LIKE me, you've probably seen, and heard, geese flying in a V shape in the skies above St Albans.

Surprisingly, this formation can teach us much about ways to improve the quality of our community.

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird following behind.

By flying in a V formation, the whole flock has a 71 per cent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

By adopting this technique, they can also fly higher and faster.

The message is we can do a lot by ourselves, but what can be done by working together is a quantum leap. People who share a common goal and a sense of community go faster.

We need to make sure we are travelling in the same direction.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it feels the drag and quickly gets back into formation, to take advantage of the lifting power of the one in front.

The message is we should stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go and give and receive support.

When a goose gets tired, it rotates back and lets another take the point position, so sharing the load.

The message is; we should share common tasks so that we can move forward together, but at the same time helping those who are less able than ourselves.

When a goose is ill or wounded or shot down, two other geese move out of formation and follow it down to help protect it, or stay until it dies.

The message is; stand by and help each other in times of need.

Geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those in front to keep up their speed.

The message is give genuine encouragement to the community initiatives of others and practical support wherever possible.

The King's Community Church has now been meeting on Friday evenings at 4 Sunderland Avenue, St Albans, for two years, with the prime purpose (hence the name) of living, celebrating and encouraging Christian caring and relationships in the family, and in the community.

More and more people now feel that today's problems in society result from the increasing breakdown of the family and community life.

The early Christians lived in "community". They shared, encouraged, helped, supported and prayed for each other.

The great national feeling of compassion and caring that followed Princess Diana's death and funeral has quietened down. Let's ensure we don't lose its momentum.

Plan to contact friends and relatives who we have not communicated with for some time, think of elderly neighbours in need at this time of the year and commit to giving practical and/or financial support to the homeless and needy.

In the psalms, we read: "How good it is when brothers live together in unity." Jesus prayed that people would be brought to "complete unity". I say honk, honk to that. -- John Telford is one of the leaders of the King's Community Church in St Albans, which is associated with New Frontiers International, a group of more than 200 independent Christian churches worldwide.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.