Welcome to “Making a Difference!” Step into the inspiring world of business owners who are making a tangible difference in their communities. Join us as we spotlight passionate entrepreneurs who go beyond profit, dedicating their time, resources, and innovative ideas to create positive social impact. Today our host Greg Chapman spoke with Chris Widener.
Chris Widener
Founder at Revival 250
Website Address: Revival250.com
Short company description:
Revival 250 is America’s 250th Anniversary Revival.
Revival250.com
On May 3, 2026, 12,000 people will gather together in VyStar Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. We will then be live-streaming through the Pray.com app with 26 million downloads, to homes, churches, colleges, and military bases. We will also be streaming globally.
Revival 250 will bring together the best preachers, worship leaders, singers, and testimonies from across our nation to challenge Christians to turn their hearts fully back to God. Headline speakers include Jonathan Cahn, Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Alveda King, President Emeritus of Promise Keepers Raleigh Washington and John Rich.
We are partnered with Pray.com, the National Religious Broadcasters Association, Resi, the US Christian Chamber of Commerce, Pushpay, Salem Media, and more.
Revival 250 is a 100% nonprofit event with all proceeds being distributed to Christian ministries.
What is a tip for success that you would provide someone in your same industry?
Follow God’s lead.
What volunteer experience has impacted you the most?
Putting on Revival 250.
What’s one cause you’re passionate about?
Revival.
How do you encourage your team to make a difference?
Serve others.
Transcript:
Greg:
Hello. Welcome to Making a Difference. I’m your host, Greg Chapman.
Today I have an exciting guest for you, someone who’s doing great things for our city, who’s not even from our city, but I can’t wait to see what God does through him and his team to impact not just the city of Jacksonville, but to pave the way for something special for our country.
So welcome with me today, Chris Widener.
Chris:
Hey Greg. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.
Greg:
No problem. We’re glad you’re here.
Revival 250, how did you end up with this?
Chris:
Well, I was a pastor for 14 years, from 1988 till 2002, at which point I started writing and speaking full time, primarily in the secular world.
So I was a speaker who was a Christian. I wasn’t a Christian speaker per se. I wasn’t speaking at churches and Christian organizations, but Microsoft, General Electric, Cisco Systems, Harvard Business School, AT&T, you name it.
I was mentored by some really great guys. I worked with John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, and they were great mentors to me.
My career really exploded. I got all the accolades, Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame, 27 books, Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling, all the accolades.
But after doing it for a long time, I was really drawn back into ministry because I felt like even though I was telling people how to live successful lives, I was not able in those corporate structures to tell them the real important thing.
A couple of years ago, I was writing a book called The Capitalist. I’m 40% of the way through it, and I felt like the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and said, I want you to write a book on revival.
I loved the idea because I’ve always loved studying revival.
In fact, the book that I’ve read second most amount of times, actually third if you include the Bible as number one, is The Pursuit of God. I’ve probably read it 30 times.
And then a book by Leonard Ravenhill called Why Revival Tarries.
So I loved the idea of writing a book called The Coming American Revival. It came out in October 2024.
We started praying about it and whether to do an actual revival, and we decided God wanted us to put one on.
Then we asked where, and we kept coming back to Jacksonville.
Here’s the interesting thing. I’ve given 2,500 speeches in my life, and only two were in Jacksonville.
I had spent no time here, knew one person, yet we felt called to come.
We showed up last May 3rd, one year to the day of Revival 250, and launched with eight people in a small room at the Schultz Center.
For the last year, I’ve been coming down about a week each month, building coalitions of pastors, Christian businesspeople, and ministry leaders.
We put together the lineup of speakers, and now we’re about 26 days away from the event.
Greg:
Wow, that’s quick.
What can people expect when they come?
Chris:
You can buy a ticket, attend in person, host a home watch party, or even a church watch party. All of that is available at Revival250.com.
Our passion is to create a place where there is a spirit of revival.
We can’t guarantee revival will happen that day, but we can guarantee everything has been designed to create an atmosphere where revival can take place.
We’re focusing all speakers around Second Chronicles 7:14:
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.
Our goal is to create an atmosphere where Christians can come before the Lord, humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from their ways so that God can heal our land.
You don’t need to look far to see the challenges we’re facing today, financially, culturally, globally.
We believe God is giving us a chance to turn back to Him, especially as we approach our 250th anniversary.
Greg:
Who’s going to be there?
Chris:
We have a great worship team, an all-star group from across the country.
Dr. Tony Evans will be there. I’ve listened to him since becoming a Christian in 1983.
Jonathan Cahn, Dr. Alveda King, Raleigh Washington, and many others.
John Rich also did a virtual presentation that’s powerful.
Sheriff T.K. Waters will share his testimony.
Lots of great speakers and local leaders, all focused on drawing people closer to the Lord.
Greg:
Chris, we appreciate your time.
Thank you for making a difference in Jacksonville and beyond.
Chris:
Thank you.
We’re also live streaming through the Parade.com app to 26 million people, along with other platforms.
I’ve loved the time I’ve spent in Jacksonville and the people I’ve met.
Greg:
Thank you so much.
And for all our listeners, make sure you check out Revival 250. The website will be in the show notes.
Buy your ticket, attend in person, or join online.
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