Love and Small Groups

In 2010, Kimberly was broken-hearted and looking for a fresh start. Leaving her life in Denver behind, she headed for Southern California, looking for more than just a change in location. She desired to surrender her life to God and find community with other believers. In California, she discovered God had bigger plans for her than she previously realized.

Soon after the move, Kimberly found Saddleback Lake Forest and began attending services. She loved the atmosphere, but knew that in a large church it was especially important to get involved in a small group. “I didn’t know anybody here so I wanted community of good, solid people,” Kimberly said. Eventually she found the perfect fit, a group of 30 people who were in the same life stage as her and willing to be thoroughly open and honest with one another. “Everyone brought their questions to the group and brought the good and bad — the whole thing,” Kimberly explained. “Their authenticity was what stood out to me.” 

A few years later, Kimberly moved from Huntington Beach to a home closer to Lake Forest and less than two miles away from where Josh, her small group host and longtime friend, lived. The move made it easier for her to connect with her church community and to invest in her relationships with the people in her small group. They began serving together more in various ministries like the food pantry and motel ministry. “That really grew our group closer to each other, because when you see each other at church or small group in the same place all the time and then you actually go out and you’re ministering together that’s really cool,” Kimberly said.

Shortly after her relocation, Kimberly took another big step in her faith journey. “I had decided to be really intentional with my walk with God,” Kimberly said. She felt like God was calling her to go on a mission trip to Rwanda, so she signed up for a mission trip scheduled for later that year.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, Kimberly wanted to do a book study to prepare her heart and a friend suggested going through Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes to God By Kay Warren. The book recommended reading it with another person, so Kimberly asked Josh to study it with her, which made them even closer friends.

While Kimberly was in Rwanda, Josh watched over her house and cats, even though he disliked animals. They would message back and forth about how the trip was going and what was happening back at home. By the time Kimberly returned, they both knew it was time for their relationship to evolve into something more and they started dating.

When it was time for the next trip to Rwanda the following year, Kimberly was asked to lead it and Josh decided to come with her. Kimberly’s faith grew in big ways during both of her trips to Rwanda and God rewarded her for going. “Both trips were about surrendering, giving and being uncomfortable,” Kimberly said. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of effort and a lot of emotional drain, but then there’s a lot of reward.”

When they got back from Rwanda and resettled back into everyday life, Kimberly really thought through where she was at with Josh. Their relationship had progressed into something serious and it seemed to be moving toward marriage, but he still hadn’t asked her to marry him. She wrestled with wanting to talk with him about the direction their relationship was headed, but at the same time not wanting to pressure him.

One day, Kimberly reached out to her Small Group pastor, Karo Ku and prayed with him about it. She asked for wisdom about the situation and surrendered her whole relationship to God. Unbeknownst to her, Josh had already been planning to propose for sometime and the couple got engaged that very night.

Looking back, Kimberly sees God’s hand on her life and how he orchestrated her whole journey.Her move to Southern California and her relationship with Josh were all part of God’s plan. When she allowed God to work and follow his lead, she found so much more than she ever expected and grew in ways she never imagined.

In terms of her marriage to Josh, she is grateful that God introduced her to him in a small group setting so that they were friends first before they actually moved into a dating relationship. “We got to really know each other through small group study and being open and authentic, which I think was a great foundation for a relationship,” Kimberly said. In October 2015, Kimberly and Josh were married by Pastor Dave Holden.

Kimberly is a wholehearted believer in the benefits of small groups, in fact she and Josh are looking for a young marrieds group right now. “In your Christian walk, you really need that community. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in thinking that the values of the world are the right values,” Kimberly said. “Where you really get to learn things is in your church family. When you get to ask questions of each other and go through things together and cry on each other’s shoulders. It’s just something you would never get if you didn’t join a small group.”

Click HERE to learn more about small groups.