When we dwell in Him, He dwells in us. When we make Him our Stronghold, He makes his Stronghold in us. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people: he is pleased to dwell in willing, surrendered hearts of His worshippers. We believe that engaging in non-stop prayer and the profound restfulness of worship can bring the Kingdom of Heaven to a much-wounded Earth.
All our praise and worship takes place in the context of non-stop adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This means Jesus, fully present in the bread that is blessed and consecrated during Holy Mass, is exposed and present in the room for the entire festival to order and centre our worship, and is only reposed for Holy Mass - the high point of each day, the climax of our worship.
The Catholic sacraments are thus the context for the entire festival. The sacraments are given to us by the Church as a means of drawing into deep intimacy with the Lord. They are visible signs of an invisible reality; they manifest Heaven on Earth and have the power to help us to build a deeper relationship with the Lord. As embodied souls, we need our love also to be embodied, present in a word spoken, a hand held - this is why God so humbled himself to take on flesh by giving us His son Jesus, a visible sign who pointed always to His invisible Father in Heaven: all the sacraments maintain this mystery of the embodied and the heavenly woven together. From mass, to confession, to the adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - these sacraments are at the core of what we do at Stronghold Festival.
The scriptures are filled with holy mountains. They were a place the Jews would ascend to draw nearer to the Heavens, and Jesus climbed mountains to come into a space of prayer and intimacy with the Father. Stronghold Festival is hosted at Craig Lodge Family House of Prayer, nestled between the beautiful mountains that surround Dalmally in Argyll, Scotland. This is a perfect place to come away from the bustle of life and draw near to the Lord. Don't forget your tent!
When we testify to who Jesus is, we are speaking not only of the wonders he has done in us or in the lives of others - but we are prophesying over every listener and calling breakthrough into being. Our speakers are excited to share who Jesus is and how he has acted in their own lives, in the hope that you will receive renewed faith for what he can do in your own life.
Pippa works full time as a lay missionary, boldly preaching the Gospel all around the UK. She dreams of a Church that is thriving and full of the next generation. Pippa is an experienced worship-leader and co-leads @onehopeproject, a creative collective encouraging fresh expressions of worship in the Catholic Church.
Miriam joined Craig Lodge Mission House in September 2021, and served as a missionary for 9 months. This was in response to a calling she felt in her heart to surrender her life to the Lord. Miriam grew a desire to evangelise in this time, and fell deeply in love with the Eucharist and Our Lady. Miriam is now a lay university Chaplain in University College Cork, Ireland. She also works in youth ministry within her diocese and will be leading a pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2023 this summer.
Max is an itinerant preacher, singer and songwriter. He has travelled nationally and internationally proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to young and old, rich and poor alike for the last 8 years. His passion is to see the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering and the Church at large ushered into a deeper and more potent experience of God's glorious presence in their daily lives.
Paul Kidd is a passionate disciple of the Lord and longs to see His Kingdom come and transform lives. He is the Director of the Craig Lodge Mission House and has been equipping disciples for several years. He loves to see sons and daughters encounter the love of their Heavenly Father and discover the joy of the Gospel. Paul lives in Dalmally with his wife and their three sons.
"Truly jaw dropping experience. There are not enough positive words in the dictionary to describe the sheer power of God’s Love that I think was felt by all at the festival."
