WP Stories

“My experience with the young adult group started in 2020 when Patrick Hobbs gave my mom the Cross Conference invite. I signed up and watched it from home due to Covid-19 and the fact that we couldn’t meet in a large group.

Once we started meeting Sunday evenings again an old acquaintance from high school and church was coming back and wanted to make a young adult group. At first, I kept more to myself because there were a lot of new people that I was meeting, and it was difficult for me. After going for a while, we all started to grow together like a big family. I started to see the Lord open my heart back up and bring me closer to him with this group. I started to go back to church and felt welcomed. Jake and Alli Bishop have opened their home to this group, and I love meeting on Thursday nights. I love this group and I have seen people stop their day and pray for other members of our group. Knowing that we will always have each other in times of need shows that we are a big family with huge hearts and lots of love.”

“After hearing ABFs weren’t meeting anymore, I approached Patrick Hobbs in the HUB one Wednesday evening to ask about the community groups I’d been hearing about and he mentioned Al Cage had started one along with a few other people.  I told Patrick my family really enjoys when Al Cage preaches and our conversation came to a close.  I left Patrick that night and a few days later Al Cage reached out to Wes and I.

We went to our first community group at Al and Teri’s house.  It was wonderful!  We didn’t know anyone. Before the night was over, we agreed to be the host of community group, meaning everyone was meeting at our house on Sunday nights. As that week passed, I thought “What have I done? There is no way I can host community group on Sunday nights and try to get ready for the work week and the school week ahead”! Let me tell you, it has been such a blessing having this group of people in our home on Sunday nights.

It has blessed our hearts. It has not been a burden in any way, it’s been a pleasure! We laugh, we share, we eat, we pray and we’re still getting to know each other!  That’s been the best part, meeting couples whom we had never even seen at church and getting to know them.  They’re precious and funny and I know they are praying for me.

I invite anyone who is not part of a community group to come to ours on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm.  We don’t have a group name, just ask for Al’s group.”

“A few people at West Park asked if I was leading a Community Group, before I inquired about it!  I wanted to ‘host’ a lady’s group and the Lord knew exactly who would facilitate!

It is simply amazing how we have grown & love together! Through much prayer, encouragement from each other, tears and lots of laughter. We find ourselves learning & embracing the smallest of details in scripture.

I didn’t know 2 years after my husband passed into heaven, the Lord would give me such an abundance of love & friendships through this group! I’ve always believed your church family is a very necessary, important, supportive & loving gift from Jesus!

Anyone wanting a connection, a fellowship, a community relationship, and to share the challenges and joys of becoming more like Jesus….this is it!

Giving God all the glory!!!!”

I’ve been a member of West Park since 1990, but the last several years were hard times for me. I had strayed away from the Lord and West Park. When things started to improve in my life, I felt the Lord calling me back.

Since being back I have renewed old friendships and joined a community group. It was the best thing I’ve done in my life for years. The people in my group have helped me so much. I have learned so much about praying and my devotion time with the Lord. Also, I am now more open with people and am no longer uncomfortable in speaking up in our group discussions and praying.

Today, I am back where I need to be with the Lord Jesus in my life. My community group is the main reason.

“After about two years in the Sunday morning congregation at West Park, Zane and I joined the Young Adult Community Group in April of 2021. West Park is the first church that Zane and I have both enjoyed and felt comfortable in the worship services and our only hold up before joining the church as members was finding a community: a group of people we related to, could share our life with, and could rely on to listen to us and pray for us. We found that group! And not only have we found the community that we prayed for — the people we relate to — but we’ve also made friends who are different from us. We’ve gotten to know people who have been through circumstances we’ve never imagined. We’ve had the opportunity to pray for and love on our friends who have gone through hardship, and to be excited with friends who have had good news!

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

In the Young Adult Community Group alone, we’ve seen this verse ring true. We are blessed with visitors and new members nearly every week. One of the biggest blessings in Zane’s and my life is the chance to work for the Heavenly Kingdom and watch it group with this group of people we call friends and family.

If you haven’t found your community within the church family, I encourage to reach out to the church office. That’s what I did! Through the “Contact Us” page on the church website, I explained who we are, what stage of life we’re in, and what we were looking for, and I was pointed in the right direction!”