Category: Blog - Page 10 - KCC | Katoomba Christian Convention

Sharing God’s Unconditional Love as a Grandmother: Elizabeth

Ahead of Mother’s Day (Sunday 12 May), we will be sharing stories of Christian mothers and what this day means for them. Whether Mother’s Day brings feelings of joy, grief or a mix of both, we hope that this series can be a celebration of all the mother figures that God has blessed us with.

In this Mother’s Day interview, 95-year-old Elizabeth shares the opportunities that God has given over her lifetime to serve Him as a mother, grandmother and now great-grandmother. Speaking from her retirement village, she shares her greatest joys and challenges in parenting, and how sharing and modelling God’s unconditional love is her “chief role” as a grandmother. We hope you are encouraged by this story!

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Elizabeth Foord. My husband is now with the Lord, but I have four wonderful children – a daughter and three sons. I also have eleven grandchildren, six of whom are married and five great-grandchildren.

I live in the Castle Hill Anglican retirement village, and so I attend the chapel in here now. My main hobbies are reading and talking to people; and until just a few months ago the thing I enjoyed doing most was leading a ladies bible study.

I serve the gospel in this season of life by coming before the Lord each morning when I wake up: I thank him for a new day and I ask him to help me to walk faithfully, in a way that might bring glory to his name and help people see what it is to be a Christian.

Because I am now almost 95 and am not very well physically, I don’t have an enormous amount of energy, but I’m very grateful that God has given me many opportunities to serve him in different ways and I’m very grateful that he gives me many, many opportunities to talk to people that I meet – that I either know or maybe haven’t met before – and to so often be able to simply share the gospel.

What has been your greatest joy as a mother?

My greatest joy as a mother has been to see my four children all become very committed Christians, with three of them now being in full time ministry.

What has been your greatest challenge as a mother?

I think my greatest challenge has been to live a totally Christ centred life; trying to live in a way that shows my children how much I love both them and the Lord.

One of the most difficult things I had to do as a mother was leaving our young-adult children in Australia, while my husband and I served in ministry in Southern Africa. When leaving them I was concerned for them spiritually, but they all grew both as Christians and as people. I could write a whole book on the way God provided for them during this time.

How has knowing God the Father influenced the way you parented your own children?

Well, the example that He has set for what love is, is so huge. Because He loves me everlastingly, he was willing to give his son to die for me. I know that He’s the sovereign Lord of the universe and that anything that He does or allows in my life has only been for my good. God never makes mistakes in the life of His children who are committed to him. I ask God daily to help me to try and emulate this example. This means to be a mother who loves, and who is kind, and who is forgiving.

How has God used you in your role as a grandmother? How can grandparents continue serving their family for God’s glory?

I think the primary thing that he has done is enabled me to pray for each of my grandchildren – and now great grandchildren – every day. I haven’t got thousands of dollars to leave to them when I die but I’m very grateful to God that my grandchildren are all happy to talk to me and tell me things that they want me to pray for. That’s the most effective thing I can do.

I believe that the chief role of the grandmother is to pray for their grandchildren and to love them unconditionally. My own grandmother, whom I never met as she lived in England, even wrote to me as a little girl and told me she prayed for me every single day. Grandparents can serve their families by putting God first and seeking to live for him; to obey him and love him – to be the ones to set that model.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to new mothers this Mother’s Day?

I think, to realise that God has given you your beautiful children as a gift. That they rightly belong to him, and so: to pray and to live in a way that will help them to see that the most important and fulfilling thing they can do in their life is to put the Lord Jesus Christ first.

Elizabeth shares the opportunities that God has given over her lifetime to serve Him as a mother, grandmother and now great-grandmother.

By Heidi Tai

Faith and Heartbreak as a Special Needs Mum: Yuni

In our very first interview, Yuni shares the joys and challenges of becoming a Special Needs mother and how her son’s initial diagnosis led to heartbreak, confusion and guilt. She then shares how she found answers and comfort in God’s word, and how He has continued to use her circumstances to increase her faith and joy in Him. Finally, she shares a word of hope and comfort with other mums of Special Needs children. We hope you are encouraged by her story!

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Yuni. I am a stay-at-home mum with 2 kids, but before I had my second child, I worked as a Trainer and Culture Specialist at an Insurance company. I enjoy Pilates and reading. I currently go to Allawah Community Church where I serve in prayer and reading the book of 1 Peter with a younger girl at church.

