People

One of the mistakes that people often make is to identify a church with the building. Certainly the building is somewhere that can be marked on a map and is there for people to see at any time. However its importance lies in the fact that it is the place where people meet to offer their worship to God. For the first few centuries after Christ there were no church buildings. Christians gathered wherever they could, sometimes in secret because of the fear of persecution. In some parts of the world that is true even today so the Church, the people of God, dare not have a building set aside for them to worship in. Over time new members join us while others leave, for whatever reason after a shorter or longer period of membership. Despite these changes of personnel St Martin's continues as a group of people with our own ethos. That character evolves, as it should and must, over time as well. Such change is part of the very nature of life, be it the life of an individual or of a group of people.

Our group identity is nurtured in various ways, which can themselves develop over time. One recent innovation has been the St Martin's Strollers (right), a group of people who meet about once a month for a gentle walk in or around Bedford. The aim of these events is to enjoy each other's company while having a pleasant walk, and possibly continuing the conversation with some refreshments afterwards if there is somewhere suitable in the vicinity.

Social events such as Coffee Mornings provide an opportunity for relaxed chatting and (trying to) put the world to rights. They have long been a part of church life as a way of strengthening bonds within the congregation and getting to know each other in a way that is not so easy on a Sunday morning. When the weather is kind to us, and depending on the venue, it can be possible to enjoy an English country garden.

The fact that it is an unstructured event goves the freedom for those of different ages to chat together.

Most of us don't have room for a miniature railway in our garden but a garden shed can provide space for a model layout to help maintain the link between church and railways. As with our lives the basic plan may be determined relatively early but, as in this case, there is still plenty of room for refinement and the adding of detail to the layout.