A sun-scorched Keswick saw the 2021 Convention blaze a trail for the resumption of large-scale Christian events in person.
Week one saw the Lake District town sizzle in unusually high temperatures – without a breeze – as thousands of convention-goers attended.
Keswick ministry director James Robson told en: ‘In the Lord’s kindness, the Convention has gone very well this year, with good attendance and tremendously positive feedback. People have really enjoyed meeting together again. We’ve had a full programme over three weeks, and have live-streamed the event, too.
‘This is also a momentous year for the Keswick Convention, as for the first time it was held on the combined Rawnsley and Pencil Factory site in Keswick. So adult, children’s and youth activities are, for the first time, now all in one place.
‘There’s no doubt that it has been a mammoth task to host the Convention just as the UK was emerging from lockdown. The effort was worthwhile, though, and the Convention was a wonderful celebration, not just of the Lord’s faithfulness but of the joy of gathering together again, All One in Christ Jesus.’
The convention is in the process of extending to a year-round ministry, with a programme of 12 teaching and training courses planned for the year ahead. ‘Each course is specifically designed to serve the local church, whether pastors, elders and lay leaders, or other congregation members,’ Robson said. ‘We are also launching new initiatives like Church Weekends Away. These provide churches and Christian groups with a time of fellowship in Keswick. The Bible teaching and sung worship is laid on.’
Other events include leadership courses, run in partnership with the Forge Leadership consultancy. These include the Influential Leadership Workshop, Emerging Leaders’ Workshop, Leading WELL (for elders and lay readers) and Faith in the Second Half (FiSH).
The next phase of the Derwent Project – the scheme revamping the old Pencil Factory – is set to cost around £600,000. It will renovate the first and second floors of the building. Work will start on these areas in October, with the aim of having the whole Pencil Factory building available for all children and youth activity at the Convention in 2022. ‘We are currently fundraising to cover this work – and are so thankful to God for the generosity of His people for the way that they have supported the Derwent Project both financially and in prayer.’ Robson said.
