On Sundays the people who made up the church came to a special building. Some came from very near and others from a distance. A few came every week but many came to the building less often now, because their lives were busy. The special building had rows of long benches called pews all facing in the same direction. One or two people would sit in each pew. A special person called a vicar stood at the front of the building and led the worship service. In winter, the building was cold and the people rarely took off their coats. They sang together, listened to the Scriptures and prayed for the world. Some exchanged a sign of the peace but a few refused to join in. All of them shared in Holy Communion.

Some of the people would stay behind after the service for a few minutes to talk to the vicar or to share a cup of weak coffee. Then they would each go to their own homes. For the most part, the people who came to the church had been coming for a long time. Very occasionally; a new person or family came but they did not usually stay long. Some of the people who went to the church sometimes saw each other during the week at special events called committees. The committees normally met in cold, draughty places and people some­times kept their coats on there as well. The vicar was normally chair of the committee and said a prayer at the beginning. The committees talked together mainly about problems and difficulties: about the special building and about how to keep things going fur another year. Sometimes the people argued with one another at the committees. During the week the vicar would call in to see people at their homes to chat and sometimes he would stay for a cup of tea. If any church members were poorly or in hospital he would visit them and pray for them.

Many of the people in the church thought they could remember a time when the building was full on Sundays and there were lots of children and younger people. They could remember too when the building was used on different days of the week and several times on Sunday. Many people used to come there to get married and to bring their children to be baptised· but that seemed a very long time ago. Most of the people who made up the church were quite old now. Some were sad that more people didn't come and they prayed for change. Some were afraid that the building may have to close. Many had simply become resigned to the way things were and carried on with their lives.

Things went on in this way for many years until the day came when the small church could no longer have its own vicar. In those days there were not enough to go round and sometimes one vicar would be shared by three or four churches or even more. At first the new shared vicar tried to take all the services and chair all the committees and visit all the people. This made some of the people cross because things were not done the way they liked. It also made the shared vicar quite poorly and made him wonder what to do

Then, one day, the vicar invited the people in the church to a new kind of meeting which wasn't a committee. Only seven people could come.

'I've been trying to think about what it means to be a church,' said the new Vicar. 'I want to talk with you about it this evening. What do you think?'

Some of the people were confused and some were frightened but said nothing. One of the braver ones said: 'it means coming to the service on Sundays and sometimes coming to committees. When we are poorly, the vicar comes to see us.' The others all nodded·

'I know that's the way we've always done church,' said the Vicar in a kindly way. 'But that doesn't seem to be working any more. I'm too busy trying to do everything in four churches because I'm a shared vicar and that's made me poorly. Some of you are cross that I can't do everything. Nobody new is coming to church and nobody seems very happy.'

 The little group nodded again but looked puzzled. 'But we don’t know any other way,' they said.

'Listen to this,' said the Vicar, as he read them some verses from the Bible.

'This is what it says in the Acts of the Apostles about what the church used to be. See what you think·

'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellow­ship, to the breaking of bread and prayers ... All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as they had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the good­will of all the people· And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.'

After the Vicar had read these words, the group was silent for some time. Heaven held its breath. Unseen angels stood on tiptoe around the room, glimpsing a different kind of future.

'It sounds as though they knew one another,' said one man in a puzzled voice.

'They spent time together,' said another.

'They prayed and helped each other,' said a third.

'People wanted to come and join them.'

'It sounds lovely,' sighed the youngest member of the group. 'I wish I could have been a Christian back then.'

'Do you think we could try and be more like that today?' asked the Vicar.

One man became angry and left the room without saying where he was going. But the others stayed and talked until late in the evening· Each of them voiced similar frustrations and a longing for something better. The group agreed to meet again the next week, this time in someone's home.

Over the months that followed, something new began to happen in the life of the little church· The small group that met during the week began to get to know one another in deeper ways. Just like the church in Acts, they began to meet in one another's homes, as we still do today. Week by week, they shared their stories and their lives; discovered 'worship 'and prayer'  together, and read God's word to One another.

With the gentle encouragement of the Vicar, different people began to share in the various parts of leading the group and contributing to its life. Some of them grew in confidence so much they were able to share in leading the services on Sundays.

