Here’s what people are saying about this Small Group!

“I can honestly say that my small group helped me get my life back together. I never expected things to fall apart in the first place. I was married with 2 amazing daughters, I had a great, stable job that I loved, and everything seemed ok. Until it wasn’t. My husband left me, unexpectedly, on Christmas 2017. I was lost. When I told Pastor Deb what had happened, she waited for the right moment, then suggested I attend a women’s small group discussion about the Armor of God.

I was introduced to a group of women that had their own struggles. In their home life, work life, and their relationship with God, no one even tried to appear like they had it all together. It was a real group of women with real desires to grow in their faith.    Even though the group has had different women attending at different times, it always seemed that the right people were there when they needed to be there.   I have relied on my faith and my small group ladies to help navigate a divorce, face parenting difficulties, start a new and successful business, and deal with the everyday struggles of being human. 

Small group connections have kept my faith strong, even when my life was extremely challenging.  Small group is where is experienced the power of prayer and have been reminded that a church is the people, not the building.”

- Sarah S.

“Yes, 2020 was not the ideal year, but for my family and I, 2019 was even worse for us. I experienced loss and grief that I never in a million years was prepared for. I had been attending Refuge for a couple years and up until early 2020 I had wanted to join a women’s small group, but never committed.

After one Small Group Sunday, hearing about the Fireside Bible Study, I felt a tug in my heart that I needed to join that group. I felt that with everything I had experienced I needed to do something to grow in my faith and grow closer to God. I knew very few of the ladies who were current members, so this was very much out of my comfort zone. Although a little scary for my introverted self, joining this group has been amazing. The support, fellowship, and friendship that I have found from this group was more than I thought possible. Every time we meet I leave feeling recharged, refreshed and ready to take in the world. Ashley does an amazing job facilitating and encouraging our discussions. It is very well structured and I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend in the word with my fellow ladies. I am beyond grateful to Ashley and this group for welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to grow in my faith.”

- Mallory H.

”What really pushed me to search out a small group was realizing the need to build relationships with people of like faith that I could share more than just a Sunday morning with. I didn’t know exactly what that meant until I dove in. Like anything that’s new, especially for an introvert like me, its hard being the new person and not having the background with those I met with. Ashley Prinsen made it such a welcoming atmosphere at her own home with comfortable seating, offering refreshments, and a warm fireplace to gather around (hence the name).

This last year we studied the book of Luke following the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. With every chapter read we would then discuss and dive into what the chapter meant to us personally. For me especially I really appreciated that my thoughts and prayers were not disregarded as unlearned. If you’re uncomfortable praying around others this is a place that not necessarily pushes you out of that comfort zone but encourages you to participate in the care of intercession with God on the behalf of other members. The effort of this group has meant so much to me with the level of privacy that was taken with concerns, prayer requests, and everyday life issues. Throughout the year meetings were flexible with online meetings due to the pandemic and measures of comfort for members.

 If you are a woman that wants to build relationships with all types of other women then this is the place. Some of us can relate to kids and husbands, some can relate to the busy hustle of work life, but we all relate to each other as women who have needs and are continually searching for a developed relationship with God. As a group we support each other’s good habits and continue to stay in contact between meetings.”

- Charity S

Questions about Small Groups?