October 23 2000

ARTICLE TOOLS

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The voice boomed over the loudspeakers and echoed down the Mall: "We're here to start a Jesus Revolution!"As cheers erupted from the crowd and the band swung into gear, swarms of young people began jumping and dancing in front of the stage, creating a divinely inspired mosh pit.But unlike the now-familiar stadium events for Christian teens, TheCallDC brought together grunge kids as well as their Baby Boomer-era parents for an all-day rally of prayer and fasting. A coalition of evangelical churches and youth ministries organized the event, held on the Mall in Washington on Saturday, Sept. 2.

"We came here expecting God to pour himself out on America and to see lives changed," said Bill Anzevino, pastor of Christian Assembly Church in Industry, Pennsylvania, who attended the rally with his two sons. The event featured presentations by several well-known Christian speakers, an MTV-style Jesus video and performances by Christian music artists Michael W. Smith, Rebecca St. James, and several worship bands.Bart Pierce, senior pastor of the Rock City Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and one of the event's organizers, said TheCallDC came about because "compassionate young people who love God with all their hearts are tired of being pigeonholed and stereotyped the way America labels its youth."Pierce said such stereotypes—which portray young people as sexually promiscuous, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and apathetic—do not give today's youth the best rap. Pierce said, "These are kids who love God and love their parents—and have a passion to see their peers come to Christ."

Organizers said TheCallDC was also designed to urge parents to take responsibility for a culture that they helped create—an era ...