FreedomFest|DC 2017
What a pleasure to be back at our regular place on the National Mall between 4th and 7th in front of the Air and Space Museum. We are so grateful for the excellent weather and the great working relations we have with so many that support, guard and manage Mall Events.
FreedomFest 2016
A special location. A special arrangement of stages. A special event for all. What an exciting impact-full time this year.
We are excited to reflect on last year’s event as we continued under the sponsorship of SANTO Outreach Ministry. We also partnered with Church of the Redeemer from Gaithersburg, Maryland and Global Recordings Network from Temecula, California. This year was a special new multi-stage dynamic synchronized event, sharing the space with Tabernacle of Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg, Florida. There were a large group of men, women, and youth excited to share the Gospel message with those visiting the National Mall area in Washington, DC!
Thanks to the faithful prayers of our supporters, we had a fantastic time on the National Mall this year next to 4th Street in front of the American Indian Museum.
FreedomFest 2015
This was a year that taught us to reach-out to a wide range of beliefs and understandings. Even in the midst of the rains there was visual demonstrations of Jesus working through the many volunteers to make impact on the lives of those on the Mall. Life changing ministry took place.
FreedomFest 2010
Last July 4th was another amazing outreach! We thank God for all that took place. This past year we had more than 250 volunteers from about 40 churches and ministries come together to reach out to the thousands on the Mall. A number of people were touched by God’s love and began a relationship with Christ. There were over 150 people who made a spiritual decision for Christ. We followed up with each person to try to help them get connected to like-minded local church.
Once again, all day long we shared the love of Jesus Christ with people through music, kids programs, youth outreach, service projects and special international ministry and more. This past year, we were able to share God’s love in a practical way by giving out over 30,000 cups of water. During this time, many people were able to engage people in a conversation about Christ and spiritual things.
Please consider praying for FreedomFest|DC and/or volunteering at this year’s festival. Just stop by our Contact Us page and send us an email for more information about how you can get connected. Thank you!
FreedomFest 2009
FreedomFest|DC is all about linking churches and ministries together in relationship for outreach on the National Mall in Washington, DC every July 4th.
This past July 4th was another amazing outreach! We thank God for all that took place. Over 200 volunteers from 33 churches and ministries came together to reach out to the thousands on the Mall. There were 168 people that filled out commitment cards saying that they made a decision for Christ. Our Follow Up Team was busy right after the festival helping these new followers of Christ get connected with a healthy church where they live – for discipleship and community. All day long we shared the gospel of Jesus Christ through music, main stage speakers, kids programs, youth outreach, service projects (e.g, we gave out about 10,000 cups of free water), special international ministry and more.
July 4, 2010 will be a special 25th year celebration on the Mall. Make plans now to be with us in 2010 as like-minded churches and ministries come together to bring the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to the thousands on the National Mall. The 2010 festival will take place between the Air & Space Museum and The National Gallery of Art, bordering 4th St. and 7th St., NW – on the middle grass area. It’s three blocks of space. FreedomFest|DC is from 12:00 pm to 8:45 pm.
If you have a story from FreedomFest|DC 2009, please email it to us by going to our Contact Us page.
FreedomFest 2003
It was another amazing year! We had a better location this year! We were just one block east of the Washington Monument! Again, local churches and ministries came together in relationship to share and connect with hundreds of people throughout the day by praying with them, sharing with them, serving them free water and offering a variety of music all day. Many decided to become followers of Christ and get connected to a local church. We are grateful to so many of you for volunteering and for giving financially to make 2003 another successful festival!
We also want to especially thank Central Union Mission for providing over 15,000 cups of water to give away free to people and to WAVA 105.1 FM for partnering with us for 11 years!
Let Freedom Begin 2002
In spite of one of the hottest days on record, local churches and ministries were able to connect with hundreds of people. Again, we served thousands of cups of free water thanks in part to the Central Union Mission and the many volunteers from the mission.