How does knowing God the Father shape the way you parent your two children?

Knowing God has taught me that His goal for all of us is Christlikeness. As I read the bible to my children and teach them, I am also thinking about my own relationship with God and whether I’m growing more to be like Christ in my life, personal values, and character. I ask myself if I’m practicing what I teach to my children.

At home, I see daily how much I fall short, and my children can also see it and imitate what I do. Therefore, becoming more Christlike is something I want to continually work on with the help of the Holy Spirit who I can pray to for help.

How has God challenged and grown you since becoming a mother of a child with Special Needs?

When my son Austin was born in 2020, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition; Pettigrew Syndrome (only 1 other family in Australia has 2 sons with this rare genetic condition). I was heartbroken and confused hearing the news that my son was going to have a lifelong and mainly intellectual disability.

My husband and I grieved when we first heard the news. We were not prepared, but we also reflected on God and where he fits in the picture. For me, when I turned to God, I felt guilty as though I had sinned in a terrible way for me to end up with a disabled son. I thought perhaps it was my sins that caused him to become this way. I went to God in prayer, listed a whole lot of things for me to repent about, and asked God to forgive me and to help me.

I drew closer to God during this moment as I anticipated the road ahead is going to be hard. There will be lots of unknowns, lots of difficulties and lots to learn from various people and resources. I gave up my job to dedicate my time to help my son with various therapies; Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Speech therapy, Feeding therapy along with all the specialist appointments and tests he had to undergo.

Through all of this, I felt God leading me to join BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) where I grew in my relationship with God. I felt more drawn to God in my state of being lost and overwhelmed with the changes in my life. At BSF, I was comforted when I studied the passage John 9:1-5, when Jesus healed a man who was born blind:

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied; “Neither this man nor his parent sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.”

When Jesus corrected the disciples wrong thinking, he also corrected mine. I unconsciously assumed that good works bring God’s favour and that my suffering suggests God’s indignation to me. This kind of thinking could have made me go down the road of having the wrong assumption that my good works would contribute to God’s blessings, and even salvation!

But I was reminded from BSF that: “the root in all human suffering and damage is caused by sin’s curse, and Jesus clarified this by declaring the man’s blindness did not result from my specific sin.” In fact, it helped me recognise that God can display His glory through my situation. It gives me such comfort to know this. It’s not about me, my sin or my life. It’s about God and how we can use our situation (and suffering and pain) to glorify Him and seek His higher purpose.

God has shown me day by day how my increased faith in Him can drive out fear.

God has shown me day by day how my increased faith in Him can drive out fear; fear of the unknown future, not being able to have full night sleep because Austin has disturbed sleep (almost every night), whether he can eat independently one day, or speak, or play with others, his lack of energy to walk longer distances, his self-injury behaviour, whether he’ll ever have friends and so on.

We have no choice but to slow things down and take one day at a time, and I am getting better at acknowledging God’s mercies to us each morning; such as Austin’s gradual progress in development, gradual increased understanding of things around him, his gentle nature, his sweet smiles and having Christian support workers to help with his therapy homework and providing relief (so I can also spend time with my daughter and serve the rest of my family).

God is good and He is very gracious to me. I know I can trust Him no matter what challenges come my way. I can go to Him.

What words of hope or comfort would you give to other mums of Special Needs children this Mother’s Day?

Know that God is sovereign. God’s sovereignty was over the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death and His sovereignty is over our circumstances too. He knows what you are going through, and He wants you to come to Him.

God can display his glory through our difficult situations, suffering and pain. God is always with His children and knows our struggles. God has a higher purpose for everything that happens to us. He may not always reveal how our pain or circumstances bring Him glory, nor does He owe us such an explanation. He can be trusted no matter what challenges life delivers.

Speak to God, cry to God, grieve with God, and let Him speak to you in your circumstance. He will not turn you away. God is our Heavenly Father who cares and loves His children deeply that he offered His son as a sacrifice, to die for our sin.

Yuni shares the joys and challenges of becoming a Special Needs mother, and how God has used her circumstances to increase her faith and joy in Him.

