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Over the Easter long weekend, the KCC Convention Centre in Katoomba was filled with the sound of music and preaching, fun and laughter, as over 1,700 delegates gathered at Katoomba Easter Convention to celebrate the 'Kindness of God'.
After a year-long break, the KCC Convention Centre in Katoomba was once again filled with the sound of music and preaching, fun and laughter, as delegates gathered at Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) to celebrate the 'Kindness of God' in brilliant sunshine.
This year, KEC was hosted in a new and innovative COVID-safe format, combining a high-quality livestream for Adults and choice between an in-person program in the Blue Mountains or Video On-Demand content for Children and Youth. 
KEC 21 Children's Program in Katoomba
KEC 21 Youth Program in Katoomba
KEC 21 Volunteers
With so many options for access, we saw over 1,200 adults and 500 children join the KEC21 program, with families tuning into our livestream from as far and wide as the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Chile, Singapore and the USA.
By providing online access to KEC, many were able to join either for the first time or to relive childhood memories. “Our family of 5 have enjoyed being part of KEC for the first time. We are thankful for livestream. What a wonderful way to spend our Easter.” – The Moore Family “So great to be able to join KEC online from Melbourne after having grown up attending it each year in the Blue Mountains.” - A. Laird For some delegates, online access was a demonstration of “God’s great kindness” at a time of adversity: “God's great kindness is shown in that Pamela was able to join us despite having had a heart attack and nearly dying 7 weeks ago, and that she could stay in her nightie and dressing gown to do it.” – E. Beckers In addition to the normal program, on Easter Sunday, the KCC Plaza was transformed into a colourful showground as delegates of all ages gathered to enjoy fellowship over a sausage sizzle, fairy floss, jumping castles, silent disco, an Easter Egg hunt and a Children’s Concert with Children’s Entertainer, Dan Warlow. 
Jumping castle at the Easter Sunday Family Fair
Easter Sunday Family Fair
This year, the Adult Program welcomed a variety of guest speakers, interviewees, and musicians. Bible teachers Kirk Patston, Paul Tripp, Matt Fuller, Don Carson, and Peter Williams preached from various books on the Kindness of God. The Bible talks served to remind delegates of God’s kindness demonstrated to us in Jesus, and the subsequent call for Christians to be a kind and gentle witness in a complex and post-modern world.
KEC 21 Speaker, Kirk Patston
To make the teaching more practical and concrete, we were joined by Special Guests such as Nicole Starling who shared a biographical talk of God’s kindness in the life of Elizabeth Saunders, an Australian Christian woman and Pastor’s wife who served God in the early days of Colonial NSW. According to Nicole, her life was “quietly poured out in the service of God and others” and that like Naomi and her Ruth, she was a vulnerable woman who lived out God’s kindness in a way that was costly and sacrificial. 
Nicole Starling shares a biographical talk on the life of Elizabeth Saunders.
Special Guests Dr. Louise Gosbell and Mohammad Shahmaleki also joined the platform to share their conversion stories and practical testimonies of God’s kindness. In her testimony, Louise shared how God’s kindness has compelled her to serve the disabled in her community and to use her research and experience to help churches become more inclusive to families with Special Needs. Mohammad shared how God’s kindness compels him to support needy families in Iran, and to help them gain access to medicine, education and the word of God. 
Dr. Louise Gosbell shares her personal story at KEC 21.
L-T Hopper interviews Mohammad Shahmaleki
On top of preaching and testimonies, the KEC program also featured much-loved elements such as worship in song by the KEC band and African-Australian band Afrofest and book reviews. 