Dozens become followers of Christ! And, our goal was to help them get connected to a local church! Many others expressed an interest in either finding out more about Jesus Christ or they were curious about why churches would work together at an event like this.
Journey to Freedom 2001
July 4, 2001 was the most amazing year in all of the years that we have been doing FreedomFest|DC! We had two stages for outreach going all day. For the first time we had a stage dedicated to reaching children and youth. We also had more ministry tents set around a two block area right between the National Gallery of Art and the Air and Space Museum. We had an entire ministry area set up for Spanish-speaking visitors. For the first time we had a multi-church prayer gathering right at the stage area before the outreach began. The Prime Time band from McLean Bible Church led us in worship and prayer for our city and for the thousands who were about to descend on the Mall that day.
Perhaps the most amazing thing was that over 150 people made life-changing decisions for Christ. It didn’t stop there. Our volunteer outreach staff was able to follow up with them to make sure that they received information on growing in their new relationship with Jesus Christ and that they were connected with a biblically-based church in their area.
One story came from a young woman from Japan who began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that day. Here is an excerpt from an email that she sent us from Japan.
“Yes, I told my friends about what happened [on July 4th on the Mall]. It seems though that they’re not as touched as I was. I suppose they would really have to experience it themselves. But, it’s all good I know Him now.”
All the way from Japan to meet God at FreedomFest|DC! We serve an amazing God!
The multi-cultural style of music brought people over to the stage. Between bands local pastors from a variety of churches were able to share brief stories about the life-changing power of Christ. Next to the stage, outreach volunteers were busy praying with people in the prayer tent area.
Over 400 volunteers from over 65 churches and ministries made Journey to Freedom an incredible outreach!
Celebrate Freedom 2000
In John 17:22 -23 Jesus said, I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and d them even as you d me. On July 4, 2000, we saw this verse lived out on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Someone summed it up when he said, There are people serving from over 60 like-minded churches here today ö from all kinds of cultures and backgrounds, but it appears as if one church is working together. We use the term “like-minded” because we believe unity needs to be centered on the essential truths of the Bible. Even though we are diverse in culture and background, each church and ministry agreed to a statement of faith. If you would like a copy of our statement of faith, please email us at info@christonthemall.org. The question that kept driving us in the year 2000 was could we do better together what we have doing separately? As a result of what God did through us on the Mall, the answer is undoubtedly, YES!
When the July 4, 2000 finally came, we were ready as one body to reach out to the thousands that would be there that day. We were in a better spot than 1999 right between the Air & Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art. We had a huge area right in the middle of it all to reach out to thousands of people using a number of creative methods. We served over 15,000 cups of free water as a means of sharing the love of God in a practical way. Many people who took the cup of water asked the volunteers why they were doing this. When they said that we are just a number of local churches out here serving together, many people were moved to the point of asking more about our mission. This opened the door for them to talk about spiritual things including telling them about how God loves them and wants a personal relationship with them through Jesus Christ. We were also able to use sports as a means to share with people. For instance, we started up a number of volleyball games and were able to interact with many people throughout the day.
We had a tent set up for prayer evangelism. We discovered that people are very open to prayer. Some of our volunteers even had a chance to lead people to Christ who came by the tent. Our goal is to then connect them to one of the churches that is part of FreedomFest|DC. This year we even had something for kids. On the other side of the Prayer Tent we had a volunteer sharing the gospel with children as he did face painting. He was able to share Christ with over 130 kids and their parents.
Of course, the music is always a draw for people. This year we had a wider variety of ethnic music including Latino music, hip-hop, alternative rock, go-go, gospel, folk and Asian jazz. We were able to attract people from a number of culturally diverse backgrounds due to the type of music that we had and our own diverse group of volunteers working together. At one point during the performance of Just One Blood, a Latino contemporary band, our Spanish-speaking volunteers at the Prayer Tent were in great demand because of the spiritual hunger created by the message of Jesus Christ in their music. We actually gave away over 600 Bibles from the Prayer Tent. From the main stage we also had Arabic Bible readings going on throughout the day. As a result, a young Christian Lebanese woman who was volunteering with us had a chance to share with a Muslim who heard the reading.
