2023 Annual Gathering Opportunities

As you are making final preparations for the 2023 BWA Annual Gathering and SENT Global Mission Summit in Stavanger, Norway, we wanted to let you know of some special annual gathering opportunities that you might like to engage in while in Stavanger. Please sign up for the options below as soon as possible to be guaranteed a place.

Airport Shuttle Bus

(Sunday & Wednesday)

A shuttle bus service will be provided to assist with transfer needs from Stavanger Airport to the Clarion Energy and the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotels on the afternoons of Sunday, July 2, 2023, and Wednesday, July 5, 2023.  There will be a charge of 100 NOK / US$10 / Euro 10 per person that will be payable by credit card or cash upon arrival at the airport.

On your day of arrival, when you reach the arrivals hall, look for the Baptist Union of Norway Welcome Team who will accept your payment and issue you a receipt for boarding. Boarding will not be permitted without proof of payment, and we cannot guarantee seats for those who have not prebooked. 

In order to reserve your place on the bus, please click the button below to review the available time slots and choose your date and preferred shuttle time (allowing for luggage collection and any passport control time).  You will need to enter your contact details and the number of seats needed and then click the Sign Up button to complete the process. 

Space is limited, so pre-registration is required by Friday, June 23.  

For transfers needs outside these dates and times, you will need to organize your own transportation.  You can find information about how to get to the hotels on the “Where to Stay” section of the SENT Website. Stavanger Airport, Sola, is 13 kilometers from the Convention Center. The local airport bus runs from the airport to the City Center, passing the Conference Center and hotels, throughout the day. It is possible to pre-purchase tickets two weeks before the event. Click for more information on how to pre-purchase tickets.

Women on Mission Lunch

Hosted by Baptist World Alliance Women in partnership with Norwegian Baptist Women, all women are invited to join this community-building time on Wednesday, July 5, from 12:30-2:30 pm. This special Annual Gathering Opportunity in a get together for food and fellowship as we share how Baptist women around the world are living on mission — including a special focus on our global stand against domestic violence.

The lunch will take place at a nearby church, Tjensvoll Kirke, which is approximately a 15 minute-walk from the Stavanger Forum. Please meet in front of the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel at 12:20 pm to be guided to the church. 

Please register by June 10 to ensure your space is reserved and your lunch provided. 

The meal is included for Annual Gathering / COMBO registrants. Please click below to register. 

For other community members wanting to attend or SENT only registrants, please click below to register.

Local Tours

Trip to Pulpit Rock

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

Looking out over the Lysefjord from the Pulpit Rock (also known as Preikestolen) is an experience of a lifetime. The six-kilometer hike starts at the mountain lodge Preikestolen Fjellstue. The trip to the Pulpit takes four to five hours up and down again and is a total of eight kilometers long. The stretch has an ascent of 500 meters, and some sections are steep. The trip has a medium degree of difficulty, and you should have some experience with hiking in rough terrain. 

2023 Annual Gathering Opportunities

To take part in the trip, it is necessary to have good hiking shoes, clothes that are weather and windproof (an umbrella will not be usable), rucksack with space for at least one liter of drinking water and lunch. Bjørn Bråtveit, a well known and experienced outdoorsman, will be the tour leader.   

The pulpit is a popular destination, and we expect that many other people will be in the area. The trip lasts around six hours, including the drive, and starts from out the front of the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel at 11:00 am, and you will be back in time for dinner.  Tours are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There is a maximum of 12 participants on the Tuesday and Wednesday tours and a minimum of 7 before it takes place. The maximum for Friday is 25. 

Cost: NOK 350.00        

City Walk

Friday Afternoon

2023 Annual Gathering Opportunities

Stavanger native Sam Olsen, a member of the North Sea Baptist Church, invites you on a city walk on Friday afternoon. You will walk into the city and around “Old Stavanger” with its traditional buildings, a visit to the Hermetic Museum, and other sites.   

Participants should have good shoes to walk for a long time on hard surfaces. The tour takes place on Friday starting at 1:30 pm from the front of the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel. We will be back in time for dinner. 

Cost: Free  

Baptist Safari in Rogaland

Friday Afternoon

2023 Annual Gathering Opportunities

Reverend Magnar Mæland, former Baptist Union of Norway General Secretary, invites you to take part in the Baptist Safari in Rogaland on Friday afternoon. Today there are 12 local congregations in the county.  You will get to visit several of the churches, drive through beautiful nature in Rogaland, experience good community, and meet local Baptists where you stop along the way. As you travel together, you will hear faith-strengthening stories and learn about the history of the rise and development of Baptists in the area. 

The tour lasts five hours starting at 1:30 pm from the front of the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel, arriving back in time for dinner.  There is a maximum of 48 participants on the tour and a minimum of 20 before it takes place. 

Cost: NOK 300

Creation Care Field Trip

The BWA Commission on Creation Care are offering a field trip to the Ullandhaug Ecological Farm Field on Monday afternoon. The Farm Field will help you gain knowledge on sustainable farming principles and how to care for God’s creation.  

The tour takes place on Monday starting at 2:00 pm, leaving from the front of the Thon Partner Stavanger Forum Hotel.  The group will be back in time for dinner. There is a maximum of 20 participants on the tour. Click below to reserve your place. 

Cost: NOK 100 payable on the day