KINGDOM COME
European Student Festival • 16-21 AUGUST 2025
A summer break that changed lives!
We’re excited about everything that happened during Kingdom Come – six days in beautiful Latvia that moved and changed so many students’ lives – and probably your life too!
🧡 We had a chance to meet new friends from 42 nations…
🧡Multinational worship brought us closer to God and to each other…
🧡We grew in discipleship through inspirational teaching…
🧡 We had a blast, enjoying sports, art, music, dance, food and fellowship…
🧡 We explored God’s purposes for ourselves and our universities – and grew our vision for what he could do through us…
We’d love to hear your Kingdom Come stories, testimony and feedback!
ABOUT KINGDOM COME
At Kingdom Come we encountered Jesus the King and discovered the security and purpose that comes from trusting in him and following his ways. We found new and authentic ways to share this new life with those we love.
Our Kingdom Come main stage speakers were acclaimed Bible teachers Jared Michelson and Laura Gallacher – who took us deeper into the Gospel of Matthew.
Through enlightening Bible teaching and in the safe space of impact groups, we explored what Kingdom Come means – for us as individuals, our roles in the national student movements we belong to and where God has called us to live out this new reality.
I finally saw God like a father, and I renewed my relationship with my father.
Student
A lot of what I already knew sunk from my head to my heart. For example, that I really don’t have to earn God’s love and acceptance. And that I can fit my faith and my studies together.
Student
There were so many moments where I truly saw God’s Kingdom among us – it made me tear up because His presence was so real!
Staff worker
We were all united and one in front of the Lord. Our worship made us a family – no nation, culture or language made a difference anymore. It was really like experiencing “Kingdom Come”.
Student
MAIN STAGE SPEAKERS
Jared Michelson is a respected scholar at the world class University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he holds both teaching and ministry responsibilities.
Laura Gallacher supports the postgraduate community at a large evangelical church in Oxford. She also serves the wider church as a Bible teacher, preacher and trainer.
SPEAKERS
Christel Lamère Ngnambi
Christel’s heart desires to “make God matter.” He is an author, lecturer, teacher and consultant in public engagement. He supports the work of IFES Graduate Impact, which develops discipleship and learning programmes related to faith and work, focusing on how to be rooted ambassadors of Christ as professionals.
Emma Diez
Emma is the Assistant Coordinator of Good News for the University, IFES Europe’s academic ministry focussed on equipping students and scholars to pursue their work in the light of scripture, and to see how their field of study can in turn help them point colleagues and others toward Christ for salvation.
Eva Petržilková
Eva is from the Czech Republic and, in stereotypical Czech fashion, she enjoys reading, spending time in nature, gardening and picking mushrooms. As our regional coordinator for Scripture Engagement, Eva loves opening Scripture with other people, and has loved spending time with students at the European Student Festival, diving deep into the gospel of Matthew.
Igors Rautmanis
Igors is from Latvia where he lives with his wife and three children. He works for IFES as Secretary of Staff and Team Development and Program Director for IFES Global Leadership Inititiative. Igors has been mentoring young leaders and staff for several years. His mission: having the right people in the right place for the right reason at the right time.
Francina de Pater
Francina lives with her husband in the Netherlands. She worked in a ministry reaching out to people in prostitution and started studies in coaching and counselling. In 2009 she started her own practice: Precious Coaching & Training. In 2012 she became National Director of International Student Ministry for IFES Netherlands. Francina has been part of the IFES Europe regional team since 2022.
Dr David “Monty” Montgomery
Monty is the Regional Director of IFES Europe, overseeing the university ministry in 44 countries from Greenland to Ukraine. He has taught for IFES groups internationally and was a Presbyterian pastor in Ireland for 18 years before returning to student ministry. He is the author of The Unfinished Story: 30 devotionals on Luke-Acts, written to celebrate 75 years of IFES.
HELP US MAKE KINGDOM COME AGAIN!
Pray, give and promote
We are looking forward to hosting this student festival again in three years’ time! To make that a reality, we need to pray and prepare the way now. Will you partner with us?
Pray with us
Prayer goes before everything we do and we’d love for you to partner with us in praying for the future of this event.
Help us keep the festival affordable
We don’t want a lack of money to stop any student or staff from being renewed and equipped for student ministry. To keep costs down and to help pay for scholarships, we are grateful for your donations.
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