At the age of 19, under the ministry of Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith, he was given the opportunity to lead a Bible study of 30 people. The church that formed from this group, Harvest Christian Fellowship, has grown to become one of the largest churches in the United States. In 2013, Harvest Christian Fellowship celebrated its 40th anniversary. The church has another dedicated campus in Irvine as well as four satellite campuses (Woodcrest, Eastvale, South Corona and Lahaina, Hawaii) with a congregation of approximately 15,000 people, and also houses more than 80 ministries. Harvest recently merged with Kumulani Chapel in Maui, Hawaii, and that church is now called Harvest Kumulani.
Laurie holds two honorary doctorates from Biola University and Azusa Pacific University. He serves on the board of directors for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association He is also a chaplain for the Newport Beach Police Department. In 2013, Laurie served as the Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.
His autobiographical documentary film Lost Boy: The Next Chapter has won eight awards at international film festivals in the best documentary category. Laurie's film released in 2013, Hope for Hurting Hearts, includes the stories of Jeremy Camp and Nick Vujicic. The film has been a finalist at 15 different film festivals.