Another Christian music festival hopes to welcome thousands of Christians in Romania and nearby countries in Eastern Europe this spring.
HeartBeats Festival aims to provide a unique Christian experience for young people, those who are considered the most secular population in the world. From June 1-3, 2023, the city of Cluj-Napoca will host the second edition of Heartbeats. A great lineup of famous musicians, bands, and international speakers are set to grace the three-day event, reports Evangelical Focus.
Let’s unite in our mission to share the love of Jesus and make a lasting impact on the lives of young people across Europe. —Lucian Marian, HeartBeats
Organizers arranged the festival to make sure that the young people experience “God’s love and joy.” HeartBeats will start with Gospel music and worship, pop and rock on the second day, and hip-hop to conclude the event. Artists such as Tye Tribbett (US), Cardiac Move (Austria), and We Are Messengers (Ireland) will be joined by speakers Alan Platt, Young Cho and Leo Bigger (Switzerland). Romanian musicians and speakers will also lead several shows at the festival.
Emceeing HeartBeats is a youth leader from Switzerland Andy Fronius. Fronius was one of the audience in the first edition of HeartBeats in 2022. “It was the first festival we ever attended as a family with our four kids, and we were impressed by the hopeful and peaceful atmosphere,” he shared.
“There is power in providing God space, in celebrating what he is doing and letting him use a platform this big to remind us, how much he loves us,” he said.
In addition to an amazing musical experience, HeartBeats will offer seven workshops focusing on topics including parenting, reading the Bible better, and discipleship. All these activities aim to strengthen the young Christians’ faith, help them re-connect with God, or introduce God to those who are interested in knowing more about Him.
HeartBeats is a great opportunity for the church to reach out to the Gen Z. Romanian Christian congregations are encouraged to pray for the success of the event, bring their youth, and “welcome those who are seeking a sign from God or looking to deepen their faith.”
Fronius said, “Churches play a vital role in nurturing spiritual growth and fostering a loving community that supports one another.”
It is expected that one in five attendants of the festival will be coming from other parts of Europe, especially now that there are affordable means of travelling from different European cities going to Romania.
Birth of HeartBeats Festival
Romanian IT entrepreneur Lucian Marian is the heart behind HeartBeats. Growing up in an orphanage, Christmas season was a specially difficult time for him and other orphans. To alleviate the loneliness he felt, he tried to watch a church’s free musical event. “The pastor’s talk on the true meaning of Christmas profoundly impacted me,” recalled Marian. At 18, he decided to give his life to service.
His business required him to travel and he noticed that many young people he met didn’t believe in God. “They are sheep without a shepherd leading them. We need to speak their language.” With his personal background and the troubling situation today, Marian thought about introducing God to the young people through a music event.
“I think God gave me these thoughts and spoke to my heart. I chose to invest in a music festival, a unique way of connecting, encouraging environment and an example of unity to grow the community,” he said.
HeartBeats Festival is still a young event and needs all the support it can get. Marian asks for prayers and publicity so many young people can get the opportunity to learn about God. “Let’s unite in our mission to share the love of Jesus and make a lasting impact on the lives of young people across Europe,” he concluded.
For more information, go to https://heartbeats.events.