The Clade, which took place on Friday 13th & Saturday 14th November, was a great 24 hours of training, practical action, worship and fun and is something of a historic event for the East region. Not only is it the first thing of its kind in the whole Urban Saints movement but it is also the only Clade event that will ever take place... After this initial pilot weekend, the Hitchin-based Training Hub will be renamed in line with the national Training Hub concept. From the next weekend, in March, The Clade will become ReDefined!

30 young people (plus leaders) from the age of 14 took part in this new initiative and there were lots of people on hand to see how the event might take shape. They were encouraged to build some community with those they didn't already know and then were trained in the importance of love; loving themselves, loving their neighbours & communities and loving God. The sessions were long but broken up with discussion, activities, video clips and prayer and the young people were keen to grapple with the teaching.

On the Saturday afternoon, the teaching on loving their community was modelled as the young teams went out in the wind and rain to take part in practical projects around Hitchin. Some cleared leaves and litter from local schools while others were preparing doors and window frames for painting - not easy task in the wet and windy conditions. All the young people really went for it though and worked hard to demonstrate social action to their local community - some even helping to improve their own schools!

The first Clade event closed with the Clade students helping to run a youth event for kids in the town. The 30 young people who had taken part, helped staff the entrance, steward and run the tuck shop as well as helping create a great atmosphere for "The Main Event". Around 100 young people came along to take part in games, competitions and to dance with a superb live band on hand to provide the tunes. Matt Summerfield shared an uncompromising Gospel message to close (while still covered in egg from a previous messy game!) before the Clade reached its climax.

We've had some good feedback from those that took part plus some good suggestions for things going forward. When the next Training Hub weekend arrives in Hitchin in March, it will be called 'ReDefined' (young people wanting to be defined by Christ rather than by the popular culture) but The Clade was a great success and the future for this Training Hub looks very rosy indeed!