By Mandy Thomas

About two years ago, I was restless. It was December 2021 and I had stepped away from church. Life felt hard, COVID was hard, personal things were hard. But God was calling me back to my church home, my beloved Westminster. I was ready to return to church and wanted to focus on Women's Ministry. I contacted Megan Exley, then chair of the Adult Spiritual Development Commission.

By coincidence (or design?) Megan too had been praying about Women’s Ministry. She also had been in conversation with others about it. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who felt like the previous two years were hard. Without planning, I found a group of women just like me, hungry for connection and friendship, who wanted deeper ties, and who were willing to dream with me about what it could be.

The movement grew. We hosted a women’s retreat last fall. We started gathering on Thursday evenings as a “book club” – though really, you never have to read the book. We gather in each other’s homes. We call and text each other during hard times. We come alongside and hold hands.

In short, we have made friends – which isn’t always easy as adults.

Small groups are where Jesus snuggles in real close. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). I feel his presence, moving and alive, among us as we seek to find ways to serve him and his church. His promises are kept by the people who gather in his name.

Come, join us. There is room in this circle for you. All are welcome.