A Cambridge God Adventure* 48) Enjoying Christian togetherness

(*please skip if you have not been following this story). Though repercussions from developing our church site were ever-present and can all too easily tip the balance of story-telling into a succession of significant dates, I must counter-balance with mentioning the joy that increasingly marked our months together.  With Martyn and Margaret making a wonderful difference there were so many corporate occasions alongside worship where the church just enjoyed being together.  In January 1984 we celebrated a Church Family Night with jacket potatoes and gateaux.  The kitchen was a broom cupboard for small brooms so we imported potatoes from TATTIES up the road (Carol negotiated group discount!)  This was the first of many Church Family Nights.  Sometimes they preceded prayer...as in the week before the decision day of Easter 1984 when the church would express faith by giving.

A sense of fun, fellowship and hospitality became a key feature right through these years, sometimes involving special children's events, like a film, or featuring a ceilidh, and closer to Christmas the much-anticipated Church concert was an occasion to let hair down.  Students especially enjoyed poking fun at Martyn and me!  Christmas 1984 was the first time that we took part in the city-centre Christmas late-shopping.  Borrowing a lorry (from one of our member's business) we filled it with musicians and carol-singers along with Father Christmas.  Sweets and invitations to our Christmas services were liberally showered on passers-by.  The slogan at the back of the lorry read: You are following some of the happiest people on earth. They belong to St. Andrew's Street Baptist Church. Come and join us. (All Carol's handiwork of course!)  This became an annual fixture.

Yet, the most significant issues of all revolved around the continuing conversions, baptisms and glorious testimonies of new Christians. Some of the baptismal services deserve full posts themselves because of their spiritual dynamism.  In 1983 49 new members joined the church and in 1984 42. And in 1985 52 people joined us - these were heady days of knowing God's goodness and power. So humbling and encouraging.