60 000 Christians gather in Orlando to be part of new Jesus movement

Originally published in The Christian Post

60 000 Christians from across the United States gathered last Saturday to be part of a “new Jesus movement.”

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“The Send,” was a 10-hour event organized by Youth With A Mission, Christ for All Nations, and Lou Engle of Lou Engle Ministries. The Orlando, Florida event at Camping World Stadium featured several collaborators from various national ministries who hoped to motivate Christians to fulfill their God-given call.

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According to Engle, the live-streamed event was inspired by a conversation in 2011 with YWAM members hoping missionaries would rise up following the death of Rev. Billy Graham.

As the day went on, The Send featured pastors and evangelists such Bill Johnson, Daniel Kolenda and Francis Chan, along with worship teams such as Hillsong Young & Free, Jesus Culture, Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and Bethel Music.

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While at The Send 2019, The Christian Post caught up with two of the events collaborators, former professional ice hockey player turned evangelist Todd White and evangelist and founder of Jesus Image, Michael Koulianos. Below is an edited transcript of their reaction to the revival.

Christian Post: What is The Send?

Koulianos: The send is ultimately a war on inaction. It’s to me a twofold beautiful experience. Number one, we’re gathering here to be in the presence of Jesus to truly encounter Him and then be sent from His presence, to take His actual person, to our cities, to our towns, to our neighborhoods, to our families, to our marriages. Some to the mission field and some to their own workplace. The Send is an ascending movement from the presence to the world, unto the glory of Jesus.

CP: There are thousands of people gathered here worshiping Jesus what’s your reaction?

White: I think it’s amazing. It’s God’s waking up a sleeping giant, His church to come together and being in unity of faith and not say, “I prefer my ministry before yours” but we actually prefer each other. What we’ve done is a collaboration of ministries coming together saying, “Let’s all go forward in one purpose, one mind, and let’s go purpose, Jesus everywhere we go.”

Koulianos: I think if we tried this a year ago it probably would not have worked, we just think it’s the Holy Spirit. Before anybody knew who we were, we were all friends and it’s God knitting hearts very authentically because of common passion and love for Jesus.

It’s the Holy Spirit moving and our city has been buzzing. People are getting saved on the streets, they’re getting healed on the streets. The pre-rally meetings were ridiculous. It’s been an amazing, amazing time and a real privilege. I told Todd this morning, “There’s 7 billion people on the earth and the fact that we get to be here today is a true honor and privilege.”

CP:  Lou Engle said he wishes to usher in the Jesus movement of this generation, what has shifted in the atmosphere that makes you believe that time for the next great awakening is now?

Koulianos: I think ultimately it’s the Holy Spirit, first and foremost, but He works with yielded hearts and you find out very quickly, that platforms don’t satisfy you, people knowing your name doesn’t satisfy you, money doesn’t satisfy, these things aren’t intrinsically bad, but ultimately it’s about Jesus and it’s unto Jesus.

I feel like the Lord is birthing this Jesus movement and a Jesus people on and off the platform, in their homes. It’s what He burns for.