Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains respond to mass shootings
Teams of crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed to El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, following a pair of shootings the first weekend in August. News reports say 22 people have died and dozens were injured in El Paso. In Dayton, an additional nine people were killed and 26 people were hurt. RRT chaplains at both sites will work alongside government officials, churches, first responders and with the community at large to provide emotional and spiritual care.
“This is such a difficult time for both of these cities,” said Jack Munday, international director of the RRT. “In this time of shock, anger, brokenness and incredible loss, we can’t imagine the pain and suffering people are feeling from these senseless acts of evil. Yet, we know God hasn’t forgotten them, and seeks to heal the brokenhearted and bring comfort to those who grieve.”
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
Will Graham to hold Celebration of Hope in Albania
Evangelist Will Graham will travel to Tirana, Albania, in August, where he will hold a one-day Celebration of Hope evangelistic outreach. The free event – which is supported by churches of various denominations in and around Tirana – will feature concerts by the award-winning American group The Afters and the Albanian Worship Band, as well as inspirational messages of hope from Graham, who is the grandson of the late Billy Graham and the son of Franklin Graham.
The Celebration of Hope marks the first time that a Graham family member or a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association associate evangelist will preach in the nation, which once declared itself the world’s first officially atheist state. Since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, Islam has become the majority religion.
“No matter where I go in the world, people seem to be searching for the same things in life,” said Graham. “They want to find hope. They’re seeking their purpose. They long for peace and security. I believe that Jesus is the answer to all of these questions and struggles, and that will be my message for the people of Albania.”
The Celebration of Hope will be live-streamed and available for viewing around the world. Visit billygraham.org on Aug. 30 to watch the event.
In
addition to Tirana, Will Graham’s 2019 schedule includes meetings in September
in Helena, Hamilton and Great Falls, Mont., United States; in October in
Belleville, Ontario, Canada; and in Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada.
Christian Life & Witness Courses coming to North Carolina
In preparation for the Franklin Graham Decision America Tar Heel State Tour coming to North Carolina this October, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is offering Christian Life and Witness Courses (CLWC) to equip people with practical ways to tell others about Jesus Christ.
The courses teach how to pray with those who want to make a decision for Him—during the events or on their own. Attending a CLWC is one of the three steps necessary to becoming a counselor for the Decision America Tar Heel State Tour.
Events will be held in Fayetteville, Greenville, Wilmington, Raleigh, Greensboro, Hickory, Charlotte, and Asheville.
For more information about the dates, times, and locations of the CLWC events, visit decisionamerica.com.
If you would like more information about these, or other, updates from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, please contact media@billygraham.org. Complete press releases from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are available at media.billygraham.org.