Spring 2023 SMALL GROUPS
Beginning January 16th
Prayer Cohorts
Is prayer ever awkward for you? Do you get easily distracted? Are you uncomfortable praying out loud or with other people? Is prayer something you believe actually works, or has cynicism gotten the best of you? You are not alone. One of the most profound privileges for the Christian is our invitation to prayer. We serve a God who not only lavishes his grace upon us but invites us into his tapestry of work through the act of praying. It is the primary way by which we encounter his presence, are transformed by his Spirit, and gain a deeper knowledge of the one who has called us to himself. Summit Ridge desires to be a church bathed in prayer and we believe that by approaching it together, we can encourage and teach each other to do it better. Join us this semester as we read through A Praying Life by Paul Miller and we will watch the Lord Jesus transform our lives and hearts through our worshipful act of prayer.
Mike & Debbie Weyand
Co-ed Group
GROUP FULL
Mondays @ 6:00 PM
Dudley Dinsmore
Men's Group, meets via Zoom
GROUP FULL
Wednesdays @ 7:00 PM
Terry & Lynn Sonnenburg
Co-ed Group
GROUP FULL
Wednesdays @ 7:00 PM
Hope Groups
Angela Caprine, Cindy Schlothauer & Tiffany Cooper
Women's Group on Sexual Healing
Thursday @ 6:30 PM
The prevalence of sexual sin cannot be overstated. It has destroyed and continues to wreak havoc on marriages long after the sin was committed. Women are often confronted with the reality that they are called to respond in gospel faith when sinned against sexually by their husbands. Typically, feelings of shame, confusion, resentment, and anger reside deep within the hearts of faithful wives whose husbands have sinned against them. What do we do with this? How do we forgive? How do we remain sanctified in our faith and marriages amid such betrayal? This women’s Hope Group will be venturing into these very questions as we study from the book Jesus and Your Unwanted Journey. The reality is that there is hope on the other side of being sinned against. Jesus knows what it is to be betrayed better than any of us. It is only through his gospel do we find the hope to forgive and the grace to grow in our faith and marriages. Please join us for a time to learn and heal as we seek Jesus in our attempt to grow as godly women.
Person of Jesus Studies
Todd Jacobs & Dave Schlothauer
Co-ed Group
Tuesdays @ 7 PM
Christians often have a hard time with honesty. We tend to fall off on one side of the grace-truth fence and often leave wreckage in our wake. Either we shy away from saying what we know is right or declare with a verbal sledgehammer what the truth is. Our “fight or flight” reasoning kicks in and we succumb to the belief that we have to act in one of two ways. Scripture commands a different response as we encounter Jesus. In Him, we learn the wisdom of this frustrating balancing act. We are called, through His power, to be like him – a man “full of grace and truth”. It is in the person of Jesus we see how we are to respond to others. We move toward them in love as we speak the truth of his gospel into their lives. This Person of Jesus Study is for those who seek to grow more like Christ by reflecting on Christ’s Honesty.
John & Angela Caprine
Co-ed Group
GROUP FULL
Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM
When we consider the various aspects of the person of Jesus, we often look to His grace toward sinners and his power over the grave. These aspects are central in understanding our faith and the message of the gospel. However, do we stop often enough to consider how Jesus the man accomplished all of His work? For it is in His utter dependence on God the Father that he was able to endure all things for the sake of those he came to save. This semester, we will take the time to ponder, reflect, and study how Christ’s Dependence on the Father was not merely a byproduct of his perfection, but the very thing that made His life, death, and resurrection possible. It serves as the model by which we are called as children of God to depend on our Father. For it is in this dependence that we can repent of sin, endure through suffering, and love each other in the way Christ loves us. Join us as we continue through Paul Miller’s Person of Jesus study series looking at his Dependence.
Topical Groups & Bible Studies
Lynn Sonnenburg
Women's Group
GROUP FULL
Tuesdays @ 6 PM
The Ten Commandments presented in the Old Testament have unfortunately become something Christians give nothing more than lip service to. They often illicit feelings of legalism and judgment, missing the original point in why God gave them to Moses. The law of God is primarily for our benefit, not for his impending judgement. Ten Words to Live By is a book by Jen Wilkin that encourages us to delight in the law of God as it points us to joyful living in this life. It reminds us of the goodness of God’s law and how it is intended to be for our blessing, not a list of rules which we abide by to avoid his wrath. This small group will take a fresh look at the Ten Commandments and learn how they point us to God’s grace, forgiveness, and blessing. Before we worship him perfectly in eternity, these commandments guide us in how to worship him today. We welcome women to join us for this shortened study (10 weeks) as we seek to understand the beauty of His law together.
Debbie Dinsmore
Women's Group
GROUP FULL
Tuesdays @ 10 AM
Adam and Eve, the serpent and an apple? Noah’s Ark and a worldwide flood? The Tower of Babel? Are these real or imagined? Stories or fact? What difference does it make anyway?