KEC 21 Band
African-Australian worship band, Afrofrest
Although COVID has continued to impact on in-person gatherings in 2021, we praise God for the opportunity to gather in a smaller scale, and that for many, KEC was an encouragement and blessing for the entire family:
“We have really enjoyed this great reminder of the great kindness of our wonderful God! We missed catching many friends in person but have been blessed so deeply!” – The Smiths & Youngs “Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend. Our whole family has been greatly encouraged and blessed. may we go forth in kindness!” – Amy Hueston Katoomba Easter Convention will return in 2022 from Friday 15 April – Monday 18 April. Mark the dates in your calendar and we hope to serve your family again next year! In the meantime, you can stay up to date with KEC on Facebook or Instagram. Do you have feedback for us? Fill out the feedback form here.
Missed out? Tune into our livestream!
The KEC livestream for Adults and Children will remain available until end of April 2021. Whether you missed out on KEC this year or would like to extend kindness to a family in need, you can purchase an access pass on our website.
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Across three weekends this April, high schoolers across NSW will gather for the KYCK youth conference both in-person in the Blue Mountains, and via livestream on KYCK Online. Whether you’re joining us in-person or online, here are 9 ways you can prepare for KYCK this April.  Across three weekends this April, high schoolers across NSW will gather for the KYCK youth conference both in-person in the Blue Mountains, and via livestream on KYCK Online. Youth will hear from guest speakers Brett Hookham, Pete Tong and Danny Mitchell as they preach from the book of Joshua on the theme “Strong & Courageous”. Whether you’re joining us in-person or online, here are 9 ways you can prepare for KYCK this April:  1. Familiarise yourself with the Old Testament with our Free 4-Week Devotional The book of Joshua is an Old Testament book. To help delegates understand the context and background of God’s story before Joshua, we have released a 4-week Devotional Series, available on KYCK Facebook and Instagram pages. The devotional looks at the history of God’s people and His promises that brought His people to the edge of the promised land. Why not set aside four mornings reflecting on Joshua ahead of KYCK? Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 2. Listen to the worship songs on the KYCK 21 playlist Be encouraged and meditate on the conference theme by listening to this KYCK Spotify playlist which is available here. 3. Pray for KYCK Please join us in praying for KYCK 21:
4. Learn the KYCK memory verse (and win a prize)! The KYCK 2021 Memory Verse is Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Start committing this verse to memory as there will be a competition and prizes to win at each KYCK weekend!  5. Pre-order your KYCK merch Get ready to rep KYCK with your very own tee and hoodie! This year, our merch is available for online preorder. Sales will remain open for each KYCK weekend up until 10pm of each KYCK Friday. A youth group leader will be responsible for collecting merch orders for their group each KYCK Saturday at a set time. Please make sure you select the KYCK weekend you will be attending when ordering. Preorder here: https://www.kyck.org.au/merch/  6. Secure your KYCK Online Experience Pack Registrations for KYCK Online includes a KYCK Experience Pack which includes the KYCK Program booklet, a KYCK21 wristband, pen and a FREE KYCK21 tee! Make sure you register before midnight Sunday 4 April to receive your pack in time for KYCK.  7. Help us stay COVIDSafe To ensure that KYCK remains COVIDSafe for all delegates, youth group leaders must read all the information listed in the declaration and stay abreast of any additional updates sent via email. 8. RSVP for the BBQ on Saturday Night We will be hosting a BBQ at each KYCK Saturday, 6pm-7:30pm. The cost is $5 and includes 2 sausages and a soft drink. Proceeds will go to supporting high school scripture and teachers. Please RSVP for the BBQ so that we can cater for you. Note: If you are staying at Clairvaux and have selected the budget catering option, the BBQ is included, and you don’t need to RSVP.  9. Help us spread the word about KYCK
If you have been blessed by the ministry of KYCK, why not help us spread the word to high schoolers all over Australia? For the first time ever, teenagers from different states can tune into KYCK Online and to be spurred on in their faith. You can share our posters and graphics on social media or become a KYCK ambassador by purchasing a tee or hoodie!
This year, we are ecstatic to introduce to the Katoomba Easter Convention stage, Christian Kids’ Music Artist & Entertainer, Dan Warlow! You will be able to spot Dan at the Easter Sunday Family Fair Children’s Concert, the Children’s Programs on Saturday and online on our On-Demand content.
