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 FUTURE EVENTS

2012 WEEKENDS AWAY FOR MEN

When Is The Weekend?
Where Does It Take Place?
Who Attends Them?
What Happens On Them?
And the Speakers and Workshops?
What's The Timetable?
How Much Do They Cost?
Further Information



When are the weekends?
Our 2011 Weekends for Men are now over. We are presently planning our weekends for men in 2012 of which confirmed dates are:
- Weekend in the SOUTH at Woldingham School - Friday 13 to Sunday 15 July. It begins on FRIDAY EVENING and ends mid-afternoon on SUNDAY.
Further dates and venues are still under discussion.
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Where are they?
The one weekend we can presently confirm in 2012 takes place in college grounds, set in magnificent countryside.
SOUTH: Woldingham School, Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey CR3 7YA (Sat Nav users: please use postcode CR3 7LR!)- Map. (To look at photos of this venue, click here)

 
Woldingham School
Woldingham School, Surrey
Travel and directions by train, air, road and, surprisingly, even by helicopter(!):
- for Woldingham more details here
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Who attends?
take a look at the CHECKLIST to the right to ensure you're bringing with you everything you need

- Any male 18 yrs and over is welcome to attend. Some dads bring their sons; some sons bring their dads, or grandfathers! in the past, on average 25% of men have been under 35 yrs old. 18% of men are over 65 yrs old. A number of priests also attend the weekends. Certain men choose to come alone, others come in groups from work, from their parish, or with other male family members.
- Many men who are attracted have experienced Alpha, CaFÉ, the new Ecclesial movements and communities, charismatic renewal, small parish groups, and other experiences of new life in the Holy Spirit.
- The majority of men are Catholic (practising and lapsed!) but a good number are not and ALL men are welcome to attend. Leaders from other Christian denominations also love coming along and joining in with the weekends.
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What happens?
The weekend consists of
- several punchy main addresses by invited speakers (see below) on contemporary topics
- a time of sharing in small groups (…there's never any pressure to share)
- an opportunity to attend workshops of your choice (see below)
- a chance to engage in sport or some other recreational activity (wide range of sporting facilities available: gym, squash, swimming pool, rambling, tennis, football) depending on location of weekend.
- time to read, pray or just relax
- time each evening to chat, share and laugh over a pint or two at the bar
- celebration of the Mass (and an Anglican Holy Communion service where Anglican ministers are available)
- optional Sacrament of Reconciliation and/or Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
- prayer of the Church/Liturgy of the Hours

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Who's speaking?
Main speakers for 2012 at Woldingham are confirmed as:

SOUTH - Woldingham:
 
Rev David Armstrong
Rev David Armstrong: Rev David Armstrong was a minister in the First Presbyterian church in Limavady, Co Londonderry, in Northern Ireland from 1980 to 1985. He received both praise and criticism for his ecumenical work with the Catholic Church in the area. He cultivated good relations with the local Catholic priest, Fr Kevin Mullan. The two men then chose to cross the street and exchange Christmas greetings in each other’s churches, which ignited the wrath of some local people.
In 1985 he was told by police his life was in danger after loyalist death threats. He moved with his wife and four children to England, retraining as an Anglican minister before moving to Cork in 2000. He is now planning to move to Carrickfergus to a parish in the nationalist Short Strand area of Belfast. His story is an extraordinary one of stepping out in love where hatred, fear and misunderstanding have taken root.

 
Fr Pat Collins

Father Pat Collins CM: Born in Dublin in 1945, the son of a veterinary surgeon, Fr Pat was ordained in 1971, is a trained counsellor Dublin and spiritual director. For nine years he was a member of the Vincentian Mission Team preaching in parishes around Ireland. Since then he has become a sought-after speaker internationally now having spoken in 26 countries across four continents.
Fr Pat is also a prolific writer. His early book titles include Maturing in the Spirit, which was written for the Charismatic Renewal, and Intimacy and the Hungers of The Heart which had a more general audience in mind. In recent years he has tried to publish a book a year with his latest being Word and Spirit: Intimations of a New Springtime. He has recorded many tapes and CDs/DVDs and has also participated in numerous radio and TV programs both in Ireland, Britain, Australia, Italy, Gibraltar and the USA.
As well as being the Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Irish branch of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), on the board of Alpha Ireland, and the editorial board of Goodnews magazine in England, he graduated in April 2008 with an STL in the New Evangelization and now devotes as much time as possible to the New Evangelization in Ireland helping to found a new covenant community in Dublin called The New Springtime.
Fr Pat enjoys chatting with friends, all things technical, especially all forms of radio from shortwave, through DAB and internet broadcasts, rugby (both union and league) and supports Leinster. He also has a passion for travelling around on a Burgman 650 scooter rather than driving a car.
He is no stranger to Weekends for Men and this will be the third of many weekends where he has been our principal speaker.

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What are the Workshops and Seminars?
Confirmed 2012 workshops are as follows:

The Challenges of Ecumenism (Charles Whitehead): All who are baptised are looked upon as brothers and sisters in Christ by the Catholic Church, and we are encouraged to do together as much as we can. What might this mean in practice, and how do we go about it?

"Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Charles Whitehead): We all hope to hear these words of the Lord, so how are we to live our lives as Christian men in today's world? What particular things are we called to do, and how can the Holy Spirit help us?

Gifts of the Holy Spirit - the place of Tongues and Miracles (Roy Hendy & Tom Gorman): the Catechism tells us in para 2003 that there are "special charisms" given to Christ's followers, "sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues... intended for the common good of the Church" which build up the Church. Find out what these gifts are about, and how to receive and use them wisely.

