Reflection by Hib Wiedenkeller
My experience at EXPLO ‘ 72 began five years earlier – in the Fall of 1967 at Milwaukee Lutheran High School where I was Choral Director. The touring group sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ called NEW FOLK presented a very inspiring program in song and testimony to over I,000 students in our gym. These Spirit-filled college students sang and shared their faith in Jesus Christ in a powerful way that really impacted our students’ lives. In fact, a small singing group came up to me and said, “Mr. Wiedenkeller, we’d like to do what NEW FOLK is doing!” I responded very positively and said, “We probably should change the name of your group then.” That’s how The Christian Minstrels started their ministry which eventually created a Spirit-led revival at the school.
When the news of a world-wide gathering of Christian young people was being planned by Campus Crusade in Dallas, TX, we didn’t hesitate to plan a life-changing trip. Around 25 Milwaukee Lutheran High School students and 10 from Elm Grove Lutheran Church flew down to Dallas and joined 80,000 other Christians from around the world in the Cotton Bowl each evening. Every day we attended training sessions on how to share Christ. On one of the days, the city of Dallas was visited, door to door, and we shared how to know Jesus in a personal way. EXPLO’72 reached its climax with an all-day “Jesus Music Festival” in downtown Dallas on vast open fields being prepared for the Woodall Rogers parkway.
At EXPLO ‘72 we were challenged to return to our cities to share our faith and plan mini Explos to multiply the numbers of lives impacted by Jesus. So, when we got back, six of us met every week in prayer for over a month. Nothing seemed to get done until finally, by God’s grace, everything fell into place. The unique thing about our prayer/planning meetings was that we would stop and pray about every detail for the EXPLO-MILWAUKEE event. A number of area churches joined in helping to launch this interdenominational event held at St. Bernard’s Catholic church in Wauwatosa. Staff from Campus Crusade for Christ also helped in planning and presenting Gospel messages and the Christian Minstrels also sang for the evening program. In describing the Milwaukee Explo event the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote: “565 workers will carry the message of EXPLO ‘72 from Dallas in personal talks at home and to the neighborhoods where they shared Christ.” The Milwaukee Explo concluded with an outdoor “Jesus Music Festival” held at Northwest Baptist Church on north 92nd St. About 800 attended.
Explo 72 Comes to Milwaukee: As it happened!
Milwaukee Youth Leaving for Explo 72
Milwaukee Lutheran student delegation. Hib Wiedenkeller on lower left and upper right: Paul Juedes (now Dr. Paul Juedes and pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Highland, Ca.)
A few of the Planning Committee
From Left: Hib Widenkeller, Jim Found, John Juedes and Richard Dassow
Mission and Vision(Opens in a new browser tab)
Vision experienced: Personal reflection by Richard
Reflecting back to 1972, it brings back great memories of being new in the faith and experiencing a renewal of faith with a few friends, but also “new” friends that invited me to become a part of a new awakening in Milwaukee called Explo 72 Comes to Milwaukee. Several of the original committee are still friends and in contact today!
As Hib says, “The unique thing about our prayer/planning meetings was that we would stop and pray about every detail for the EXPLO-MILWAUKEE event.” It all happened in 30 days!
Explo 72 wasn’t one of our “good ideas”. It was a real vision from the LORD and HE did get the credit, not us!
Andy Stanley in his book Visioneering: God’s blueprint For Developing And Maintaining Vision Speaks about Good Ideas Versus God Ideas. He says that “Good ideas are limited to our potential, connections, and resources. If you are simply pursuing a good idea, then you need to devote a great deal of time and energy trying to figure out how to pull it off.
A divine vision, on the other hand, is limited only by God’s potential and resources. That means anything is possible. If it is just a good idea, you have to make it happen. When God gives you a vision, there’s a sense in which you stand back and watch it happen.”
And we did stand back and watch it happen, all in 30 days! With only a few weekly short meetings. Every one knew what to do and we trusted the LORD to work through us to accomplish His vision for Milwaukee! We all worked hard and watched it happen, and the LORD did get the credit…as Andy Stanley says of a vision from the LORD versus one of our great ideas!
It proved what Andy Stanley says about vision in a previous post. “Vision”.
In Conclusion,
A New Vision!
Explo 22
In two years, 2022, it will be the 50th anniversary of Explo72! How time flies!
80,000 young people, ages 16-22 from all over the country and the world attended Explo 72
Over 180,000 attended the closing music festival.
The young people were challenged to do a similar event in their community when they got back home.
The young people from Milwaukee, Wisconsin did!
I wonder what all happened to all these young people, now ages 64-70. Boomers and Boomers and Beyond?
Some similar events were started across the country and maybe even around the world!
Would anyone who attended the Dallas 72 Explo, Explo Comes to Milwaukee or any similar event in your community like to meet?
The easiest way would be a “Zoom” meeting!
To get this in motion…why not share this “post” by an email to all your friends.
Share on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter or Instagram.
“Buttons” on bottom of this post.
Even if you did NOT attend any Explo event, why not share this post with your “boomer” friends and watch God at work!
Start by praying for the Holy Spirit to give you the energy, motivation and especially the “vision” for a new revival in our land!
Explo 72 and Explo Comes to Milwaukee was begun in prayer and was brought to completion by a complete dependence on God’s leading and provision as each specific need was brought to Him.
Let’s see the LORD at work!
To God be the Glory for the things He has done and will do!
The original Four Spiritual Laws booklet!
If you got to this point and are wondering what really happened at Explo 72
Facebook Group of Explo 72 Alumni
Would you like to know God personally?
Finally, was Explo 72 the event that birthed a new vision of or from the LORD in your life? Is so, please share below!
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