Genesis holds the keys to understanding the origin of sin and evil, the justice of God’s judgment, and the mercy of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind and hope for a lost and dying world. Truths found in chapters three through eleven of Genesis lay a solid foundation for the rest of the story.
Genesis holds the keys to understanding the origin of sin and evil, the justice of God’s judgment, and the mercy of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind and hope for a lost and dying world. Truths found in chapters three through eleven of Genesis lay a solid foundation for the rest of the story.
Jeff Frazier
Co-ed Group
Wednesdays @ 7 PM
Millions of sermons and thousands of books have been written on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In it, we see the clearest description in the entirety of scripture of what it looks like to actually live like a Christian. Jesus’ sermon paints a picture of the type of kingdom God is interested in building. It is countercultural. It is confrontational. It is dripping with God’s grace. In it we see what we consider to be an upside-down kingdom. A kingdom where the first are last, the weak are made strong and the dead are raised to life. In it we are reminded that God takes the losers of the world and makes them children unto himself. Join us as we take our time to slow down and deeply consider the words of Jesus and how they apply to our lives today. No one is argued into the kingdom of God or convinced by flattery that Jesus was who he said he was. Rather, through resurrection power imparted by the Holy Spirit, God uses his people as the primary means by which he testifies to the salvation he has offered.
Tricia Coblentz
Women's Group
Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is one of the most treasured books of the Bible… and for good reason. In this short epistle, Paul somehow takes the entirety of the book of Romans and beautifully reveals the totality the gospel and the redemption found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ephesians is a letter where the apostle Paul perfectly balances the deep doctrines of our faith with the imperatives to live it out in community with each other and in our relation to the world. Most famously, Paul confronts his readers with the reality that both comforts and offends: “It is by grace you have been saved”. Left to our own devices, we are wholly incapable of saving ourselves. For only in the death and resurrection of Jesus do we find this salvation and the ability to live it out. Join us for food, fellowship, and study as we seek to mature in our understanding of biblical faith and what it means to be “created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
Laura Wallace
Women's Group
Wednesdays @ 9:30 AM
Each gospel presents a prominent aspect of the person and work of Jesus which is not always so apparent in other gospel accounts. While the gospel of Luke focuses on Jesus’ heart for the world and John’s gospel presents Jesus as the divine word made flesh, Matthew goes into great detail of Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one of God who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of Israel’s coming King and Savior. He really was the God-Man who Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and other prophets spoke of and he really did fulfill the promises that were made centuries prior to His birth. What is unique about this gospel in comparison to the others? In Matthew, we encounter the Sermon of the Mount, many parables, and a longer version of the Olivet Discourse, one of Jesus’ most profound sermons. This shortened study (12 weeks) is for women who to dive deeper in God’s word while discovering unique aspects of our Lord in the gospel according to Matthew.
Efrain & Cristina Castillo
Spanish Group, Co-ed
Tuesdays @ 7:00PM
En Español - This Fall we will be covering the first five books of the Bible - the Pentateuch. In this study we will be looking particularly at how God’s story began. From the life of Adam and his fall into sin through the Exodus of Israel and the story of Moses, we will see our Creator-God progressively reveal himself to his people. We will explore the questions of God’s sovereignty, judgment, and redemption as we consider man’s role in his cosmic redemptive plan. As we encounter the life of Abraham and the first family of our faith, we will realize we are in good company when we reflect on our own sin and God’s gracious and persistent heart to forgive us. We will also consider the Old Testament Law, its purpose and if it applies today. Ultimately, we will see how the seeds of the gospel were there all along, God intricately weaving Christ’s salvation from the very beginning.
John & Kristina Schlothauer
Co-ed Group
Thursdays @ 6:30 PM
The book of Acts explores the birth of the early church after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This text provides us the historical account of what God did through the apostles after the gospel became the new reality which permeated our universe. It’s author, Luke, meticulously recounts the ministries of both Peter and later Paul as the gospel starts to spread throughout the Mediterranean, Asia, and Europe. In it, we see God’s miraculous works through the hands of faithful men, entrusted with establishing God’s new covenant people through the power of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This is a book of full of miracles, martyrdom, sermons, and imprisonments all rooted in the reality that we worship a God who is mighty to save. Join us as we utilize the ESV Study Bible to explore the origins of the church, what God’s intent for it is and how to live as faithful followers of Christ amid life’s pressures.
