background and beliefs

Background

The Convention was started in 2013 by the leaders of several churches in the Oban area of Argyll. The intention was to hold Christian conferences in this part of the Scottish Highlands. It is a summer event, and provides for the many tourists who visit the area as well as for local people. In some years a day conference is held in the Spring. It is an independent non-denominational charity and in 2017 it became part of the Keswick Fellowship. Its purpose is:

· to promote biblical teaching

· to present the challenge of the gospel in the teaching of Jesus Christ

· to encourage Christians to adhere to the whole counsel of God as revealed in the Bible

· to emphasise God's call to practical obedience to his Word including missionary responsibility

· to assist people in developing a greater understanding of the Christian faith and heritage including its local context

Statement of faith

The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the fall, rendering man subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
Redemption, for those who believe, from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death (as our Representative and Substitute) of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting them repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
The indwelling and continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
The one holy universal Church, which is the Body of Christ, and to which all true believers belong.
The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

FAQs

1. Is this another church?

No. This annual event is organised by people from several denominations in Argyll. In fact, people from all of the Oban churches have taken part in it.

2. I’m not a Christian. Is this for me too?

Yes. It is intended for you as well as others. Some people come who just want to find out more. Others have been through times of doubt or distress and found the Convention helped them

3. What can the Convention do for me that my local church can’t?

It brings together many Christians from across the churches and from different parts of the country. It brings in speakers of international standing. It provides a gathering of Christian activities from caring for families to Bible translators. All under one roof.

4. Do you expect us to just sit and listen?

No. Part of its attraction is fellowship with other Christians. It gives a chance to mix with authors, missionaries and many Christian workers. People have found the Spirit of Christ speaking into their lives as they listened to the Bible being opened and applied. Spiritual hunger has been met.

5. What will it cost me to come?

There is no charge, no registration, and you can come to as many or as few meetings as you choose. If you wish, you can help to cover part of the cost by making a donation.

6. What’s in it for local church leaders?

It is a time of refreshing for leaders. It also helps their people contribute better to the life of their church. Horizons are widened as we meet Christians from other places and activities. It gives resources for living, from the many books on sale to the information provided by the organisations present. The focus on God’s word teaches and motivates, helping people return to their churches with renewed vision. Also, we meet other church leaders, giving us opportunity to work together for the gospel.

7. Is there children’s or youth work?

Not yet. The Argyll Convention began in 2013 and is developing. We hope to make special provision for young people when it has grown a little more.

2021-22 Chairman's Report

Chairman Annual Report:

G. Cringles gave his report - Argyll Convention held 2nd to 5th August 2021. We were fortunate to be able to hold our Convention in 2021, having had to cancel it in 2020 due to Covid 19. However, for the first time, it was held via YouTube, on four evenings, with participants gathering in their own homes in front of their screens, and the Committee quickly had a fast learning curve!

The theme was 'Trusting God in Turbulent Times', which was thought to be particularly appropriate for a time of pandemic. Our speakers were Jonathan Lamb and John Risbridger, who based their addresses on the book of Habbakuk. The YouTube recordings were accessed via the Convention website, and a video was prepared which included prayers and readings recorded and read by friends from different churches in the area. Each evening's meeting was introduced by George, from the Pulpit Hill viewpoint overlooking Oban, and Archie also recorded interviews with both speakers.

The enforced 'virtual' nature of the 2021 Convention led the Committee to consider the implications for the future. It was subsequently agreed that, in addition to our on-going focus on providing good biblical teaching for 'tourists' and local church people, we should develop a more evangelical approach to the evening meeting, to make it potentially more accessible to people with less familiarity with the scriptures. It was also agreed to seek to further develop the use of the website as a tool of publicity in advance of each Convention, to build up awareness and interest.

At the time of writing the 2022 Convention is imminent, as an in-person event again, but with a larger on-line presence and with some changes to the format of the morning and evening meetings to reflect lessons learned in 2021. We praise God for his guiding hand on the proceedings of the Committee, and for the resources made available for the on-going work of the Convention. We are grateful to all the members of the Committee for their hard work and encouragement throughout the last year.

Argyll Convention

Welcome to the Argyll Convention - Christian conferences

background and beliefs

Background

Statement of faith

FAQs

2021-22 Chairman's Report

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