By Heidi Tai

5 Reasons to Attend OneLove Women’s Conference

Serving thousands of women each year, OneLove is committed to inspiring women in their walk with Jesus with powerful Bible teaching and fantastic fellowship. Here are 5 reasons to attend this August:

Prioritise your spiritual life with a distraction-free day in God’s word

At OneLove women’s conference, we take time in God’s word seriously. We believe that women should be equipped with Bible teaching that is truthful, deep, relevant and life changing. We want to help women of all ages and life-stages to see how their faith intersects with their work, studies, church ministry, singleness, family life and more! Prioritise your spiritual life and join us for a distraction-free day in God’s word at OneLove.

Hear life-changing teaching from international OneLove speaker, Blair Linne

At OneLove, we choose speakers who are gifted in teaching and preaching, having featured speakers such as Jackie Hill Perry, Nancy Guthrie and Kara Martin in the past. This August, OneLove will host Blair Linne, the author of Finding My Father: How The Gospel Heals The Pain of Fatherlessness. Linne is also an international Bible teacher, actress, spoken word artist, and the creator of the podcast GLO with The Gospel Coalition. Learn more about here.

Be inspired by testimonies of women who are persevering in their faith

Each year, OneLove features inspiring testimonies of women sharing how they came to faith and how God has worked in their lives. Testimonies demonstrate how Christian theology applies to everyday life and is a way for us to see how God is at work in women of all ages, life-stages, ethnicities and cultures. Over the years we’ve heard how God has been at work through addiction, grief, workplace decisions, intergenerational trauma, mental health, identity and more.

Invite your unbelieving friends to hear the gospel in a welcoming environment

At OneLove we are wary that not every woman in the room is a Christian, so we endeavour to create a space that is welcoming to seekers and non-believers. We are confident that if you bring an unbelieving friend to OneLove, they will hear the gospel of grace and be given opportunities to ask genuine questions in the Q&A. The program also includes meal breaks which gives you an opportunity to talk to your friend about what they have heard and learned. Hear how Jen became a Christian at OneLove here:

Jen’s OneLove Testimony

Strengthen fellowship and friendships amongst women in your church

Are you trying to launch or strengthen women’s ministry within your church? Instead of planning your own event, why not include OneLove in your church calendar and let us do the planning for you? Everything from solid bible teaching, inspiring testimonies, uplifting worship in song, fellowship and mealtimes will be covered for you! Give your pastor’s wife and leaders a break from planning and enable them to also sit under God’s word and deepen friendships with other women from your church.

Don’t miss out on the OneLove Early Bird!

OneLove women’s conference will return on Saturday 24^th August at the Hillsong Convention Centre.

Early Bird ends on Tuesday 30^th April. Register today at: https://onelovewomen.com/register/

Discounted tickets are also available for full-time students, interstate and regional delegates. More information available from our website: https://onelovewomen.com/register/#prices

Serving thousands of women each year, OneLove is committed to inspiring women in their walk with Jesus

By Heidi Tai

2300+ Inspired to Resist Worldliness at Easter Convention

We praise God that over the Easter long weekend, over 2,300 adults, youth and children gathered at Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) to be empowered by God’s word. Through powerful Bible talks, inspiring testimonies and uplifting worship in song, delegates were encouraged to fight worldliness and to walk in holiness.

Since 1962, KEC has become a family tradition for many—a cherished space for people of all cultures, generations and denominations to gather as ‘one in Christ Jesus’, to hear and respond to God’s word.

This year 1,768 delegates joined the Adult Program to hear from a wide range of international and local speakers. Through expository preaching, topical talks and inspiring testimonies, KEC speakers encouraged delegates to remain faithful to God, despite the gravitational pull of secularism, and opposition towards Christianity in the Western world.

“I found KEC24 to be one of the best so far, as the teaching was really practical. It had good biblical content but was practical in giving encouragement of how to live the Christian life in our current challenging secular times.”
– Anne, KEC 24 Delegate

“I was very encouraged by how conquering worldliness is something we are both enabled and convicted by the Spirit to do. Although we may be long-time believers, we still live in a period of uncomfortable tension; being pulled in opposite directions and naturally drifting towards worldliness, rather than holiness. By His grace, we are given many “train stations” to recenter our trust in God and turn from darkness to the light!”
– Tiffany, KEC 24 Delegate

“The thing I loved most about KEC was the practical application of the Word. The encouragement to really take the talks and commit to apply them in my daily walk has made the most difference out of any conference I’ve been to.”
– Markus, KEC 24 Delegate

Program highlights included expository talks by John North (“A Biblical Worldview on Worldliness”), Tim Blencowe (“Jesus Christ Our Greater Treasure”) and Matt Sparks (“A Beautiful Resistance”); Rachel Ciano’s biographical talks, and “Christians & Worldliness” interviews with Paul Tripp and Glen Scrivener.