John Caprine & Joel Brizzee
Co-ed Group
GROUP FULL
Thursdays @ 6:30 PM
The message of LGBT+ has become the ruling idol of our day. Its ideology is rooted in an understanding of ontology, sexuality, and gender that is completely foreign to scripture. It is upending thousands of years of Christian conviction of what it means to be a man or a woman, made in the image of God, possessing a God-given pattern and purpose. The battle has become inescapable – we see it in politics, schools, families and even the church. It has permeated everything and is gaining traction in every direction we look. What do we do with it? Are we destined to capitulate to a redefinition of biblical sexuality? Is there hope in such darkness? This small group will confront the lies that conventional wisdom spreads on the issues of homosexuality, transgenderism, and the belief that the gospel is bad news for anyone who identifies as LGBT+. In order to live as faithful Christians we need to consider how we think about these issues, speak about them, and what the godly response is to those trapped in the lies of the world. The truth remains; the gospel is still the best news for the times in which we live. Join us as we read 5 Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield, focusing on the 3 lies of homosexuality, pagan spirituality, and transgenderism.
Grace Panknin & Theresa Dunn
Women's Group, Child Friendly
GROUP FULL
Fridays @ 10:00 AM
Motherhood is a joyful task and a profound privilege. It can also be an exhausting endeavor and overwhelming burden. Mothers live in the tension of these realities and often wonder how the gospel is worked out amid the schoolwork, homemaking, and unfortunate conniption fits. Providentially, the word of God has much to say about mothering. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, mothers are given much insight and needed encouragement in how to go about raising their children in the Lord. The often repetitive and seemingly mundane tasks have a pattern and purpose which culminate in the gospel of Jesus of Christ. This group is for mothers who want to seek to live out their faith in their mothering. We will be reading “Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments” and invite you to come alongside other mothers (and grandmothers) to learn, be encouraged, and find hope in the gospel. This group is child friendly!
Steven & Danica Henry
Family Group - childcare provided
GROUP FULL
Fridays @ 5:30 PM
Quite often, questions arise after hearing the word of God preached from the pulpit. Perhaps something that is said did not make sense. Maybe there was a word of encouragement that sustained you throughout the week. Regularly, there is a particularly convicting message that you wish to explore further. This is how the Holy Spirit works – He speaks through the word of God in preaching and is intent on offering encouragement to the weary and conviction to the unrepentant, inciting the hope of the Gospel to all who hear. For the bulk of the semester, the sermon series will be covering the book of Ezekiel. This small group serves as an opportunity to discuss the previous week’s sermon and dive deeper into its various themes. Please join us for dinner, fellowship, and a time of study as we seek to apply the lessons learned from our sermon series.
We'll gather for dinner at 5:30 PM and begin our study at 6:30 PM
We'll gather for dinner at 5:30 PM and begin our study at 6:30 PM
Garrett & Erin Wheeler
Family Group - childcare provided
Sundays @ 3 PM
Studying When People are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch
We live in a world fraught with people vying for our time, attention, and affections. This happens to such a degree that we functionally live as if the people around us are bigger than the God we worship. We elevate others’ opinions of us and seek their approval. Or we get busy, overwhelmed, and distracted by our own tendencies to try and fix the brokenness in others, resulting in the further fracturing of our own hearts and minds. The Lord becomes small. An afterthought. An impotent and distant God who serves as a fellow servant to the people in our lives who we treat as masters. This small group will study how to put God back in his rightful place as Lord of our lives. In reading through Ed Welch’s, When people are big and God is small, we will explore how the Lord perfectly fits our need for him and that only in Jesus do we find the remedy for our wandering souls.
We live in a world fraught with people vying for our time, attention, and affections. This happens to such a degree that we functionally live as if the people around us are bigger than the God we worship. We elevate others’ opinions of us and seek their approval. Or we get busy, overwhelmed, and distracted by our own tendencies to try and fix the brokenness in others, resulting in the further fracturing of our own hearts and minds. The Lord becomes small. An afterthought. An impotent and distant God who serves as a fellow servant to the people in our lives who we treat as masters. This small group will study how to put God back in his rightful place as Lord of our lives. In reading through Ed Welch’s, When people are big and God is small, we will explore how the Lord perfectly fits our need for him and that only in Jesus do we find the remedy for our wandering souls.
Jovan & Molly Luna
Family Group - childcare provided
GROUP FULL
Sundays @ 3 PM
The Corinthians were a deeply messed-up church and there is no way around it. When reading Paul’s letter to Corinth, we are confronted with jaw-dropping church dysfunction – dissensions, divisions, infighting, backstabbing, jealousy, drunkenness, idol worship and rampant sexual immorality, to name a few. Yet, we are also confronted with something far more profound: Paul loved the Corinthians deeply with undying affection. In this study we will be forced to confront the realities of sin (both individual and corporate), repentance, faith, and the wisdom of godly living. In it we will see some of the most profound words on love that have ever been written while simultaneously reading some of the harshest words penned by New Testament authors. We will come to realize that many of our problems today are not much different than the churches who lived thousands of years ago. The truth is, if there was any city in ancient times that looked like Las Vegas, it was Corinth. Join us as we explore how to remain faithful while living in a culture that is anything but.