What the Weekend is all about
Held in March each year for almost 60 years, the Hoddesdon Weekend has gradually developed into its current shape.
Have a look at last year’s details by clicking here.
The four key threads: Worship. Learn. Challenge. Grow.
Worship
At the core of the whole weekend is the worship of our Father and his Son through music, prayer, meditation and study. This culminates in the Breaking of Bread service on Sunday afternoon.
Learn
The half-day workshops on Saturday cover a wide range of Bible-based topics ranging across Bible Study, Practical Instruction & Fellowship and Outreach & Preaching. The emphasis is on applying Bible principles in practical ways, equipping us to lead fuller, deeper lives.
Challenge
As the world around us changes and becomes more challenging, so our vision has to expand in order to respond. That often means questioning our assumptions as we try to apply unchanging Biblical principles to deal with new and, sometimes, unsettling situations.
Grow
The aim of everything we do at the Weekend – the praise, the workshops, the private chats, simply just eating together – is to help us develop and grow on our journey through life; to be driven by a vision of God’s coming Kingdom and how those values should shape our lives now.
The principles behind the Weekend
Running through the whole weekend are some important objectives that we try to achieve. We believe that the Weekend should be a safe place where we can ask stupid questions, where doubts can be voiced and experiences shared without judgement or criticism. The event should be inclusive, embracing all ages, all backgrounds, all views, all characters. The event should be practical, equipping us to live more spiritual lives as individuals, but also better able to contribute to our local church and to the Christadelphian community at large. The event should be bottom-up, driven and shaped by what attendees want to discuss and do. Above all, we believe that the weekend should be Christ-centred as we try to come closer to our Father and his Son.
What the Weekend looks like
Friday
If you are able to arrive early enough, there will be dinner at 7.30pm before the Welcome Service starts at 9pm. By the end of the evening, the pressures of the week will feel a little further away and we should be ready to enjoy the weekend ahead.
Saturday
Saturday morning starts bright and early with Morning Praise, before breakfast. The rest of the day is spent in workshops, drinking coffee, chatting and eating. This is an action packed weekend… there’s no time to stand and stare! Attendees take part in two half-day workshops – click here for more details. After dinner, the evening is a more relaxed mix of music, praise, discussion and simple chatter.
Sunday
Sunday morning starts a little later with Morning Praise before breakfast. After breakfast we clear our bedrooms in time for the Sunday Study. Then it’s lunch, before we finish the weekend with a Breaking of Bread Service. Then, there is time to chat before we make our way home.