While adults enjoyed rich teaching and fellowship in the main session, 572 children and youth were served by one of eight programs, ranging from toddlers to Senior High (Year 11-12). Quiz Worx served the Primary Program with puppetry, music and stories while Tim Edwards taught Junior High, and Matt Jacobs in Senior High. Powered by over 200 volunteers, KEC’s age-specific programs gives every family member an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel each Easter.

KEC 24 Children’s Highlights

“Our kids were thriving in the programs each day and when we shared highs and lows, they repeatedly said, “we have no lows!!!”.
– Alysha, KEC 24 Delegate

“My youngest – not currently a Christian, came to the Senior High program and actually went to every session for the first time since COVID. So encouraging.”
– Karen, KEC 24 Delegate

“I was encouraged to see my children excited to learn about Jesus and eager to share what they had learnt with others.”

– Amelia, KEC 24 Delegate

While we live in a prosperous country filled with beautiful treasures and alternative wisdoms, it is our hope that KEC has given delegates a renewed confidence in Jesus, the greater treasure. Despite growing confusion and scepticism towards the Bible, we pray that the church will persevere in resisting worldliness and clinging to God’s word for clarity and wisdom for all of life.

Save the dates for KEC 2025!

Katoomba Easter Convention will return next Easter long weekend, 18-21 April 2025. Keynote speakers Philip Ryken and Glen Scrivener will join us to teach from God’s word. Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about KEC 2025 registrations and event updates.

Highlights from Katoomba Easter Convention 2024.

By Heidi Tai

9 Ways to Prepare for KYCK this April

Across three weekends this April, high schoolers across NSW will gather for the KYCK youth conference. Guest speakers Alan Au, Brett Hookham, Sam Low, Andy Stevenson will teach from the book of Genesis about creation, humanity and the fall. Special guests Polly Butterworth and Patricia Weerakoon will also join to help teenagers think through the theme of ‘identity’ in today’s world.

If you’re joining us this month, here are 10 ways to prepare your hearts and minds for KYCK:

1. Get pumped for worship with the KYCK 24 playlist

Whether you’re wanting a shout-out-loud worship session or some mellow praise for quiet study, this playlist is the perfect soundtrack to familiarise yourself with songs that we’ll be singing at KYCK 24! Listen here.

2. Get your team ready for the KYCK On Cup!

This year, we’re bringing back our Saturday afternoon soccer competition – KYCK ON! The winning team will be declared the champions and awarded the prestigious KYCK ON Cup! We’ll also be giving prizes to the best supporters – think apparel, mascots, team flag and uniform. The match will be held the Saturday of each KYCK weekend, so if you plan on being there, make sure to get your teams and supporter costumes ready!

3. Meditate on the book of Genesis

Get the most out of KYCK with some pre-reading from the book of Genesis chapters 1-3 to prime your heart to hear and respond to God’s word.

4. Bring your Genesis friendship bracelets to swap and share with others

Here’s your chance to get creative with spreading the Word! Gather with your youth group to make friendship bracelets and trade them with others at KYCK! We suggest including bible references to our KYCK theme (Genesis 1-3), our memory verse (Colossians 1:15-16) or the name of your youth group. There might even be some prizes on offer! Have fun!

5. Rep KYCK 24 with fresh merch

Our range of KYCK 24 merch includes hoodies, tees, beanies, caps and NEW sunnies! Enter our merch giveaway competition on Facebook or Instagram to win a hoodie! You can also purchase merch onsite at KYCK each Saturday morning from 8am. All proceeds go towards keeping our ministry going. See pricing and size info here.

