They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
Few things are more universally understood than that we are made for each other. We are simply not meant to live this life in isolation. So when Rebecca Schultz first moved with her husband, Ryan, back to his hometown of San Antonio, and to University, the church where he was raised, she started looking for a community to join. What she knew even then is that “community happens when people make connections and invest in one another,” and she knew that “to truly feel like you ‘belong’ takes time.”
Rebecca and Ryan joined a group of young couples who met on Sunday mornings for an hour, getting to know each other better while they studied the Bible. While they made friends almost instantly, the close relationships they hoped for developed much more slowly. There were stops and starts as Sunday school leaders and friends came and went. And there were definitely moments when the Schultzes were discouraged.
But Ryan and Rebecca are not easily dissuaded, and they and several other core couples continued to meet together, and slowly their class grew, not only in number but also in devotion to God and each other. Rebecca has seen the fruit of their investment: “true and authentic friendships have blossomed from the vulnerability of living everyday life together.” Another member of their class, Jessica Hoffman, explains, “These friends have prayed for me and my family, comforted my baby, cheered me through hard times, and fed me many times; through them I have seen Jesus.”
Aptly, the group named themselves the Unity class. Class member Adam Stanchos explains, “Because of this class’ willingness to allow God to work through them, my wife and I have been able to endure a crazy season in our life. Through them God has continued to deepen our faith and trust in Him. For that we will be forever grateful.”
Unity class member Allison Sumners hopes others feel inspired to “give a small group a shot--after all, trying it doesn’t mean a forever commitment and you may find just what you need!” If this kind of small group community sounds like something you might want to learn more about, contact Patrick Jackson,