Carolyn Beck can trace her journey to Good Shepherd through a series of simple invitations.
But the story really begins years earlier.
As a middle school student in Lawrence, KS, Carolyn was part of a youth group where a handful of teenage girls formed a small group together. Those friendships became a meaningful part of her faith journey. It was a place where she felt known, supported, and connected.
Carolyn never stopped looking for that same sense of belonging.
Through college, marriage, and eventually raising a family in Kansas City, she visited different churches, hoping one would feel like home. While each offered something meaningful, she never found the kind of authentic community she had experienced as a teenager.
Outside of church, life was full. Carolyn was a mom, had a satisfying HR career, and coached CrossFit. As a coach, she understands that lasting health includes not only physical health but also emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
Then came a conversation at the gym.
Several members of the Good Shepherd staff trained with Carolyn, and as with many workouts, conversations naturally extended beyond the exercise itself. One day, the conversation turned to her daughter’s preschool, and a staff member recommended Little Lambs Preschool. The timing couldn’t have been better. Carolyn and her husband enrolled their daughter and quickly realized they had found more than a preschool they loved.
That simple recommendation led to another invitation.
During one of their early-morning workouts, someone casually remarked, “Now that your daughter goes to Little Lambs, you should come check us out on Sunday.”
So she did.
At first, she attended on her own. Before long, her daughter wanted to know where Mom was going every Sunday and wanted to go too. Soon, Carolyn’s husband decided that if his wife and daughter were going, he wanted to experience it as well.
What began as a simple invitation gradually became a place where their entire family felt at home.
Still, Carolyn discovered that Sunday mornings were only part of the story.
“The messages were always relevant,” she said, “but what made the biggest difference were the relationships.”
Then came another invitation, this time to join a women’s small group.
Sitting around the table with women from different backgrounds and life stages, Carolyn found herself thinking back to those middle school years when a small group first shaped her faith. Once again, she was surrounded by people who encouraged her growth and genuinely cared about her life.
“Church can sometimes become a Sunday morning checklist,” she reflected. “But when you have people walking alongside you throughout the week, your faith becomes something you live instead of something you attend.”
For Carolyn, those friendships became a source of encouragement and accountability. She noticed that people showed a genuine interest in her. Just as consistency builds physical strength, she believes authentic relationships help build spiritual strength.
That realization sparked another thought.
What if today’s teenage girls could experience what she experienced years ago?
Today, Carolyn, along with Ashley Macken, leads a small group for freshman girls, creating the kind of safe, welcoming space that once shaped her life. Though the group is still growing, their hope is simple: that every girl knows she is seen and valued, and that she has a place where she belongs.
Looking back, Carolyn sees God’s hand in the ordinary moments.
A conversation at the gym.
A preschool recommendation.
An invitation to Sunday service.
An invitation to join a small group.
Together, they became the path that led her to belonging.
Today, she’s extending that same invitation to the next generation.