6. Pray for God to work powerfully through KYCK

Please join us in committing KYCK to God in prayer:

Pray that as the gospel is preached at KYCK, the Spirit will work powerfully in the hearts of youth.
Pray that God will protect our speakers Alan, Brett, Sam, Andy, Polly and Patricia ahead of KYCK, and that they will preach the gospel and its implications on our identity, clearly and faithfully.
Pray that KYCK will be an opportunity for teens who don’t know Jesus to meet Him for the first time.
Pray that teenagers will leave KYCK with a firm trust in Jesus, and that they will be bold and loving gospel witnesses in their schools, communities and homes.

7. Stay up to date with KYCK on socials and the KCC One app

Stay up to date with the latest KYCK news, and interact with our live segments by following us on Facebook or Instagram. Download the KCC One App to gain daily encouragement from KCC’s library of sermons, topical talks, testimonies, and devotionals in audio, text and video formats.

8. RSVP for the Saturday Night BBQ

Support high school scripture and teachers by purchasing the Saturday night BBQ at KYCK. Held each Saturday, 6.15pm-7pm in the Plaza, it’s $7 per person and includes 2 sausage sandwiches & a soft drink! RSVP here: https://www.kyck.org.au/saturday-bbq/

9. Still haven’t registered? Join us online!

If you can’t make it to Katoomba this April, you can still join us online! We’ll be live-streaming our KYCK 2 weekend (19-21 April) and you’ll have a front row seat to all the action. Click here to register today!

9 ways to prepare your hearts and minds for KYCK youth conference

By Heidi Tai

The Cost & Privilege of Following Jesus by Jenny Salt

In this two-part series from Women’s Katoomba Convention 2006 (now ‘OneLove’), Jenny Salt unpacks what Matthew 8 and 9 reveals of Jesus’s true identity, and how this may challenge our personal perceptions.

In this talk from Matthew 8, Jenny shares how Jesus has full control and authority over the physical and spiritual world, and that the invitation to “follow him” is both a cost and a privilege. She then invites us to consider whether we are really following Jesus in submission to his good and powerful authority.

Key Quotes:

“Jesus describes his own lack of earthly security, and the implication is that a follower of Jesus should expect the same.”

“The one we follow walked a path to glory, but it was a path that first involved suffering, and for Jesus, it took him to the cross.”

“If we take our eyes off Jesus, we can fall into the trap of thinking that life is too hard. Don’t underestimate the cost, but don’t underestimate the privilege.”

Revisit KCC Classics with KCC+

This talk is part of our KCC+ April 2024 collection available exclusively for subscribers. This series includes:

13 x ‘KCC Classic’ talks by Jenny Salt (OneLove 2006), Greta Gaut (OneLove 2006), Tim Blencowe (NextGen 2012), Rico Tice (BASECAMP 2003) and Nigel Lee (KEC 2003)
3 x young adult talks by Ray Galea from the book of Ecclesiastes

Access this and much more from only $4.99 / month (on an annual KCC+ subscription). Learn more: https://www.kccone.org.au/

Preview more of our KCC+ 2024 catalogue here:

Pastoral Supervision: Protecting Your Heart to Go the Distance

“Endure to Mature”: Paul Dale on the Value of Enduring Trials

Understand Your Bible Better with “The Divine Story” by Nancy Guthrie

In this KCC+ talk, Jenny Salt shares how the invitation to follow Jesus is both a cost and a privilege.

By Heidi Tai

5 Ways to Prepare for Easter Convention this Weekend

Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) is right around the corner! Here’s 5 ways to prepare your hearts, minds and families for the long weekend with us.

Reflect on ‘worldliness’ and how it shows up in your life

This year, we’ll be reflecting on the theme of “Conquering Worldliness: Resisting the Gravitational Pull of the World”. To get you and your family thinking about ‘worldliness’ and its presentation of it in your lives, we’ve come up with these 10 Quotes on Christianity and Worldliness for your personal reflection. You can also preview the confirmed Adult Talk Series from our keynote speakers here.

Tune your heart for worship with the KEC 24 Spotify Playlist

Looking for an uplifting playlist for the commute to and from Katoomba? Follow our Spotify playlist and familiarise yourself with the songs that we’ll sing together this weekend!

KEC 24 Spotify Playlist

3. Connect with KEC socials to stay up to date with the latest news

Stay up to date with the latest KEC news and interact with our live segments by following us on Facebook or Instagram. Download the KCC One App to gain daily encouragement from KCC’s library of sermons, topical talks, testimonies, and devotionals in audio, text and video formats.