We are so pleased to invite Dan Warlow to Katoomba Easter Convention this year. Dan is an experienced Australian Children Kids’ Music Artist and Entertainer, having performed in schools, churches, festivals and community events. He is well known for his feature songs that are rich in biblical truth but sung in a catchy and child-friendly style, making them a fantastic resource for churches, ministries and families wanting to point young hearts to know God more. Dan’s latest album JUMP FOR JOY! features 11 brand new original tracks and an incredible line up of special guests including Australian icon, Colin Buchanan and the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda. You can listen to JUMP FOR JOY! on Spotify. Join us at KEC21 with Dan Warlow! from kcc on Vimeo. At KEC 2021, Dan will be performing at our onsite Children’s Programs and helping us to curate Children’s On-Demand content. Children will be served with the Easter message through fun singing and dancing, Bible talks with Jed the Puppet, handy crafts and so much more! To get a taste of Dan’s music you can follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify or Youtube.
RSVP for the Easter Sunday Family Fair
Don’t miss out on seeing Dan perform at the Easter Sunday Family Fair, a family-friendly afternoon in the beautiful Blue Mountains filled with fun activities, fellowship, BBQ lunch and Easter treats! Dan will perform at the Children’s Concert from 11am-12pm in the KCC Auditorium and will be serving the crowd with a one-hour special of music, dancing, puppetry and laughter! From 12pm onwards, we invite families to enjoy entertainment and food in the Plaza together before gearing up for an exciting Easter Egg Hunt from 1:30pm-2:00pm. Access to the Family Fair is free with any KEC21 booking. The event is not separately bookable. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, spaces are limited, so you will need to RSVP your place in advance if your family is attending the Family Fair. Please RSVP on our website: https://easterconvention.com.au/family-fair/
Register Your Family for KEC 21!
Don’t have plans over Easter? Why not join us for KEC 21! This year, KEC will be served in a new format combining a high-quality livestream for Adults and a choice between an in-person program in Katoomba or a Video On-Demand content for Children & Youth. With so many options for access, there’s no reason to miss out on the fun this year!
For tickets or more information, visit our website: https://easterconvention.com.au/
Stay up to date with Katoomba Easter Convention
Onward Youth is returning on the evening of Friday 25th June 2021 with the promise to equip youth and youth groups to engage with culture, apply God’s word and stand up in faith. Each registration comes with free access to 'DEEP DIVE', an exclusive resource to complement the conference experience and youth group programs.  Onward Youth is returning on the evening of Friday 25th June 2021 with the promise to equip youth and youth groups to engage with culture, apply God’s word and stand up in faith. As usual, we anticipate that it will be a fun night of praising God, grappling with His word, and wrestling with tough questions in the company of youth groups across the state! Hosted by Katoomba Christian Convention, Onward Youth is a new convention which exists to directly address some of the pressing cultural issues facing Christians today. Past conventions have explored topics such as victim culture, hell, sexual freedom, objective truth, freedom, atheism, science and how to live as a Christian in a world of difference and exclusion. Onward speakers have included world renowned Evangelists and Apologists such as Sam Chan (City Bible Forum), Dan Paterson (Questioning Christianity), Mary Jo Sharp (Confident Christianity Apologetics Ministry), David Robertson (Third Space) and Peter Williams (Tyndale House).  Onward 2019 Speakers, Dan Paterson, Mary Jo Sharp and Wassim Sabry In 2021, the Onward team will also be developing ‘DEEP DIVE’, an exclusive resource to complement the conference experience and youth group programs. While attending Onward is great for information download, it is our hope that DEEP DIVE will enable delegates to continue growing in their love for God and develop their skills for cultural engagement with a gospel framework.