There were so many stories of people touched by the love of God. Please pray for the many people who either heard the gospel that day or began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Experience Freedom 1999
Experience Freedom touched the lives of thousands of people on the Ellipse and surrounding areas on the Mall on July 4, 1999. The event was bathed in prayer. The Thursday before the event people from different churches and ministries came together just to pray for God to move in the hearts and lives of the thousands that would be down on the Mall that day. Then on July 4th, over 100 volunteers from local churches and ministries joined hands in serving and sharing the life-change message of Jesus Christ to thousands of people. The heat didn’t stop us! It was a day to remember! Never before had we given out so many Bibles and free literature to so many people on July 4th!
The Central Union Mission provided free water for over 7,000 people. As we gave out water in the Hospitality Tent, we were able to share the love of God with people in a practical way. And, the tent was strategically placed so that people could easily hear the speakers and groups from the main stage. A number of the volunteers from the mission served as security and helped to pass out free Bibles at the stage area near the end of the program.
In the Outreach Tent, volunteers worked shifts under the guidance of Holly Sprague. We gave out over 500 New Testaments and over 3,000 pieces of literature. People are searching more than ever for love and hope! Ann and Beth were able to have many conversations with people about Christ. They were amazed at how many people would listen intently to what they were saying about how Christ changes lives. We were also able to have anyone interested in a relationship with Christ fill out a follow-up card. Please pray for us as we connect with those who responded.
One story is from Damon who had an opportunity to lead a young man to Christ after he spoke. The young man had been over at the Legalize Marijuana demonstration a few hundred yards away. He heard what we doing and wondered over just in time to hear Damon speak. He approached Damon at the main stage and said that he was ready to give his life to Christ! Incredible! Damon led him in prayer and the young man began a relationship with Christ! Pray for him to grow and get involved in a church.
On the main stage we had a diversity of cultures, bands and musical groups playing all day. In between the bands we had speakers sharing the message of God’s love with people. When Pastor Ajaj from the Arabic Baptist Church got up and began speaking the gospel in Arabic, people in the crowd looked at the stage in bewilderment. I’m sure that many of them thought, how is it that an Arabic man is speaking about salvation through Jesus Christ? We were ready at the Outreach Tent with Arabic tracts as a follow-up to his talk. As each speaker finished their 5-minute talk, they encouraged people in the crowd to stop by the Outreach Tent and talk or pray with a volunteer there. Speakers from diverse backgrounds and cultures shared about how God loves each person and wants to have a relationship with them.
After one speaker was wrapping up near the end of the program at around 7:00 pm, there were hundreds of people standing or sitting near the stage and in the bleachers. By that time many people heard the go-go music of the band Xodus from Victory Christian Ministries in Clinton, MD. They brought huge crowds over to the stage area. It was amazing to look at the faces of the people as they listened to Xodus share the gospel through go-go music. After Xodus finished their set, we were ready to give out hundreds of New Testaments that also contained a simple plan of salvation. The speaker got up for five minutes to challenge the crowd about receiving Christ. It seemed like every age and nationality was represented in the crowd at that time. Then he asked each person to take a New Testament and read it. One volunteer said that a whole family from India was listening intently to the speaker. After the speaker was done sharing with people about reading the free New Testaments, the father and mother made sure that each member of the family received one! Someone noted that it was incredible to see people young and old from every type of background grabbing for the Word of God!
We may never know what God will do with what happened that day. Many people said that the speakers could be heard blocks away from the Ellipse area. Even though we are thankful that we can share with thousands of people surrounding the area, our passion is to personally connect with people and follow-up with as many as possible.