01/17/2006

LoveFest 4.0 Announces Christian Headliners
Pro-Life Speaker, Gianna Jessen and Hip-Hop Recording Artist, John Reuben Tapped for Weekend Event at Our Savior Lutheran Church

ARCADIA, Calif., Jan. 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- Our Savior Lutheran Church announced today its all-star line-up for LoveFest 4.0: empowered by Christ on February 11, 2006. Sure to satisfy all in attendance, LoveFest 4.0 offers it’s most diverse casting to date with renowned Christian entertainment, Gianna Jessen and John Reuben, plus soul-searching and empowering sessions for all in attendance.

Concerned by the proliferation of unrealistic messages bombarding today’s youth, Our Savior Lutheran Church in Arcadia is taking action. The congregation is sponsoring Love Fest 4.0: empowered by Christ on February 11th and 12th, 2006 to answer the tough questions asked by teens, college singles and parents about sex, dating, abstinence and keeping one’s faith in the modern world.

Gianna Jessen has been tapped as the LF4.0 keynote speaker and is a powerful orator with an even more powerful testimony of faith. “I was aborted and I did not die,” Gianna Jessen told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution in her opening comments on July 20, 2000, in support of the “Born- Alive Infants Protection Act of 2000”. Jessen speaks of this faith since not only was she aborted but she then survived and now shares her message of life and hope to all those who listen.

Gianna is a singer, lyricist, and speaker using various forms of communication to share the challenges we all face. With a combination of humor and honesty she addresses her audiences – especially young adults – with the present day issues at hand, the different roles of men and women, the freedom of sexual purity, forgiveness, courage, perseverance, faith and the obedience to Jesus Christ.

LoveFest 4.0: empowered by Christ, hosted by Rev. Roger Sonnenberg, openly addresses how faith helps in all matters from peer pressure to tragedy and discuss questions about sex and its consequences for teens, single adults and parents. Sonnenberg, after seeing Jessen’s appearance at last year’s National Youth Gathering in Florida, was amazed while watching the 35,000 in attendance listen to the truth and then stand on their feet to applaud her story. He knew that Our Savior Lutheran Church must bring Gianna Jessen to LoveFest 4.0 and have her share the story of her faith to the people of Arcadia.”

Following Jessen’s heart-wrenching story, a concert showcasing the top Christian Hip-Hop recording star, John Reuben will invigorate the crowd. Reuben receives national airplay and is currently touring the US with his band - Arcadia being the only Los Angeles stop as Reuben is winds down his Western US tour prior to a stop in his home town of Columbus, Ohio at the end of the month.

Reuben’s boisterous and personable style will capture all in attendance. Along with playing cuts from his most recent album, The Boy vs. The Cynic, with its razor-sharp rapping along with witty songwriting, a staged light-show with a beat-pounding sound system will complement the band’s selections and be a concert to impress all in attendance.

John Reuben is passionate about his music as well as his faith in the Lord and recently told Christianity Today Online that “it’s so easy to simply get caught up in your career, wondering what’s going to work or not gonna work, what’s gonna sell or not sell. But this album is something I wanted to say. And it was one of the most freeing and creative experiences in my life.”

In addition to the headlining talent, LoveFest 4.0 expands upon the central topic of abstinence to include sessions on emotional concerns for teens, the entertainment industry and its impact on our youth, ethics in an unethical world, as well as parents learning what their kids are really learning in school. Says Sonnenberg, “We will discuss how our faith helps us in all matters and how our faith is being challenged on a daily basis. We plan to present to the Youth the tools of empowerment necessary to meet this challenge head on. We will share these tools of empowerment to the parents as well.”

“The first LoveFest carried the important message of abstinence to over 300 attendees and received very positive reviews from both the parents and the youth who attended. This feedback validated our belief that there is a substantial need for this kind of honest, straight-forward education,” said Pastor Sonnenberg.

LoveFest is in its fourth year and has grown in its attendance annually reaching attendees from throughout the Western United States including California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.

The registration cost is $15 and is due by January 27th. No admittance at the door will be allowed. Call the Our Savior Lutheran Church for more information or for registration forms. (626) 447-7690 or email LoveFest4@altrionet.com.