At a time when low-key, relational, everyday evangelism is all the rage, is the big rally still worth doing? Is it effective? And do people actually invite their friends or do they just go along for the buzz of being part of something more exciting than “regular” church?

“Yes, yes and yes” seems to be the answer of those organising multiple large-scale evangelistic events featuring overseas speakers this year.

In August alone, City Bible Forum, Acts 29, Oxygen (KCC) and RICE Rally are running 10 citywide evangelistic events across Australia. It’s a crowded calendar, but one the organisers feel is worth the stress and expense of organising.

Among the speakers is Texan preacher Matt Chandler, who will be brought out to Australia by Acts 29, the church-planting network of which he is President, in the lead up to their national conference. He’ll be stopping in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to preach to what’s hoped to be thousands at events organised and hosted by the local church.

Nick Coombs, who is helping co-ordinate the events, says big evangelistic style rallies are designed to complement conversations already taking place, not replace them.

“These events are just to supplement all the good work that’s already going on,” he says. “The big events are to support the church in Australia… and hopefully spread the message through a guy who can preach particularly well and who people will want to hear.”

In Melbourne, Acts 29’s “Something Bigger” event is being sponsored by event partners so that ticket sales can go towards blessing the city. Organisations that “bring life and hope” to Melbourne have been invited to apply to receive the funding, and the winner will be chosen by vote on the Something Bigger website prior to the event.

In Sydney, in a somewhat rock festival approach to the evangelistic rally, there are plans to have food trucks and bands on site at the Australian Technology Park, while in Brisbane, crowds will pack out the Ballroom of the Brisbane Convention Centre and be treated to US band Austin Stone Worship.

Earlier in the month, John Lennox and Francis Chan, who are in Australia at the invitation of Katoomba Christian Convention for Oxygen 2014, will be preaching at a Sydney-wide evangelistic event. Called “Search for Success”, the night is aimed at exploring what success is and how it’s measured very differently in the Kingdom of God than by our world. Executive Director of KCC, Jonathan Dykes says there’s a biblical precedent for big preaching events.

“Preaching the gospel to mass gatherings has been part of the spread of the gospel from day one. Ever since Peter stood up on his soap box at Pentecost and 3,000 people responded, that that sort of public proclamation of the gospel has been a really integral part of evangelism.”

Both men agree it’s unhelpful to play off one-to-one evangelism against large events, and instead see them as complementing and feeding off one another.

Nick Coombs from Acts 29 says apart from being biblical, large-scale evangelistic events have also been a way God’s worked in the past.

“Historically, in evangelicalism, we’ve seen there are particular preachers at particular times that God raises up to speak to large crowds. That’s part of how he works.”

Jonathan Dykes agrees, saying that men like George Whitefield and John Wesley, who preached to thousands in the open air are great examples. “They’re obviously exceptional individuals, and God doesn’t always raise up people like that all the time, but still I think the principle is there.”

The organisers of these events might not be the most impartial judges of whether there’s still room for the big evangelistic rally, but they make a good case.

For more details on the events,, visit these websites:

“Search for Success” with John Lennox and Francis Chan (KCC)
http://www.sfs14.com/

“Cosmic Chemisty” with John Lennox (City Bible Forum)
http://citybibleforum.org/cosmic-chemistry

Matt Chandler events (Acts29)
Sydney – http://disruptconference.com.au/
Brisbane – https://www.mattchandlerinbrisbane.com.au/
Melbourne – http://www.somethingbigger.co/

RICE Rally
http://www.ricemovement.org/rally.php

Feature image: Luke Jones via Flickr