Detroit BattleCry

battlecry explodes onto the scene in detroit

On April 7 and 8, the second BattleCry event burst onto the scene in Detroit, Michigan to rally young people in the fight for their generation. After a fiery showing at the AT&T Field in San Francisco, the BattleCry campaign took the movement east to Ford Field where tens of thousands of people met for an unforgettable encounter with God.

As buses, cars, and vans full of teenagers and adults arrived, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Little did they realize how God was about to transform their lives. After months of prayer, God’s presence was unmistakable. Before the weekend was over, thirty five thousand stadium attendees were challenged to live the life of a revolutionary Christian and reach this broken generation for God.

Pre-Event Rally

Some teens reached out and made an impact on the community even before the event took place. While traveling to the event, one of the workers with the BattleCry heard one lady say, “Every kid that has walked through here has impressed me so much. What you guys stand for and do is the most amazing thing I’ve seen.” Another person said, “[It was good] to see kids finally stand up for purity and for a generation, for what they need to believe in and for the Bible.”

Before the event started, teens held a BattleCry Rally at the Detroit city hall. Compared to the hostile reception at the rally in San Francisco (read article, watch video), the one in Detroit went off smoothly. From 3 PM to 3:30 PM, teens and adults gathered to take a stand against the corrupting power of today’s pop culture and media, and to pray for America’s 33 million teenagers. They held signs with phrases demonstrating their desire to live a life based on God’s standards rather than fitting into the mold of the culture and media.

(Breaking news! On Friday, May 12, you can hold your own BattleCry Rally and join believers in 50 other cities across the country. Find out more.)

Moments of Truth

When the event started that night, God’s presence fell powerfully. Many people’s eyes were opened for the first time. On Friday night, an atmosphere of reverence for God filled the stadium. Tiffany, a teen who was there, remarked, “People were really focused on God. They closed their eyes and it was just them and God. You could tell they could sense God invading the place.”

Hundreds of teens declared to God and the world that there was no turning back. That night, many chose to follow Jesus with reckless abandon. Responding to the altar call, they stood up across the stadium and yelled, “I want the cross!”

After it was over, Naomi told BattleCry what it was like to be there. “At the event, it was almost like a light clicked on in everybody’s heads and they saw something they hadn’t before. For teens in that stadium, they realized that it’s in their hands to reach and impact their generation, not the adults. For many, there was a realness of who God is.”

Naomi continued, “Adults saw their teens worshipping God. A lot of those youth pastors are totally for everything that BattleCry stands for. They loved seeing their teens worship God and finally get it. A lot of them were so proud to see their youth that way.”

Taking it Home

At the end of the BattleCry event, every attendee was ready to go out and make a difference. Forget about the hype. These teens took the message to heart.

Naomi has been to many Christian youth conferences and at times has expressed doubts about the teens she saw there. “Not these kids,” she said. “They are ready to fight for this generation. I really believe they will, too. It wasn’t just a high hype thing. It was a real move of God. Detroit will see a big impact. These kids will really do what they said they will do. [Next year] the stadium will be so full and overflowing they’ll be turning people away.”

Thirty five thousand people received the call to action in Detroit. Armed with a vision to impact their world, they are taking the life giving message of the gospel into their streets, schools, churches, and homes. They believe in a cause worth fighting for. These people, young and old alike, have found their purpose; they are raising a battlecry for this generation. Detroit will never be the same again.

Please pray that what took place in San Francisco and Detroit is only the start of a move of God in the lives of America’s young people across the country. On May 12-13, the BattleCry movement is invading Philadelphia. As we roll into Wachovia Spectrum Arena, please pray that God would prepare people’s hearts and that this city will also be forever changed. Watch out Philadelphia! We’re coming your way.


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