Adult Small Groups

YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO DO LIFE ALONE

An Invitation to Get Plugged

If there’s one quiet struggle in our culture today, it’s loneliness.

Recent studies show that nearly 1 in 2 adults say they feel lonely on a regular basis. The U.S. Surgeon General has even declared loneliness an epidemic, linking chronic isolation to increased risks of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, heart disease, and shortened lifespan. Some researchers suggest that long-term social isolation can impact your health at levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory (2023) – Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation)

That’s…sobering.

But here’s the good news: God never designed you to walk alone. From the very beginning, the Lord said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” The early church didn’t just gather in large worship settings; they met in homes, broke bread together, prayed for one another, confessed struggles, and carried each other’s burdens. They grew not only in knowledge, but in love, courage, and perseverance.

And the research supports what Scripture has always shown:

Simply put: life is better together. 

In a small group, you’re not just a face in a crowd. You’re known. You’re prayed for. You’re encouraged. You’re challenged. You’re missed when you’re not there.

And parents, this matters even more than you realize.

When your children see you prioritize biblical community, you are preaching a sermon without saying a word. You are showing them that faith is not a Sunday sermon event but a shared life. You are modeling humility when you ask for prayer. You are modeling strength when you stay committed. You are modeling courage when you let others speak into your life.

Children rarely drift toward what we say is important. They move toward what we show is important. (Please read that again)

When families are rooted in Christian community, kids grow up seeing faith lived out in real conversations, real struggles, real repentance, and real joy. That witness gives them stability. It gives them perspective. It gives them spiritual muscle when life gets hard.

At Pleasant Hill, we have a number of small groups you are welcome to join right now. Different ages. Different stages. Different rhythms. There is a place for you.

And if you look around and don’t see one that fits, maybe that’s not a problem. Maybe it’s an opportunity. Maybe God is stirring you to gather a few people, open your home, and start something new. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to host a group. You just need a willing heart and a desire to grow together.

The enemy wants believers isolated. The Spirit forms us in community. So don’t do this season alone. Don’t fight your battles alone. Don’t raise your family alone. Don’t carry your burdens alone. Take a step. Join a group. Start a group. Get connected.

Because growing people change, and growing people grow better together.