American Christian evangelist Will Graham’s “Sunshine State Good News Tour” is stopping in Gainesville on Tuesday, Oct. 28, for a night of teaching, prayer and worship at Depot Park. 

According to a press release, over 120 Gainesville churches are participating in the free, family-friendly event starting at 7 p.m., rain or shine. Aiming to reach the region with the hope of the Christian Gospel, Graham will deliver Biblical teachings and singer-songwriters Jeremy Camp and Christine D’Clario will perform live worship music. 

The event opens at 5 p.m. and Spanish and American Sign Language translations will be offered. Attendees can purchase concessions on site and should bring folding chairs and blankets for seating. 

“There is no true and lasting hope apart from God,” said Graham in the release. “I’m coming to Florida to share the Good News of the Gospel and explain how we can find real hope in Jesus Christ—not just for today, but for eternity.” 

Gainesville is Graham’s second stop on his tour preaching through the Sunshine State. The event kicks off on Oct. 26 in Tallahassee before traveling to Gainesville, then Sarasota on Oct. 30 and Pompano Beach on Nov. 1. 

The tour is supported by the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), founded in 1950 by Graham’s grandfather, preacher and evangelist Billy Graham. Will Graham is BGEA’s executive vice president and associate evangelist, and his father, Franklin Graham, is the organization’s president and CEO. 

According to BGEA’s website, Will Graham graduated from Liberty University in 1997 with a religion degree before earning a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Seminary. Graham has shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with over a million people across six continents since beginning his evangelistic ministry in 2006 and currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife, Kendra Graham. 

“I’m not trying to be the next Billy Graham; I’m just Will Graham,” he said. “I have a burden in my heart to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If that’s to an arena full of people or one person on the street, I will do whatever God is calling me to do.” 

In preparation for the Sunshine State tour, BGEA has provided pre-tour events, including a special conference for pastors, a night of prayer and worship that was held at Greenhouse Church in September, and a series of classes aiming to equip Christians with resources for sharing their faith with others. 

Anyone interested in volunteering at the event can register online. Roles include the on-site team helping set up and tear down equipment, greeting attendees and working resource tents, as well as the prayer team praying with anyone ready to accept Christ during the event’s Gospel invitation. 

All volunteers must be at least 13 years old and prayer team volunteers must complete the Christian Life and Witness Course training in addition to their applications. 

“In Gainesville, I see a city marked by both deep hunger and deep hurt—students, families, and leaders searching for meaning in the midst of volatility,” said Greenhouse Church Pastor Mike Patz in the release. “Time after time I’ve seen it with my own eyes: there is no problem the Gospel does not address.”