My first memory of small group is in my parents’ home as a young child. Every week they would host 6-10 people for dinner, discussion, and study.
Even as a child I remember that being my favorite night of the week. There was just something about people from all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life coming together around their love for Christ that made me so happy.
In 2017, I moved to Colorado Springs to go to college. Soon after finding Pulpit Rock Church, I joined a small group to begin building the deeper relationships that I craved. I loved the inductive Bible Study that we did every week together and the vulnerability in the open share time. That small group of people became the family I desperately needed as a young college student in a new city.
A few years later, Asher and I were newlyweds and looking for a new group. We found the Cantwell small group and were immediately drawn to the intergenerational and social nature of the group.
This is a group that loves to laugh, loves to eat together, and really focuses on just doing life alongside one another. What a perfect environment for our first two years of marriage!
Recently, Asher and I have felt the Lord guiding us towards starting a small group of our own.
We have sensed a need for new groups in the church and we are also transitioning into a new phase of life as we get ready to welcome our first child into the world next winter. We recognize that young families have some unique challenges when considering whether to join a small group, and we would love to help bridge that gap as much as possible.
Our Vision:
- Bible Study – We want to facilitate an inductive study of God’s Word as apart of each meeting. The process is easy to do, whether it is the first time you have read the Bible or you have been studying the Bible for decades. It doesn’t require preparation and it works well in a group setting.
- Open Share – We believe that creating a safe space to share the ups and downs of life and pray together is absolutely critical. In our experience, this is the time where deep relationships are developed.
- Weekly – We know that it can be difficult to commit to a weekly group, but we know from experience that community is best formed consistently.
- Time-Honoring – We want to honor our time and your time by keeping our meetings very tightly to two hours and fifteen minutes. As leaders, we are committed to making this as family friendly as possible while also leaving enough time to genuinely connect. Our vision is that our meetings start at 6pm and end between 8pm and 8:15pm.
- Family-friendly – We want young families to know that there is space for them. If childcare is needed, we will happily work that out.
- Welcoming – This group is geared towards young families because that is the phase of life we are going into. However, we want to be a group that welcomes anyone from any life-stage. Single, married, kids, no kids, empty nesters, retired, etc., are all welcome. This isn’t a group about having young children. This is a group about learning to follow Christ together!
Maybe you have been searching for a group, or maybe you hadn’t even thought about it. Maybe your last group tailed off with Covid, or maybe you have never tried out the whole small group thing.
If this group sounds like it might be for you, reach out to us! We would love to get to know you and have you visit the group to give it a try. You can email Haley or Asher for more information.
More than anything, we hope this is an encouragement to the people of Pulpit Rock Church. Find a small group of people that can challenge you, love you, and grow you.
We have been blessed again and again by small groups, and we cannot overstate the benefits of growing with others. Don’t go it alone. Join a small group!
