Ft. Lauderdale to host Palau Beachfest March 22-23

Churches nationwide from Pahokee and Palatka to Maine and Montana can throw simultaneous beach parties during spring break when the Luis Palau Beachfest opens in Fort Lauderdale March 22-23, 2003. Across the nation about 1,000 churches will host their own parties while, 500 radio stations carry the music concerts of Third Day, Mary Mary, TobyMac, Jump 5 and Jaci Velasquez during a live two-hour satellite feed.

"While this is not a 'Southern Baptist' event, it is Christ-honoring," John Fleming told Florida Baptist Witness.

Fleming said he is pleased churches in the Gulf Stream Baptist Association are involved and Fleming, director of missions for GSBA, hopes all 164 local Southern Baptist congregations will support the event.

"In this highly secular and Godless area, we have found the City of Ft. Lauderdale giving a wide open door for this creative presentation of the Gospel," Fleming added.

Terry Scalzitti, minister to single adults and men's track teams at First Baptist Church, Ft. Lauderdale, said he believes the festival will be exciting and inspiriational.

"Beside the excitement and fun of the festival, this will be a great opportunity to see the whole body of Christ, young and old," Scalzitti said. "The youth of Christ need to see just how God can use them for His Glory. This is a great 'non-churchy' event [for] those of any spiritual-age."

Beachfest is a ministry of Luis Palau Evangelistic Association, which held a crusade in Miami in 1995. This event is a first of its kind in Florida and is the initial effort to have a national simultaneous outreach, according to Kevin Palau, the organization's executive vice president.

International evangelist, Luis Palau, said the event is similar in some aspects to a crusade, but might have more contemporary implications.

"The big difference in a festival is that you are where the people are," Luis Palau said in a statement to the Witness. "You're putting out the Gospel in the marketplace just as the Apostle Paul did as he traveled from city to city. Believers are comfortable inviting their unchurched friends."

Palau's festivals are not held in stadiums where the Gospel is presented once each night and an offering is taken, but are held in public spaces like parks or beaches and funded in advance by contributions from churches and companies. The Miami Dolphins and Pepsi are two major sponsors of the Ft. Lauderdale event, and everything but the food is free.

The festival is a two-day celebration with play areas for children, food courts, extreme sports for teens and opportunities for community service.

Mission teams from across the country will be deployed to serve the community in activities such as building one Habitat for Humanity home, giving free car washes in Broward county and picking up trash.

Recently, 80,000 people attended a festival in Seattle, Wash. In the past three years festivals were held in Arizona, Idaho, California, South Carolina and New York.

Daniel Schallmo, associate pastor and administrator for First Baptist Church in Naples, said he saw the power of God through Luis Palau in New York in June.

"Luis Palau has a wonderful way of communicating eternal truths in a manner that draws people, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to make decisions to follow Christ," Schallmo said.

Even though FBC Naples is at the opposite end of Alligator Alley from Ft. Lauderdale, Schallmo said his church would partner in prayer and assist with counselors during the event. Anyone interested may participate by praying for Beachfest; volunteering in Ft. Lauderdale Mar. 21-22; or hosting a "beach party" in one's local community, using the Beachfest simulcast.

Counselor training events are scheduled for:

Jan. 8 (7 p.m.) Sheridan Hills Baptist Church, Hollywood

Jan. 12 (7 p.m.) Palm Beach Baptist Church, Lake Worth

Jan. 15 (6:30 p.m.) First Baptist, Fort Lauderdale

Jan. 16 (7 p.m.) Mount Calvary Baptist, Pompano Beach

Jan. 20 (7 p.m.) First Baptist Church, Naples

Jan. 30 (7 p.m.) Coral Baptist, Coral Springs.

For more information, visit www.beachfestusa.org or call 954-489-7490 or e-mail a_palau@palau.org.