4. Prepare your tickets for entry

Make sure your tickets are ready upon entry. If you registered before 9am on 4 March, please bring the tickets you received in the mail. If you registered for the Easter Sunday Night Dinner, don’t forget the wristband! If you registered after 4 March, please arrive a little earlier on Good Friday morning to pick up your tickets from the Info Tent on site.

5. Pack for all types of weather

The weather in Katoomba can be unpredictable, so make sure you pack for rain, hail and shine! Don’t forget your rain jacket, warm clothes, and comfortable gear for enjoying the outdoors during free time!

There’s still time to join us this weekend!

This Easter long weekend, we invite you to enjoy mornings being refreshed with Bible talks, Christian testimonies and worship; spend afternoons relaxing with friends and family before settling in for more in the evening sessions together.

With age-specific programs for everyone from toddlers to grandparents, KEC is a once-in-a-year opportunity to retreat into the beautiful Blue Mountains to grow together as a family.

Online registrations are open until 9am Tuesday 26 March from our website: https://easterconvention.com/ Registrations after this date will need to be processed in-person at the Info Tent at KEC.

6 ways to prepare your hearts, minds and families for KEC this weekend!

By Heidi Tai

BASECAMP Early Bird Ends this Week!

Still undecided on BASECAMP men’s conference? Here are 5 reasons to join us this August!

Hear the Bible applied to the lives of men

God’s word is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” BASECAMP is an opportunity to focus the application of God’s word on the challenges and opportunities that men experience. This year, Sam Allberry will preach on the theme: “Building Brotherhood”. We’ll also hear a short talk from a returning local speaker, Jonathan Andrews.

Strengthen Men’s Ministry in your church

Use BASECAMP as a platform for men’s ministry among brothers at church. Use this rare opportunity to listen, discuss, share and apply God’s word together as brothers who have been called to run the race together.

Get practical wisdom during program segments

How do we apply the Bible’s teachings to everyday decisions and life struggles? During our program, we have times where Christian men share practical wisdom from personal experience for living all of life for Christ’s glory. Last year, Nate and Chris shared how God has impacted and shaped their lives for Him.

Build stronger friendships

BASECAMP provides a space for men to spend much-needed time together. During breaks and travelling to and from the event, men can share their lives and their struggles, and develop friendships that will help them to stand firm.

Stand with Thousands of Your Brothers

It is a great encouragement for men to meet with their brothers all ages, stages, vocations, locations and denominations. In 2023, BASECAMP welcomed men from 18 denominations and 220 churches. BASECAMP is a rich community and a reminder of the larger church that Jesus has bought us into!

Ready to join us? Grab your Early Bird tickets before they expire!

BASECAMP men’s conference will return this August over two weekends in three different formats:

BASECAMP Sydney (3 August 2024) – A one-day recharge held at the UNSW Roundhouse in Kensington
BASECAMP Mountains (9–10 August 2024) – An overnight retreat held at StayKCC in Katoomba
BASECAMP Online (9–10 August 2024) – An online livestream of BASECAMP Mountains that can be aired from your church hall, lounge room or shed!

Make sure you purchase your tickets before 31 March (AEDT), so you can save over $30 before our standard ticket increase!

Special discounts also apply for students, interstate and regional delegates. Click here for more information.

Early Bird is ending! Here are 5 reasons to join BASECAMP this August.

By Heidi Tai

Jonathan Andrews Returns for BASECAMP 2024

We are pleased to announce that Clinical Psychologist, Dr Jonathan Andrews, will return as a short talk speaker at BASECAMP men’s conference this August.

Hosted by Katoomba Christian Convention, BASECAMP is an annual event for men who want to know God better. Since 1997, men of all generations and from across denominations have taken time out together to hear God speak. Each year, men have encouraged each other to run the race with their eyes fixed on Jesus.

Jonathan is a Clinical Psychologist who has spent 20 years working with adults helping them to overcome depression and anxiety. His life motto is to live with his “heart in mind” and encourages others to also live this way, frequently sharing at churches and schools in regional and remote areas.

