for how long," Dr. Youssef said. "Some people said to me, 'We've been praying for 10 years; we've been praying for 15 years. We've been praying for the Holy Spirit to bring the communities together.'"
On March 24-25, 2023, that's exactly what God did. Before the Celebration began, the sound of prayer filled the backstage hallway. A massive crowd then began to form outside the front doors of the Macon Coliseum. When they opened, people of all backgrounds streamed in—entire families, moms pushing strollers, teenagers with babies, older couples, people battling addiction, youth with tattoos on their arms, necks, and faces—all to hear Dr. Michael Youssef proclaim the eternal hope found in Christ Jesus alone. The spiritual hunger was palpable.
"I have listened to Dr. Michael Youssef over the years, and I knew that if he was coming to Macon, there was a move of God coming with him," one attendee shared.
The first evening of the Celebration, focused on reaching the youth of Middle Georgia, was reminiscent of Dr. Youssef's own journey to salvation at an evangelistic meeting at age 16. As he shared his personal testimony of teenage rebellion and restoration, he emphasized God's extravagant forgiveness through the story of the Prodigal Son.
On the second night, Dr. Youssef challenged false cultural Christianity, declaring, "Salvation is a personal experience! You cannot inherit, buy, or earn it." Drawing from the parable of the wise and foolish women, he urged everyone in attendance to be ready for Christ's return—and to ensure that what they professed outwardly was substantiated by their inward lives.
In all, following Dr. Youssef's invitation, hundreds of people from all ages and backgrounds streamed to the front of the Coliseum to surrender their lives to Christ. Their ages spanned from 5 to 80—and half were 25 and younger.
Now, as churches work to ensure that at least 90 percent of those who came to Christ are plugged into the local church, the real work of discipleship has begun. Thanks to your support and the intentional training local churches have received from the Leading The Way team, believers in Macon are ready to receive the harvest.
This is just a glimpse of what is to come as Dr. Michael Youssef and the Leading The Way team prepare for five additional city-wide Evangelistic Celebrations in Ireland, New England, and Egypt in the fall. Will you join us in prayer as we leverage every available resource to reach the lost and equip God's church?
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