Here is a list of workshops and seminars offered in previous years to show you the type of workshops often on offer:

Christian Leadership - Making Choices - Personal Finance - Inner Healing - Opening the Scriptures - Young Men & Evangelisation - Discipleship - Addiction - Working In Prisons - Psalm Drumming - Understanding Women - Coping with Stress - Christian Leadership - Growing In Prayer - Finding Sanctuary - Reconciliation - Hearing the Gospel - Healing the Family Tree - Paul, a man for men - Keeping fit as I grow older - God and the 2012 Olympics - Stewardship: financial planning God's way - Tithing 101
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What's the timetable?
The weekend welcomes men from around 3.30pm on Friday afternoon, although the first main session does not begin until 8.15pm, and ends on the Sunday afternoon following the celebration of Mass at 2.00pm.

The timetable has generally run as follows:
FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

(07.30 Mass - optional)

07.30-08.30 Breakfast (also Anglican Communion service where possible)

07.45-08.45 Breakfast

(08.15 Rosary - optional)

(08.45 Rosary - optional)

08.45 Session THREE

09.15 Morning Prayer, then Nuts & Bolts

09.45 Coffee in Small Groups

10.00 Session ONE

11.15 Session FOUR

Registration from 15.00

11.00 Coffee

12.30 Lunch

16.00 Tea

11.15 Small Groups

14.00 Mass

18.30-19.45 Buffet Supper

13.00 Lunch

15.30 Tea

20.15 Welcome

14.00-15.00 Workshops 1 & 15.30-16.30 Workshops 2

Departures - Sports facilities available

20.20 Evening Prayer

16.30 Tea, followed by

20.45 Introduction followed by Testimony

Sport, relaxation, adoration, walks, etc

21.30 Small Groups

18.30 Dinner

(22.30 Rosary - optional)

19.45 Session TWO

Bar opens from 22.00

21.30 Bar opens

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And what's the cost?
2011 costs were as follows at two of our venues:
Room Type DEPOSIT SOUTHERN
09-11 July

Single

£30

£140

Shared

£30

£130

Non-Residential

£30

£85

The booking form for 2012 will be downloadable from the top of this page as soon as it is available. For paper copies, or for bulk copies, please contact Mike on 07778 124270 or at mike @ harvesters.org.uk. Regrettably, it is not yet possible to make a booking online.
Please note that a non-refundable deposit of £30 is required to secure a place and accommodation on any weekend, and full payment of balance for summer 2012 will be required by JUNE 23, 2012.

A limited number of concessions are generally available for under 25s and also for the unwaged. Please e-mail us for further details.
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Further Info
Good News Books will be present at the 2012 Weekend(s) providing a wide range of Bibles, books and CDs.

- WOLDINGHAM PARK has a loop system available for hearing-aid users in the Millennium Hall's main auditorium. Woldingham Park also has excellent facilities for the Disabled.
For further information about Weekends Away For Men please contact us by e-mail or by phoning Mike on 07778 124270.

2013
The only date we can confirm at present for 2013 Weekends Away For Men is 12 to 14 July 2013 at Woldingham School..
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• For a visual taste of past weekends, visit our photo gallery. Click here....
• Want to know more about Days for Men across the UK? Click here....
• Want to know more about Other Events for Men in the UK? Click here....
• Want to read short accounts of what men say about past weekends? Click here....



WHAT MEN
ARE SAYING

An amazing and rewarding experience (Terry)

I have never felt so close to God as at these weekends. The effects have changed my life (Aidan)

These weekends have helped me overcome years of feeling inferior in the company of men. Just come…! (Jack)

I left feeling inspired and my spiritual batteries recharged… (Steve)

I benefitted hugely from the small group sharing, knowing I'm not alone with my 'men's issues' (Peter)

These weekends make me a better man, a better father and a better husband - and my wife agrees! (Stuart)

My first weekend - I've found much fellowship and had a wonderful experience (Chris)

From one man's wife - I just wanted to say thank you myself, because I can see how much the men?s weekend helped my husband

I was astounded at the great courage shown by men how their past lives had been so dramatically altered through accepting the Holy Spirit

My wife was so pleased with the changes she could see in me after the last weekend that she encouraged me to immediately book in for the next weekend as she thought it was excellent value for us both!

The weekend was excellent for me and gave me a nice break

The men?s weekend was a key milestone in my journey of faith


CHECKLIST

  • Bible, notebook and pen
  • plug adaptor for electric razor
  • phone / blackberry / bluetooth adaptor
  • toiletries (soap, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc) (towels are provided)
  • sports gear
  • bottled water
  • tennis/squash racket
  • sun cream
  • sunglasses
  • swimming gear/goggles
  • money
  • and finally... chocolate, crisps, cereal bars (those 'little extra nibbles' that some can't do without!)


MORE COMMENTS
FROM MEN...

I really valued the freedom to be myself

I came away more affirmed in my male identity

God answered the prayer I came with to this weekend away

I leave this weekend with a new commitment to Jesus Christ

I was reluctant to come but pleased I did as I received so much

I hadn't been to a weekend for some years. After this weekend I came to realise what I had been missing!

Great weekend. Great balance of teaching, discussion and prayer. Great encouragement. Great refreshment

I was the youngest man there but felt welcome and equal to all the other men

This weekend exceeded any expectations I had before arriving. I loved the supportive and friendly environment

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This page last updated on July 22, 2011 - © 2004-2011 Harvesters