Have your friends come back from "Keswick" and said how brilliant it is? Thought you'd have a go but haven't got a clue how it works? Been on the Keswick Convention website and still haven't got a clue? Wondering how in earth it all works? Here's some help...

Main thing to know

It's completely free, and you can go to anything you want to (within reason).

What happens at the Convention

There are three consecutive weeks, each week the conference runs from Saturday night to Friday night. 

There are three "big things" each day: 

1. The "Bible Reading" - a Bible talk from a well known preacher who takes the Bible as God's Word today

. They'll preach a series for 5 days, Monday to Friday, at around 11:15am - 12:30pm each day. 

2. The "Evening Celebration" - another Bible talk from a well known preacher, but this time a different preacher each night and accompanied by singing, interviews etc. 7:30pm - 9:00pm.

3. A free afternoon so that you can enjoy the town & countryside. 

Alongside these there are seminars each day before the Bible Reading (on Wednesday it's the Keswick Lecture), and some concerts and other things. 

There's an excellent programme for children and young people. They have their own meetings at the same time as the adult stuff. Parents can watch the adult meetings at relay venues near the children's events. From 2020 they'll all be on the same site. 

There's a programme book you can buy, and the website has the timetable too. For 2019 it's on this page: https://keswickministries.org/2019-convention/

So here's how to "do it"... 

Choose a week

Your choice will be based on (a) your availability, (b) kids' holidays (perhaps), (c) who the main speaker is for the morning Bible readings. 

Book some accommodation

Get in early, there are thousands of people wanting to be in & around Keswick, and not just for the convention. Lots of people go to the same place every year. 

You can camp, or there's B&B, self catering and hotels. 

Saturday to Saturday accommodation is best, but some places only do Friday starts. 

If you stay outside Keswick there are Convention car parks for when you come into town. If you're fit you can walk from one end of town to the other in 20 minutes or so. One of the Convention car parks has park & ride. 

Register children in advance

This helps the Convention to plan, and speeds up checking the children in. https://keswickministries.org/children-youth-families/register-children-youth/

Get excited & tell your friends

You're going to be hearing God's Word wonderfully proclaimed, getting built up in our Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through his Word, spending time with lots of other believers, and enjoying the beautiful Lake District. God willing you'll return refreshed in every way: spiritually, emotionally, physically.

Perhaps your friends will want to go too?!

Turn up and... 

1. Get a programme. In 2019 you can get them from the Convention reception in Skiddaw Street

2. Go to the first Evening Celebration, 7:30pm in the main tent in Skiddaw Street. From 2020 it'll be on the Pencil factory site

3. Go to church somewhere in Keswick on Sunday morning - the Keswick speakers preach at the local churches. 

4. Enjoy the rest of the week. Go to whatever you want. Remember the morning Bible Readings are in a sequence so it's worth going to all of them. 

Can you contribute financially?

Of course - it's free to attend, but must cost the organisers tens if not hundreds of thousands of ££. 

They announce how you can support the Convention at some of the meetings during the week - and you can do it on their website too - https://keswickministries.org/donate

I hope that helps

I'm enjoying my fourth Convention, and I love it.

P. S. where to run

I do a couple of nice "there and back" 5k runs:

1. Alongside Derwentwater going clockwise from the town or lakeside car park

2. Along the old railway track, accessed next to the swimming pool A bridge was collapsed there in 2018 but it was far enough for 5km I think. 

I've yet to try the Whinlatter Forest 5k route - it's described as "challenging" on their website... I'll let you know!