Launch day is here for my new youth biography, Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ! My sincere thanks goes to all of you who are helping spread the word about this new release.
I thought some of you would enjoy reading a brief account of the story behind my writing of this book, so here it is:
Luis Palau was the second most prominent evangelist in the world at the turn of the twenty-first century (second only to Billy Graham). Therefore, when Christian Focus Publications invited me to write a youth biography on this eminent herald of the Gospel, I was delighted to embrace the opportunity. What a privilege to help acquaint a new generation of Christian young people with the amazing true story of God’s extraordinary work in and through Luis’s life.
About thirty years ago, while still a young pastor, I read Luis’s inspiring autobiography, Luis Palau: Calling America and the Nations to Christ (published 1994). For decades since then, I’ve related numerous illustrations from Luis’s life and ministry, using his example to flesh out various biblical themes in my own preaching and teaching. It’s a pleasure, now, to share those beneficial examples and many other profitable lessons to be gained by a recounting of his life.
While writing this book I also read other accounts of Luis’s life, including The Impact of Luis Palau on Global Evangelism (published 2010) and Palau: A Life on Fire (2019). I was repeatedly and clearly reminded that the only way to explain all the notable developments of Luis’s life and the extraordinary outcomes of his ministry endeavors is to understand that God was obviously and powerfully at work in and through it all. “It was a God thing” accurately summarizes the exceptional features and results of his life and ministry.
On the whole, this was a fairly simple and very enjoyable book to write. Luis’s boyhood was filled with experiences and challenges kids will find interesting and instructive. His adult life was comprised of: not a few difficulties and dangers through which God helped him; numerous jaw-dropping ministry opportunities and accomplishments; witnessing many dramatic conversions, both of individuals and of people coming to Christ in droves; as well as important lessons he learned all along the way. With all that good material to draw from, one difficult aspect in writing the book was deciding what could be included and what would need to be left out.
Another challenge was condensing and presenting the highlights of Luis’s expansive ministry career in a fashion that would be engaging and beneficial for kids. Luis preached in-person to some thirty million people in about 480 evangelistic crusades and festivals held in over eighty countries. All told, he ministered to a billion people around the globe through all types of media, including radio, television, online, and in print. I’ve sought to provide an interesting overview of the scope and variety of Luis’s ministries, without getting bogged down in too much repetitive detail.
As I’ve spoken of this book to others, a number of Christian adults have indicated they know a little about Luis as an evangelist or from having heard him on the radio. But they acknowledge they’re not familiar with the details of his life. My hope is that, in addition to children, many adults will read this book to learn about and profit from the example of this outstanding Christian servant.
If you missed it earlier, you may also be interested in my August 26 blog, “Reasons to Read My Luis Palau Youth Biography.”
Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ can be ordered from Christian Focus Publications or other of your favorite booksellers. Here’s a link to further information from the publisher about the book:
Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie