This year we were back from west Africa with a bit more time than our usual home assignment, and so after visiting our partner churches, we decided to go to week 2 of the Keswick Convention. A friend at a partner church had recommended Keswick: ‘Keswick loves missionaries’, and he wasn’t kidding. The missionary care at the Keswick Convention was amazing.
Firstly, we were pointed to the risen Lord Jesus with clarity and conviction – just what we needed. Those in charge helped find and fund accommodation for us last minute. They squeezed our kids into appropriate kids’ groups with 3 days’ notice. They organised a session for us to meet up with other missionaries whilst taking our kids out for ice cream. The kids had a great time hearing the Bible taught in their mother tongue alongside peers. The bookstall even gave us a missionary discount. We felt like VIPs!
On top of that, the way that the convention was run was so encouraging. The quality of Bible teaching was excellent (great humility from the leaders and an obvious desire to let God speak from his word rather than some agenda). The tone of the convention was grace filled: ‘come to what you can manage, pay for what you can’. There were seminars in the morning (which you can join in person or online if you’re having a slow morning/have kids). Then the main session was run alongside kids’ groups from 11am.
There’s nothing organised in the afternoons, and you’re encouraged to go enjoy Keswick (restaurants, parks, beautiful walks, lakes etc). In the evening, there’s another meeting with more singing. It was a really restful and gospel-filled week, which was just what we needed after a stint overseas. To top it all off, we connected with loads of friends who we hadn’t seen for a while. Honestly, we’re going to build Keswick into our next home assignment.
If you’re a fellow mission partner reading this – then go, go go! Logistics-wise, book accommodation well in advance (Air BnB or camping etc.) and apply for your kids to be accepted into the right age groups. You may find week 1 easier to get places on as the UK schools usually break up just before week 2. Having said that, we’re planning to go in summer 2026 – anyone want to join us at week 2?!
May God grant the leadership at Keswick ongoing humility and a love of God’s word for generations to come, and may God use them to encourage, train up and send out missionaries to the ends of the earth as they have done over the last 150 years.