Every ticket will come with free access to DEEP DIVE which includes:
With only one week left to go, the Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) team has put together a list of 8 ways to prepare your hearts, minds and families for the event this April! Feel free to share this list with your family and friends.  1. Prepare your heart for Easter with our Lenten Devotional Series on the KCC One App To encourage you in your practice of Lent, we have released a complimentary 4-week video resource. Available on the KCC One App and produced by L-T Hopper, each video includes a short message, response song and prayer.  2. Get the latest KEC updates on social media Make sure that you’re following KEC on Facebook and Instagram to receive the latest updates leading up to convention. It’s also a fun way to interact with us during KEC, especially during our live interaction segments. 3. Check your inbox for online resources and access information Make sure that you’re checking your emails in the lead up to KEC! We will be sending out reminders on how to access the livestream and OnDemand content and how to download the convention booklet. 4. Familiarise yourself with the worship music at KEC this year As always, the KEC program will feature uplifting worship in song by the KEC band. You can familiarise yourself with their song list on the KEC 21 Spotify Playlist. The Easter Sunday Family Fair will also feature performances by African-Australian worship group. Afrofest, and Christian Kids Music Artist and Entertainer Dan Warlow. 5. Get into the KEC spirit with our free resources Will you be livestreaming from your living room or church hall? Get into the KEC spirit with our free KEC posters which are available on our Resources page 6. Prepare your children for the on-site Kid’s & Youth Program If your kids are going to the onsite program, make sure that:
 7. Get excited for the Easter Sunday Family Fair If you’re going to the Easter Sunday Family Fair, make sure that:
8. Invite your friends and family to join you at KEC this year Would you like your friends and family to join you at KEC this year? With video livestream and On-Demand options available, delegates can now join the conference from anywhere in the world with Internet access. Help us spread the word by posting a promo graphic on your social media pages which are available on our Resources page.  We recently had the pleasure of chatting to long-time Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) delegate, Carla Matthews. In this story, she shares how KEC has been a catalyst for faith and a source of encouragement for her and her family.  One of the joys of Katoomba Easter Convention (KEC) is seeing the spiritual impact that the event has on individuals and their families. We recently had the pleasure of chatting to long-time KEC delegate, Carla Matthews. Over the years, she has witnessed first-hand the ways in which KEC has bolstered her own faith, and spiritually impacted her two adult children. On more than one occasion, Carla recalls one of her sons saying that KEC is his “favourite weekend of the year”. Her daughter is “very thankful for KEC”, as it served as the catalyst for her decision to follow Jesus after attending the conference in 2008. To this day, attending KEC remains a tradition that she can enjoy with her entire family. “I became a Christian at KEC in 2008 so I’m very thankful for KEC. It’s great to know that every Easter I know exactly where my family will be—spending time together under God’s word. We have the added bonus that so many of our extended family and friends attend as well.” The KEC family tradition was started by Carla’s brother and his wife many years ago. For them, the KEC tradition looks like a relaxing annual holiday where the extended family can enjoy quality time under God’s word and each other at the beautiful Fairmont grounds. Hosted by Katoomba Christian Convention, KEC promises an annual retreat for every family member in the beautiful Blue Mountains. Its tagline “Go Together. Grow Together.” alludes to the event's capacity to serve delegates of all ages, from toddlers through to adults, with the saving message of the gospel. Through powerful Bible teaching, inspiring testimonies, worship in song, children and youth programs, and a whole host of family-friendly activities, every family member will be served with the gospel within an age-appropriate program. While there have been many ways in which KEC has benefited Carla and strengthened her faith, what stands out for her is the Bible teaching available at KEC each year. Although Carla attends a church with “very good Bible teaching”, KEC gives her unique access to a wide variety of preachers in Australia and beyond. “The bible teaching we receive at KEC is as good as it gets, year after year. I appreciate the variety of styles that I’m exposed to. The teachers are people from different denominations and different backgrounds with different styles and focus.” “I find the 4 days away being taught well and clearly from the Bible extremely encouraging. It’s often confronting and challenging, but I always leave feeling uplifted and bolstered to continue on my walk with Jesus." 
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