As the Convention encourages Christians to bring their unbelieving friends, we speak to John Risbridger, Keswick’s Chairman
EN: You took over as Chairman of the Keswick Convention in May 2012. Now you are established in the role, what is your vision for Keswick over the next 5-10 years?
JR: The team of trustees are all still committed to the same things Keswick has valued for decades. Our vision remains the spiritual renewal of God’s people for his mission in the world. So we want to provide high-quality Bible teaching that draws evangelical Christians from across a wide background of different churches to worship and grow together and to encourage a strong commitment to mission in all its forms, both in the UK and across the world.
There are some changes ahead though. Keswick has been growing over the years — our middle week this year was our best attended on record. Our challenge is our growth and how we can cater for the large number of people who want to come.
Changing Britain
We are also thinking about how to work out our vision in a way that reflects the changing context for the church in the UK. For example, some of the old fault lines between charismatic or non-charismatic, Reformed or Arminian, liturgical or informal no longer seem so relevant. Keswick’s commitment to evangelical unity fits well within this new emerging context. But we also think there’s a real challenge in the wider church to try and bridge the generation gap. So we want to provide models of how Christians can work together in fellowship across the generations and across the different evangelical ‘tribes’, learning together from Scripture, worshipping together, and hearing each other’s stories, so that we can support each other in the wider family of God.
Keswick Unconventional
We are very excited about the development of our ‘Keswick Unconventional’ programme in week 3, which explores how the objective truth of the gospel can be expressed through the arts, journalism, music, comedy and poetry. This has been an area with real appeal for a wide range of Christians, including young adults, and people who sometimes find it difficult to feel at home in some of our churches. We want to provide something for them here too.
Of course the other great challenge is the growth of secularism and the tendency for Christian views to be marginalised, and places like Keswick are key in order to train the church to respond. This is why we were so glad to have Christian apologist and Bible teacher Professor John Lennox to speak this year, and we are looking again at some of these issues in the 2014 Convention.
EN: How is Keswick changing in 2014?
JR: The main difference is that in week 3 of the Convention, we are trying to provide a programme that is both spiritually enriching to established Christians and accessible and engaging to people who are not yet Christians or for those who want to work through serious doubts and questions. Therefore we are introducing new elements in that week that aim to engage the whole of this wider audience. We will be answering tough questions, thinking about science and faith, and the truth of Jesus being the only way.
Searching for reality
While we have this special focus in week 3, the theme we will be exploring in all three weeks is: ‘Really? Searching for reality in a confusing world’. We’ll be looking at topics like why there is suffering, and what ‘truth’ really is. So everyone who comes to Keswick will have the opportunity to learn more about how we make the case for Christianity in today’s world, how we explore its truth and its relevance and how, as Christians, we can grow in our confidence in the gospel.
EN: How, specifically, will week 3 be different?
JR: Alongside Bible readings that lay out the fundamental claims of the gospel and the reasons for believing them, there will be a whole series of more informal and interactive events, such as arts-based events and testimonies from business and sports people, in different places around the town. People will be able to see the difference that the gospel makes to the way people live. There will be some opportunities for the audience to engage and ask questions and join the debate. We hope that it will really inspire Christians, as well helping those who are still exploring the faith.
Some of this is not new to Keswick. Over the years we are delighted that lots of people have come to faith here. They’ve often been family members who aren’t Christians, who might be there with fellow family members who are. God has used Keswick to bring people to faith, and we’re looking to build on that. Also it’s more than just the events. We are hoping that people, who are attending the Convention and love the combination of holiday with spiritual refreshment, can find ways of sharing their holiday with friends. We will, therefore, be encouraging people to enjoy together all that the Lake District offers, and experience holiday and friendship with all their friends and family.
The themes for the evening meetings have been chosen to open up the great message of Mark’s Gospel for everyone there. Every event will have the normal ingredients of Bible teaching and corporate worship, but they will be sensitive to the people who are not yet Christians. The youth and children’s programme will also be making arrangements so that they are ready for a larger number of children and young people who do not come from traditional Christian homes, so that they can feel comfortable and welcome.
EN: Is there a danger of ‘watering things down’ in that week if it is made non-Christian friendly?
JR: Keswick is known for its high quality Bible teaching and, when you look at the speakers, I’m confident that will remain in 2014. But looking at the big questions, and what is called apologetics — how to defend our faith and make rational arguments for it — is vital for the whole church. As Christians we all have questions we need to work through, both to strengthen our own faith and help us in the task of making disciples. The feedback from John Lennox’s talks this year made it very clear that input on apologetics is as important for Christians in today’s culture as it is for seekers.
Gospel is public truth
Every pastor who is serious about mission in today’s world wants to put together sermons and services that are helpful and challenging to believers, and also accessible to people who are less sure of the Christian faith. So the Keswick Convention this year isn’t so different to that. The gospel is public truth, and it’s addressed to every human being. It’s a gospel not just for the church but for the world. When it’s opened up faithfully and applied relevantly, it speaks to all people.
So at Keswick in 2014 we are really just putting a special focus on doing something that we should always be trying to do, which is to proclaim and celebrate the good news in a way that is accessible to the wide range of people in the congregation, so that we can help them experience the reality of Jesus Christ for themselves.
EN: Who will be speaking in 2014?
JR: We’re delighted to have some of the most gifted evangelists, apologists and Bible teachers available speaking. For example, Ravi Zacharias will be on the team, along with the well-known evangelist Roger Carswell, and Dr. Chris Sinkinson from Moorlands College. They will be joined by a wide range of other contributors, including some of the team of Keswick Trustees.
EN: How can our readers find out more about Keswick 2014?
JR: The best place to go is our website, www.keswickministries.org. We have a page dedicated to the 2014 conference, with a link to a video that explains our vision. You can also follow us on Twitter @KeswickC.
