After 7 consecutive years with the Scandinavian conferences being held at a castle-turned-boarding-school in Ekebyholm an hour's drive north of Stockholm, the organizers of the annual event is announcing a change of venue that marks the end of an era.
Following further restrictions in the availability of the Ekebyholm facilities, a decision has been made to move the 2016 conference to the pre-arranged back-up location, a campsite called Hjälmergården two and a half hour's drive southwest of Stockholm."We have had a great time while having the conference at Ekebyholm, which is why we've stayed there for 7 years in a row. But now more and more parts of that venue are being reserved for permanent tennants, thereby limiting the size of the venue available to us to a degree that no longer matches our needs. We have therefore had to look for another place to stage the next conference," says Joel Wickström, pastor of Calvary Stockholm and a member of the team of organizers behind the annual Scandinavian conferences.
"We are thankful for all that God has done at our conferences while at Ekebyholm, but it's time to move on and thankfully we know that God's work is not limited to certain locations," he adds.
A great place for adults and kids
The 2016 venue of Hjälmergården (we wish all our non-Scandinavian participants good luck pronouncing that name) contains many of the same facilities that were available at Ekebyholm. The campsite is not far from the Swedish town of Vingåker and is located by a lake and offers bedroom cabins as well as available outdoor space for tents and camping trailers. The conference will take place on July 13th - 17th (Wednesday evening to Sunday noon, as usual).
"It remains to be seen whether this will be a new long-term venue for us, but for now our decision is just to have the 2016 conference there. We are always considering our options and looking for alternative venues near the international hubs of Stockholm and Copenhagen, so at the moment only God knows where we'll be in 2017 and onwards," says Joel Wickström."I think it will be a lot of fun for all of us to gather at a new location. I've visited Hjälmergården myself, and it is a really nice place with great space for both adults and kids. The sleeping accommodations, bathrooms and shower facilities are all of high standard, and the general surroundings should create a great environment for our conference," Joel adds.
Sign up process opens in January
At the moment the organizers expect to open the sign up process by early January, and as in recent years there will be advantages to signing up early.More specific details will be shared at that time about the venue and how to get there. For now you can read more about Hjälmergården at www.hjalmargarden.se
If anyone has questions about the 2016 conference you are welcome to contact Calvary Chapel Scandinavia on Facebook, Twitter or send an email to conf@calvarychapel.dk