Jonathan first appeared on the KCC platform at BASECAMP 2021, when he shared a talk titled, “A Reconnected Heart”. His talk impacted many men as he highlighted the loneliness epidemic in Australia, with men in their middle years feeling it most significantly from lack of support and connection with others. Jonathan posed a solution to this problem: A “three-way connection” with self, others, and God.

By popular demand, he returned to preach at BASECAMP 2022 on the topic of Christian sonship and identity and taught “The Reconnected Heart” workshop at Oxygen leader’s conference in 2023. You can hear these talks on the KCC One App.

In 2024, alongside keynote speaker Sam Allberry, Jonathan will share a short talk on the topic of “Building Brotherhood”, helping men to think through how God has designed men to link arms and encourage one another in their life with Jesus. Get a taste of Jonathan’s teaching on his blog here.

BASECAMP Early Bird ends 31 March

BASECAMP men’s conference will return this August over two weekends in three different formats:

BASECAMP Sydney (3 August 2024) – A one-day recharge held at the UNSW Roundhouse in Kensington
BASECAMP Mountains (9–10 August 2024) – An overnight retreat held at StayKCC in Katoomba
BASECAMP Online (9–10 August 2024) – An online livestream of BASECAMP Mountains that can be aired from your church hall, lounge room or shed!

Make sure you purchase your tickets before 31 March (AEDT), so you can save over $30 before our standard ticket increase!

Special discounts also apply for students, interstate and regional delegates. Click here for more information.

Dr Jonathan Andrews, will return to speak at BASECAMP men's conference this August.

By Heidi Tai

Rachel Ciano, John Lennox and Glen Scrivener to join KEC as Special Guests

We are pleased to announce that John Lennox, Glen Scrivener and Rachel Ciano will be joining the Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) platform as special guests.

Using their wealth of wisdom as Christian scientists, apologists, historians and Bible teachers, our special guests will address the theme of “Conquering Worldliness: Resisting the Gravitational Pull of the World”.

Meet Rachel Ciano

Rachel is a historian, teacher, writer, and thinker. She loves uncovering stories from history and making them known, and believes the past teaches us to live better today.

She is Dean of Academic Development at Mary Andrews College, and lectures in Christianity in History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. She co-authored 10 Dead Guys You Should Know and 10 Dead Gals You Should Know and speaks locally and internationally on the intersection between history, theology and everyday life.

Rachel will share two short biographical talks of Christian women whose faithful and courageous lives will encourage us to live faithfully to Jesus today. To get a taste of her teaching click here.

Meet John Lennox

John Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science and Pastoral Advisor at Green Templeton College.

John has written extensively on the interface between science, philosophy and theology, and recent titles include: Can Science Explain Everything? 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity and Cosmic Chemistry: Do God and Science Mix? He has been involved in high-profile public debates with Richard Dawkins, Peter Singer and the late Christopher Hitchens.

John will be joining us virtually, live from the UK On Friday night. In the interview, John will delve into the theme of ‘Christians & Worldliness,’ examining the significant challenges Christians encounter in our culture and exploring the opportunities for powerful Christian testimony. Get a taste of his teaching here.

Meet Glen Scrivener

Glen is an award-winning author and filmmaker who speaks around the world about the intersection of faith and culture. Originally from Australia, he was educated at Oxford and is now ordained in the Church of England. He has written 9 books including 321: The Story of God, The World and You and The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe In Freedom, Kindness, Progress and Equality.

Glen is passionate about people meeting Christ and equipping Christians to share their faith. He’s often found speaking at Churches and Universities, in the studio producing online media or in his office, writing books and other evangelistic material.

Glen will be joining us virtually, in a live-cross interview, on Sunday night. In this interview, John will discuss the topic of ‘Christians & Worldliness’, looking at the most profound challenges Christians face in our culture and understanding where the opportunities for powerful Christian witness lies. Get a taste of his teaching here.

There’s still time to join us at KEC!

Katoomba Easter Convention is an annual retreat for all ages to spend Easter sitting under God’s Word and growing in your faith together.

Enjoy mornings being refreshed with Bible talks, Christian testimonies and worship. Spend afternoons relaxing with friends and family before settling in for more in the evening sessions together. Bring friends, family, children and grandchildren – we have specific programs for everyone from toddlers all the way up to adults!

Tickets are still available! Register today!

Get to know our special guests for Katoomba Easter Convention!

By Heidi Tai

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