Because the people knew one another, they were able to support one another quite naturally. A young married couple in the church had a new baby. Members of the group made meals and took them round. Everyone shared in the joy. An elderly member of the group had a fall and was taken to hospital. When the Vicar arrived, he found that two other people had already been to visit. When the Vicar came to the group one week looking very distressed, the group listened carefully to his feelings of anxiety about the future and several people offered helpful advice.

Other members of the church noticed a new life about this group. A few were suspicious but the next time a general invitation was given to others to come along, the group grew in size. In a way no one could quite understand, the sense of renewal and refreshing in the midweek meetings spilled over into Sunday worship. For the first time in many years, when people appeared in the congregation on Sundays they sensed the warmth of Christian fellowship and some began to attend the services regularly.

Six months after the group began to meet, the Vicar called them together with a new challenge· Everyone shared a meal together and a time of prayer before the Vicar began to speak.

‘It's been an exciting journey;’ he said, ‘but I would like to take some time this evening to think about what has been happening to us as a group. Would anyone like to say anything about how you see things?’

‘I would’ said Mary. ‘My whole faith has been renewed.’

‘I feel like I have a whole new family’ said Alice.

‘Going to the service on Sundays is a different experience’ said Jim.

‘I go now to be with my friends as well as to worship God.’

‘I've done things I never thought I'd do in this group.’

‘'People at work have said there is something different about me over the last few months.’

Every member of the group had something good to say, ‘That is very wonderful,’ said the Vicar. ‘I think we have learned a lot more about being the church. It's taken six months but there is a sense that we are beginning to put into practice what we have learned in Acts. But this evening, I want to read another passage to you.’ The group was quiet and expectant. Some remembered the first evening they met. Others had heard the moment spoken of as they talked together .The Vicar began to read:

‘Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid hands on them and sent them off.’.

‘It's so good that we meet together,’ said the Vicar. ‘It's good that we are getting to know one another and that we can support each other. We are becoming a community. Through this new community our faith is being renewed. We are discovering each other's gifts as we meet together and we have welcomed new people to join us. But God calls us also to serve him and to live for him, individually and together. Unless we do that, I'm afraid that we will become inward looking and not be the church we are called to be. That is always a danger for God's people. I'd like us to think about what that might mean for us as individuals and as a group.’

‘1 like things the way they are,’ said one person. ‘I don't want things to change.’

There was silence in the room for some time. Heaven held its breath. Unseen angels stood around the room, again glimpsing different futures. Some were hopeful, others anxious.

‘I like things the way they are as well,’ said another, after some time. ‘But I think we need this challenge. What we have has enriched our lives but that is so we can serve God and serve others.’

‘The church in Acts didn't stay the same,’ said another. ‘God challenged them to move on so that more people could discover the gospel perhaps God is challenging us in the same way.’

The rest of the group agreed. Over the next three months there was a new element in their meetings. The members still came together to pray and to read God's Word and to support one another. But now they began to think individually and together about the different ways in which God might be calling them to share his love.

People took it in turns to bring to the meeting an area of concern at home or in their work or their life outside home. One person was       a social worker and shared some general details about the different challenges at work. A young mum was struggling with her children. The group encouraged her by sharing experiences and one member talked with her about teaching her daughter to pray and eventually ended up babysitting from time to time. Another had been involved for years in fundraising for a local hospice. The next time there was an event, the whole group helped in some way by providing goods to sell or by turning up on the day.

Week by week, it seemed that people had more to talk about when they met and some members began to take new steps in helping others. After some time, at the Vicar's suggestion, the group began to pray together about discovering what God was calling them to do together. ‘Even though we are all supporting each other in our life and work,’ he said, ‘it is important that we try and do something together because that is an important part of our life together.’

There were a number of suggestions for what this might be. Two of the group members had become involved in leading a very small midweek group for parents and toddlers which met on church premises. The small community decided to adopt this group as their mission project for the next year. Each time they met, they prayed for the life of the toddler ,group. One person managed the accounts. Another came and made the tea and played with the children.  Another made posters and put them in doctors' surgeries. Once a term all the community members came and helped clean the toys. With the help of other members of the church, a creche opened on Sunday mornings With this kind of support, the parent and toddler group was able to expand, raise funds, buy new equipment and become a very valuable part of local life. After the year of support by the group, a number of the other carers were able to become involved in the life of the toddler group and there wasn't the same need for this kind of support, although there was always a strong link between the small community- and the toddlers.

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