Nearly 8,000 Attend Harvest Crusade at UVU Months After Charlie Kirk’s Death

November 24, 2025

A crowd of more than 8,000 packed the Utah Valley University basketball arena for a Hope for America Harvest Crusade event earlier this month where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed in September.

Christianity Daily reports that Laurie told the assembled worshippers, “Despite this tragedy, God has done amazing things around our nation and people are asking questions. … It was like a wakeup call. This is your moment tonight. This is your wakeup call tonight. Don’t let it slip by.”

The evening began with a tribute to Kirk and, in addition to the nearly 8,000 attending in person, was joined by an estimated 210,000 viewers who tuned in to the livestream.

Laurie told the Christian Post that Harvest had originally planned to hold a Utah crusade in 2027, but Kirk’s assassination accelerated their efforts.

Laurie recalled, “We immediately reached out to the Utah pastors to offer our support. We asked if there was anything we could do. They responded, ‘Come sooner. Our community is hurting.’”

“We responded by committing to a date only six weeks away. That’s a first for us at Harvest Crusades! Normally, we plan events at least a year in advance. But there is an urgency, and we believe the message of the Gospel is the answer,” Laurie added.

In addition to Laurie’s sermon, the program featured well-known Christian musicians Phil Wickham and Chris Tomlin.

Organizers of the event reported that roughly 2,100 people made a profession of faith during the event. 

Photo: top, Credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Pastor Greg Laurie