Thousands of Christians will soon converge on Universal City’s Gibson Amphitheatre in Hollywood for what some are calling “a watershed prayer gathering.” The gathering is known as TheCRY.
“In the wake of the recent passing of vocal icon Whitney Houston it is a reverent honor to come to the heart of Hollywood and lift up the people of this industry in prayer at this difficult time,” says event director Faytene Grasseschi. “Our heart is to love this city through prayer.”
The motto of TheCRY is: It is not a concert. It is not a conference. It’s a CRY.
“Our heart is to bless and pray for this industry, and the people in it, who are affecting the world so profoundly. We are believing for God’s love to move in a way that deeply touches lives,” Grasseschi says. “We are also believing for the most anointed and God-glorifying films, music and programs that the earth has ever seen to come out of Hollywood in this upcoming season. There is so much potential for good right now. We believe our job is to bless the potential and pray.”
Current studies show that the average North American today spends less than 28 hours a year in church, but six hours a day saturated in media; most people spend more than half their day saturated in media. A recent Nelson study determined there are more televisions in America than human beings. Furthermore, the average child will have watched 4,000 hours of TV before kindergarten, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation).
Jonthan Ngai oversees Radiance, a 24/7 House of Prayer in the heart of Hollywood that overlooks the iconic Hollywood sign. Ngai says, “The importance of Hollywood in this generation cannot be overstated. It’s influence is clear, but it’s true redemptive calling—yet to be realized … I believe all of this can change as leaders from the city and around the world come together at TheCRY Hollywood to pray this city into it’s full calling.”
Organizers seem full of inspiration and faith declaring, “What could God do if thousands of believers from all across the earth would focus their hearts in prayer and fasting on the cultural epic-center of our generation? The potential is endless.”
Ted Baehr from Movie Guide reported, “There are some great things going on [in Hollywood], but we need much more of it. And the way we get it? We pray. We need to pray and cry out to God … so I’m inviting you to come and participate in TheCRY.”
Many well-known industry professionals, leaders from the global body of Christ and local leaders are all expected to attend and participate in TheCRY Hollywood on March 15.
