SITTING IN the canteen at Northampton School of Art, with his friend Dave, eighteen-year-old Ian Clark had no idea that their conversation would be the answer to his spiritual questions.

"It was the early 70's, the days of flares, Pink Floyd and acid parties. Dave and I were into all of these - Christianity was not even a topic for discussion! But now Dave was enthusing about these people he'd been to visit who lived in some kind of Christian commune where they shared all their possessions. Partly out of curiosity and partly out of concern about what Dave might be getting into I thought I'd go and check out this 'commune'.

About a year earlier, Ian had seen the ITN documentary about an amazing Holy Spirit revival in a village near Northampton called 'The Lord took hold of Bugbrooke'. "I didn't pay too much attention to the programme but thought 'man they're weird, they give me the creeps' If I'd realised that they were the same group that Dave was taking me to meet I really don't know if I would have gone!"

Ian was aware that there was a spiritual dimension to life since early teens but the last place he'd expected to find it was in Christianity! Unknowingly his first visit to Bugbrooke chapel with Dave was to be the beginning of closeness to God that he had been seeking.

"At the chapel I had a deep spiritual experience and, a few weeks later, I received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. In the evening I went to a birthday party. Full of boozed up and stoned friends in a dark smoky room full of loud rock music I thought 'I really don't want this anymore'.

I went back to Northampton and in November 1975 moved in to one of the earliest of the Jesus Fellowship community houses with six other men.

"The same year, at the chapel, I watched as a young girl of fifteen called Annette Davey was baptised. Nine years later, in May 1984, when Annette was 23, we were married in the same chapel!"

"When I was young I loved going to the chapel with my mum," Annette continues. "It was different, exciting and I had lots of friends. I loved going to visit the different community houses and was keen to move in. I really wanted to be in the centre of things! When I became a teenager I had non-Christian friends and went through the usual teenage conflicts and wasn't quite so sure about moving into the community. By the time I was 19 I had counted the cost and was ready for the commitment of living in community."

The young couple brought up their first child, Abigail, in community in Northamptonshire. Then, in 1986 they moved to open 'New Wave' a community house in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk - over 130 miles away. Here Gideon, Jacob and Amy were born.

In 1993 they moved to open a second Norfolk house' Saving Faith' in the central city of Norwich. "I found it hard at first," says Annette, "being so far away from 'Jerusalem' as we call the original Northamptonshire heartland of the church. In the early days the drive took five hours! Gradually, as people were added to our Norfolk congregation, it became 'home'. However far the church has spread out it is has always been very united as one. We meet together as a whole church at least six times a year and Ian regularly travels up to Northamptonshire for leaders' meetings.

"Before Amy was born, doctors told me, she had 'hypoplastic left heart syndrome' and no chance of survival. We had support and prayer from all over the church. Distance means nothing when your church is really 'one heart and soul'. "In spite of all the medical predictions Amy was not only born alive but lived to just past her first birthday. She had a vibrant little personality and brought all of us lots of joy." Even when it was clear that Amy was dying, Ian and Annette's trust in God stayed strong. "All the way through her illness there was no bitterness," says Ian. "We didn't understand why but we knew God was in it. It's made us both more aware of eternity. As a pastor, caring for others, I feel there's something in me now that understands and is comfortable with grief."

After the move to Norwich the little neighbourhood church based at Saving Faith grew steadily and several single men came to live at the community house. Esme, now aged nine and Jude, 5, were added to Ian and Annette's family and the house settled into its present ministry of hospitality, peace and restoration.

"People often ask how we cope as a family living in a community house with others," says Ian. "Well, to me, the opposite is true - living in a little house with just our family would seem incomplete. We've kept a strong, secure identity as a family and obviously we are very careful as parents without being overprotective. But our family is part of part of the larger family within our household. The kids have a ministry of making things 'normal'. They're very perceptive and have learned to get on with all sorts of people. This means that they are good judges of character!

"Our 18-year old daughter, Abigail, is now living at one of the Northamptonshire community houses. To me, Christianity without community is very limited. There are lots more opportunities to help one another and form deep friendships. With the strength of the other members of our household we can help all types of people that we wouldn't be able to as a family on our own."

Life is very busy at Saving Faith. It's a big house to look after domestically and Annette does most of the cooking - often for large numbers. "I am grateful because in my early years in community I had other mums and sisters around me. I learned different qualities from them. How they dealt with different situations and difficult people in a Godly way. These were my role models. When things have been hard I've thought that life could be easier if we lived in our own little house. I realise in my heart that it's eternal things and people that matter not natural comforts. I know it's important to do things without complaining and keep the community vision fresh."