small groups

Special study during Lent -- 40 Days In The Word

During the season of Lent, Horizon Church will be participating in the 40 Days In The Word campaign. This exciting study will help you dig into God's Living Word, and help you apply it to your life! We will be forming several small groups to go through this 6 week study, and pastor Bud will be shaping his sermons around the weekly themes of the study. The kickoff for Horizon will be February 26! We encourage each of you to plug into a small group during this time, and join us as we spend 40 Days In The Word!

Session Titles:
  • Session One: Pronounce It!
  • Session Two: Picture It!
  • Session Three: Probe It!
  • Session Four: Paraphrase It!
  • Session Five: Personalize it! and Pray It!
  • Session Six: Principles of Bible Interpretation

locations and times

There will be sign up sheets at church for each group that has formed for this study. It is never too late to join a group! We hope you will consider joining us for this adventure! All groups are opon to anybody who wants to join.
Sunday mornings, 9 AM
This group will meet at Horizon before our Sunday morning worship.
Sunday evenings, 7 PM
The Schneck family will once again be hosting our Sunday evening group. This is a very kid friendly group!
Tuesday evenings, 7 PM
Andrea Coyne will once again be hosting a group on Tuesday evening. The group is open to anybody this time. Andrea and Rich Peachey will be co-leading this group.
Thursday evenings, 7 PM
This group is also open to everybody, and will be meeting at Rich Peachey's house (unless somebody else would like to host!).
Are you a morning person???
Tim Demott is willing to host a morning group if there is interest. Please contact Rich Peachey or Tim Demott if you would be interested. The exact morning is TBD based on interest.
Teachers Small Group -- First Wednesday of each Month
The Sunday school teachers and helpers meet together on the first Wednesday of each month. For the months of December 2011 through May 2012, this group will be working through the Prodigal God study.

questions and answers

How do I get a book? Sign up on Sunday morning, or let Rich or Bud you know you want to attend. We will order the workbooks for you!
How much do the books cost? The books are $10, but please do not let that be a reason to not participate if you don't have or want to spend $10. Take a book, and donate what you can.
Does everybody need a book, or can couple's share? Either way should work. There is a page in the book for each of the 40 days where you are encouraged to read and reflect on a short passage, and are encouraged to journal some of your thoughts. If couples are sharing books, those daily exercises can bo done on seperate sheets of paper. Here is a sample chapter to give you idea of what the workbook looks like.
Is there a lot of homework? The intent of this study is to help you create some space in your daily life to spent time in God's Word. There are daily scriptures that you will be encouraged to read during this study. But it should only take a few minutes of your time each day.

Special six week study -- the Prodigal God

Several small groups at Horizon recently went through a six week study based on Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God". The Prodigal God was a six-week experience for churches and small groups. Based on Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son, this book, teaching film, and discussion guide from New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller illustrate his core message: that the gospel is neither religion nor irreligion, neither morality nor immorality, but something else entirely. Both younger brothers and elder brothers in your church will realize that the only way home is through a prodigal God.

All of the participants who went through this study found it to be very interesting and eye opening. Take a look at what many of the participants had to say about their experience:

I enjoyed the fellowship with other Horizon members, everyone should try a small group. The fact that there is so much more about parables then what you can figure out on your own.

I enjoyed Tim Keller and his unique way of teaching the story of the Prodigal God. It was quick and to the point. He made you "want more " of what he was teaching....kinda like an evening soap opera...where they keep ya hanging...lol I never thought of that parable in that way....and I still think about it day to day...I guess that must mean I've learned something! lol lol

I was thinking more about this while doing the dishes & I think what I appreciated most was week 2 when he emphasized that Jesus was most effective among the irreligious of his day, and tended to be most offensive (and hence had most of his enemies) among the religious. After 3 decades of being in a profession that would categorize me as being among the religious, that's pretty sobering. I think Keller made a point that churches ought to have more of a reputation similar to Jesus!? I know, however, that to do so, you have to be prepped to take lots of grief (as a church) for being too lightweight, too worldly, unbiblical, and lots of other unfun stuff.

I liked looking at the parable in a different way and the interation / discussion within the group.

Focusing on the older son in this parable gave me a new perspective never thought about before. Very riveting! I enjoyed the small group discussion and sharing of ideas. We all got to know each other better. I learned more about my own family, too.

I pretty much enjoy any "small group" experience, you can find so many interesting things out about the people in your group that you never would have even thought about. For me, it gave me many more reasons to appreciate the people in my church, it opened my eyes to the struggles that each of them face daily and gave me the opportunity to pray for them and their families. I love that the people of Horizon don't feel shy about sharing and fellow-shipping with one another. My home is always open to group meetings....and the coffee is always flowing!

I too enjoyed Keller's in depth insight into the parable. I had never thought about many of the things he explained. But I agree with Missy, I enjoy any small group experience. It was great having a chance to connect people in Horizon in this unique way. Each discussion we had was fantastic, especially the times where there were different points of view being shared. I've actually missed it the last couple of Thursdays since we finished up this study!