Long before Phil Wickham was leading tens of thousands in worship, he was just another kid sitting in the crowd at the Harvest Crusade.
Now one of Christian music's biggest worship leaders, Wickham looked back on the event that helped shape both his faith and his ministry during a backstage conversation with KWAVE Radio at the 2026 Harvest Crusade, sharing how a childhood experience eventually became the blueprint for his own concerts.
"I was at the very first Harvest," Wickham recalled. "I was only five years old."
With worship-leading parents deeply involved in the ministry, Harvest Crusade became a defining part of his upbringing. As a teenager, he regularly attended with his youth group, watching artists like Switchfoot, Delirious?, Supertones, and Jars of Clay while inviting friends who had never heard the gospel.
One particular evening has stayed with him ever since.
Wickham remembered Greg Laurie giving the gospel invitation when one of his own friends admitted he had never truly surrendered his life to Christ. Watching him walk forward with their youth pastor became a moment the singer says forever changed the way he views ministry.
"I am firsthand testimony to lives by the thousands being changed," Wickham said, explaining that witnessing countless people respond to the gospel over the years has shaped virtually every concert he now leads.
That influence continues today.
Wickham revealed that nearly every time he performs, he intentionally gives people an opportunity to either receive Christ or recommit their lives to Him-a practice he directly credits to decades of attending Harvest Crusade.
Ironically, becoming a touring worship artist was never part of the plan.
After moving from Costa Mesa to San Diego as a teenager, Wickham said he picked up the guitar simply because he was lonely.
"It became my best friend because I didn't have any other friends around," he shared.
At the time, there wasn't even a clear path for worship leaders to build national touring ministries. Instead, Wickham simply wanted to write songs his local church could sing.
"I never made my first record thinking, 'I'm going to be an artist,'" he said. "I just loved writing new songs for the church."
Perhaps the biggest surprise came from a prediction that proved remarkably accurate.
While attending Harvest as a teenager, Wickham's youth pastor leaned over and confidently told him, "You're going to be on stage one day."
Wickham laughed off the idea.
Just four years later, it became reality.
Looking back now after two decades of ministry, the singer says he still struggles to believe God has entrusted him with leading worship before packed stadiums.
"Who am I to be a part of moments like this?" he reflected.
Despite his enormous success, Wickham insisted the spotlight has never been about him.
"The more things grow... the more it's like, well, I'm singing about Jesus," he said. "This whole thing that's happened is so much bigger and sweeter than I could have done."
He added that his wife, children, and ministry team help keep him grounded, saying he'll continue serving "as long as He wants me to."
The interview also gave Wickham an opportunity to spotlight his upcoming book, Everyday Hallelujah, releasing Aug. 11. Describing it as an extension of his songwriting ministry, he explained that the 36-chapter devotional is designed to help readers cultivate daily worship and rediscover the joy of beholding Jesus.
"I hope this clears the dust off people's hearts," he said, "so they see Him in a fresh way."
