Hello and welcome to Horley Christadelphians!
Read on to find out who we are and all the different activities we’re involved in.
Our name Christadelphian [Pronounced Chris-ta-delf-ee-an] is rather unusual, and comes from the Greek, meaning ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’. We were originally established over 150 years ago as a group of people united by a common belief in the Bible. Today, hundreds of groups like us meet all over the country and in more than 120 countries around the world.
Now in the 21st century, we continue to gather together from all walks of life with the aim of reflecting the faith and character of the early Christian church back in the first century. Based here in Horley, about 70 of us meet regularly for worship, bible-based studies and discussion groups and a busy calendar of social, youth group and Sunday School activities.
You’re very welcome to come along to any of our activities and we look forward to meeting you!
Best wishes,
The Horley Christadelphians
ACTIVITIES
- Sunday School (5-18+) – Sundays @ 2:30pm for a broad variety of Bible-based lessons and activities.
- Youth group – Fridays, Contacts us for current venue or to get more details.
- Holiday Club (6-12 years) – a week of activities for two hours a day during the October half term holiday in a Horley School.
- Go for Gold – a fortnightly youth group for ages 6-12 which follows on from the holiday club.
- WOW (Women Of Worship) – a women’s group that meets periodically for food, friendship, prayer and worship.
- Activity weekends – for the youth!
- Summer outing – we all go down to the beach for the day!
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
- Communion – members meet every Sunday at 2:30pm to remember Jesus Christ, as he is central to God’s purpose and our lives today.
- Evening session (various formats) – Sundays at 5:30pm for practical Bible-based presentations and worship combined with music and praise to God. Mostly suitable for all ages.
- Music and Praise – music plays an important part of our worship and once a year we hold a special ‘Praise Day’ attended by people from all over the country, with a full band and worship leaders.
DISCUSSIONS, PRESENTATIONS, SEMINARS
- ‘Learn to read the Bible effectively’ seminars – an 8-week series (one evening per week) about the origin, structure and contents of the Bible as well as various study tools and advice to help make the Bible easier to read and discover its important messages. This is a non-denominational series with the aim of assisting you to read the Bible for yourself.
- Bible Class – Thursdays at 8.15pm for discussions, studies and Q&A forums that explore a wide range of Biblical characters, subjects and practical issues.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
- Fund-raising – we give to a wide variety of projects, including the Meal-a-day Charity (www.meal-a-day.org) which provides aid to people affected by poor living standards and natural disasters. We have sponsored various community projects in other countries including a re-housing scheme in Romania, as well as projects closer to home, such as elderly care homes.
- Christadelphian Support Network UK – a dedicated team of trained members across the UK who are available to provide 24-hour confidential counselling and general welfare support.
BIG ISSUES
An essential thing that brings us together from all walks of life is a desire to find answers and help each other with many of life’s big and at times, tough issues.
Why do we exist?
Very little in the world is random: think of things you do and see around you every day – they each have a purpose, don’t they?
What about on a universal scale then? We believe the world was created with a purpose too, and as part of God’s creation, each of us has a part to play. For instance, have you noticed how naturally people seem to aspire to greatness? Think of all the famous sports champions, business gurus, world leaders and brilliant artists. In a similar way, we aspire to the very source of greatness: God, our Creator.
Having been giving the amazing privilege of life, everyone has the opportunity to aspire to God’s ideals, to get to know Him better and seek to live in harmony with him and His greater purpose with the world.
We believe this is why we’re here.
What do we hope for?
Many things, but especially the return of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who will lead the transformation of this troubled world. He will release it from its depressing cycle of conflict, disease and death and set up a perfect kingdom in its place, which will last forever!
Everyone who has responded to God’s invitation and believed in Jesus can be part of God’s glorious Kingdom forever!
What do we base our faith on?
Evidence of God’s presence in the earth, such as:
- His inspired book, the Bible, supported by historic records and archaeology.
- The life of His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Fulfilled prophecies – just watch the nation of Israel’s evolution over the centuries.
- Personal experience of God at work, then positive change in believers’ lives.
- Phenomenal design and beauty in the natural world.
There are many other things we seek to understand too – like the character and purpose of God, the source of good and evil, of life and death, what is the meaning of life and so on.
And what is especially important to us is making these things real in our lives: How they influence our values and ambitions and the way we relate to our friends, colleagues and families, for the better.
Some pithy quotes about Horley Christadelphians (“Horley”):
“I like Horley because there are friends there with whom I can be completely honest and who encourage me to “hang on in there” in a very real and personal way. Horley … challenges and enriches my life”
“Sunday School preserved my innocence”
“There are many lovely individual people at Horley – all in fact humans!”
“Horley Church is just such a lively joyful meeting that allows me to praise God and Jesus with others that share my beliefs”
“Having been members of Horley Ecclesia for the last 8 years we continue to rejoice in loving and warm relationships which we enjoy there with everyone.”