Keswick and crusades | Alison Hull

International evangelist Luis Palau will be speaking at this summer's Keswick Convention, an event he says he appreciates for the fact that it ‘has always been solidly grounded in the Scriptures’.

Ali Hull, the Convention press officer, interviewed Luis and asked him about the big stadium events he has long been involved in — do they still work?

‘When we first started our crusades, we copied Billy Graham shamelessly. Why not follow the best? Our format usually included a choir or other worship music, prominent Christian officials on the podium, and my message. We used that model for decades in seventy countries, and I know many evangelists still use it around the world with great success.

Festival model

‘Once we decided to focus more on US events, we knew we needed to add more contemporary elements — action sports for teens, family play areas, top name Christian artists. We don’t do stadium events any more because we want the most welcoming environment possible — no gates, no fixed seating, no walls, no offering taken — so that Christians can invite their un-churched friends without the sense that they’re dragging them off to church. For us, since we started doing the “festival model” in 1999, our attendance — and inquiries — has increased dramatically. We’ve reached over four and a half million with the Good News in just the past seven years.’

But what does Luis think churches should be doing to identify and train the next generation of evangelists?

‘Through our own organisation — the Next Generation Alliance — we’re working with young, and not so young, evangelists who are on fire to share the gospel. We’ve created training events and videos in our festival cities that equip believers to share their faith through friendship evangelism.’

In answer to the question, ‘Are people becoming hardened to the truth of the gospel?’, Luis replied: ‘Contemporary culture and the challenges of daily living have hardened people’s hearts in every facet of life — not just their perceptions of the claims of Christ. Technology has isolated us from each other. Still, I’m very encouraged by the receptiveness of people at our festivals — particularly young people who have not yet closed and locked the doors to their hearts.’

Convention 2006

This year’s Keswick Convention is entitled ‘The Church in the power of the Spirit’, and runs from July 15 to August 4. The main Bible readings will be given by Chris Wright in Week 1 (July 15-21) on Numbers: Ajith Fernando in Week 2 (July 22-28) on Ephesians, and Vaughan Roberts in Week 3 (July 29 Ð August 4) on 1 Corinthians. Other speakers include Wallace Benn, Liam Goligher, Peter Lewis and Peter Maiden. There will be a series of seminars aimed at leaders and preachers, looking at such issues as burnout, marriage and starting as a preacher.

Week 2’s evening and seminar speakers include Steve Brady, Patrick Dixon, Luis Palau, Derek Tidball, and Chris Slater. Causeway Prospects’ special celebrations for those with learning disabilities will also take place in Week 2.

More relaxed

Week 3 has become a more relaxed week at the Convention, and will include a boat trip, a picnic and a puppet demonstration. However, the morning will have three seminar tracks — Local Church with Tim Chester, Global Church with Amy Orr-Ewing, and New Ways of Doing Church with a variety of speakers, including Andrew Baughen.

Keswick has become noted for the quality of its children’s and youth work, and there will be children’s meetings and youth meetings during each week of the Convention. Also running this year is the Literary Lunch programme, which will take place on the Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of each week. This gives Conventioners a chance to meet some of the speakers and authors who are at the event, to talk to them about their books and the issues they raise, and to find out what books mean to them. Entrance is £5, lunch is provided and there are free books to take away at the end of each event. The lunches on Wednesday of Weeks 2 and 3 will take the form of a concert in the Main Tent.

For further information on this year's Convention, please go to the website http://www.keswickministries.org or phone Simon Overend on 017687 80075.