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5 Reasons to get yourself to this year's Keswick Convention
Steve Mitchell is the Publishing Director for IVP. He spent many a happy year as a bookseller, but finally saw the light and moved into publishing. He lives in Cumbria with his wife Karen, three grown-up kids and a beloved bass guitar. Here, he gives us five reasons to go to the Keswick Convention this summer.
1. The Bookshop - Well, of course, I'm going to say that as we publish books for Keswick Ministries, but still, the Convention bookshop in Keswick is pretty fantastic. In these days when bookshops are getting thin on the ground, our good friends at 10ofthose.com will have on sale one of the most extensive ranges of good Christian books that you can find in the UK. They gather the best of Christian resources from a wide range of publishers, across a breadth of genres, from kids books to commentaries, Bibles to biographies and will have a great selection of books to teach and inspire you.
If it's only for the bookshop, it's worth making the trip to the Lakes and talking of those...
2. The Location – Sitting on the banks of Derwentwater, the town of Keswick is at the heart of the beautiful Lake District, which is the UK's largest National Park and is now a World Heritage Site. It's an idyllic location. You have so many places to wander, take in the views, relax and breathe. We're having a fabulous summer; I'm fortunate enough to live pretty close by, and the weather forecasters are predicting that the next month or will remain warm and sunny. So there has never been a better time to visit. The town itself, is full of character, with a lively market and unique shops. There's a festival feel to Keswick when the Convention is running as there are events, seminars and activities all over the town. You'll want to visit Base Camp, (not only because that's where the bookshop is - did I mention there is an excellent bookshop at the event? I may have.) where there is a global mission agency exhibition and Fair Trade cafe. This year, for the first time, in their new venue near the Pencil Factory (also worth a visit), they have an exhibition called the Global Village Experience, which features multimedia displays and live actors to bring to life the terrible conditions that millions of people across the world find themselves.
3. The People - One of the warmest sights at Keswick is watching friends meet and greet each other to worship together. The feeling when 15,000 of God's people gather over three weeks, united in Him - All One in Christ Jesus - as the Keswick banner says, is a powerful inspiration. The Convention is set up for all ages; the kids, youth work and young adult sessions are all vibrant, lively and fun. There are specialist teaching streams for different ages and interests. One of the newer and different groups is Keswick Unconventional. Held during week 3 (Mon 30th July - Thurs 2nd August, it offers opportunities to engage with life and faith through the arts with concerts, poetry, film and story-telling. There's something for everyone.
4. The Teaching - If there's one thing for which the Keswick Convention has become recognised over its 140-year history, it's the Bible teaching. Over the years, they have welcomed amazing speakers from the UK and all over the world, including Billy Graham and Don Carson, to open God's Word to us. This year is no different and sees David Cook from Australia give the Bible Reading in Week 3, with Christopher Wright in Week 2 and Christopher Ash in Week 1. The theme for this year is Sent: Serving God's Mission. Keswick has long had a passion for mission to the world; from it's very earliest days in 1887 when Hudson Taylor, the founder of OMF, was the speaker, through to today. The world has changed radically since that time, but the need for the mission hasn't. Keswick is passionate about playing a significant part in promoting world mission.
5. The Live Stream - and finally, ok, so it's not possible for everyone to make the journey to Cumbria for the event. So Keswick has opened up the main sessions on online viewers. You can now, from the comfort of your home, phone or tablet, stream the event from wherever you are.
So come on up to Keswick – you won’t regret it.
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