New groups

Coming to the end of this natural year, we tend to look back on what has happened and ponder the lessons and the gifts we have received. Some Secular groups are struggling with a lack of younger entrants, and that is painful. But in my area there are signs of growth. The young new group in Romsey, Hampshire, is gradually getting on its feet. Plans are afoot to start new groups in Coventry and Northampton in 2024. The main thing is that we trust in God to guide our activities and let Him lead us in our projects. We know that He blesses some groups with increase and lets others diminish or die - and that is a mystery understood only by Him. The wider context is that the history of the Church is replete with rises and falls. We are privileged to live in an age that has seen the restoration of shrines like Walsingham and Aylesford after centuries of neglect and abandonment. What does the future hold? That is in the hands of the Divine Providence.