After a tragedy in Times Square, where a troubled former Navy recruit mowed down 23 pedestrians and killed one young girl, Christian leaders rallied together and brought Jesus Week to the heart of New York City.
During the first weekend in June, a reported 14,000 people gathered in Times Square for Jesus Week, an evangelistic outreach that brought the churches of New York together to celebrate and lift up the name of Jesus through prayer, the reading of Scripture, and live performances.
The event was led by Concerts of Prayer—Greater New York (COPGNY), which is a Christ-centered network of pastors and churches led by Pastor Dimas Salaberrios. The goal of COPGNY is to encourage prayer across “ethnic, economic, and denominational lines.”
Jesus Week kicked off on May 27 with the leaders of COPGNY going into every borough in New York City to pray, help the poor, and minister in schools and troubled neighborhoods. The week concluded on June 3 with a large stage set up in Times Square.
The weekend event featured audio Bible recordings that played throughout the day. Each reading ran for an hour and was then followed by a minister who prayed through that Scripture.
“People said it was the boldest thing they’ve ever seen,” Salaberrios told The Christian Post, describing people’s reactions to the Bible being played out loud. He says the Scriptures, prayers, and music were heard down four New York City blocks.
In addition to the time of ministry, Jesus Week gave the people of New York more than $3 million of available resources. The materials included 120,000 Christian children’s books (40,000 in Spanish), 180,000 Christian devotional books, and 100,000 Jesus Film DVDs.
–Reprinted from The Christian Post.
