Emily Harman: Loneliness Thrives in Isolation

Loneliness thrives in isolation—but God met me through community.

Through my time in Grace Groups, I’ve experienced a deeper relationship with God and a stronger sense of connection to the Westside congregation. Week after week, it has been such a gift to sit with the same group of women and work through deep theological truths together.

There is something powerful about not only studying Scripture, but doing so in community—learning from one another, listening to different perspectives, and seeing how God’s Word uniquely speaks into each of our lives.

Hearing how a passage impacts the other women in my group gives me fresh insight and challenges me to dive even deeper into Scripture on my own.

Grace Groups have also been instrumental in helping me build meaningful relationships within the Westside community. I love getting to meet the family members and friends of different women in my group on Sunday mornings—it makes the church feel smaller and more like home. Even when I arrive to service by myself, I know I’ll likely recognize a familiar face and have someone to sit beside.

That sense of belonging has been such a comfort.

I’m incredibly thankful I decided to join a Grace Group in 2023 and look forward to continuing to grow with this community in the year ahead.

One of the most meaningful moments in my Grace Group came during a time of story sharing, when I opened up about a difficult season of loneliness. I knew the women in my group would be encouraging, but I didn’t expect to hear that two others had walked through a similar season the year before.

Realizing I wasn’t alone—and having others who truly understood—was a profound gift from God.

While I still experience moments of loneliness, I no longer feel isolated. Through my Grace Group, God has given me friendships rooted in the Gospel—friendships that walk alongside me in hard moments, point me back to truth, and remind me of God’s faithfulness and deep love.