Each year, in the beautiful natural environment near Oregon's Smith Rock State Park, the Common Ground church plant hosts "On This Rock," a weekend event that blends an appreciation for the outdoors and deep, authentic conversations about faith and belonging. Designed to bring together people of a variety of faith backgrounds and world views, On This Rock has quickly grown into a cherished community tradition in Central Oregon since it began in 2022.

For Pastor Kevin Wilson of the Sunnyside Adventist Church, speaking at On This Rock marked a new sort of ministry experience. “I don’t consider myself too much of an outdoorsman, so when I was thinking about this event I wondered if the people there would be interested in what I was going to share, you know?” he reflected. “Usually before I speak somewhere I try to really think about points of connection between myself and whoever is listening, and I wanted to understand this culture a little more.”

On Saturday, in between sharing messages for the day, Pastor Kevin found himself hiking and reflecting on his own spiritual journey. “Smith Rock and the area around it is just gorgeous!” he shared. “Something happens when you are in nature – it feels like the line between my humanity and God becomes thin. Like I can connect with Him in a way I typically would not be able to outside of nature. It was beautiful to be surrounded by the grandiosity of all the rock formations. I found myself hiking up Misery Ridge and had a really nice clarifying moment at the top of Smith Rock. I'd been talking to God about some things in my life and there was a lot of clarity I experienced through that.”

But according to Pastor Kevin, it wasn’t just the scenic location that made On This Rock memorable – it was the careful, intentional approach to gospel-centered community. "One of the things I appreciated was that On This Rock didn't feel like a church service. Not that church services are bad, but it was this interesting space to creatively explore what the gospel can look like,” said Pastor Kevin. "Especially for young adults who are in the reconstructing phase of their faith, or those who want to find themselves among like-minded, spiritually curious peers, this is one of the best places to be. There are so many people of all age groups there, but they're all oriented toward a theological imagination that's filled with grace, centered on love for humanity, and open to conversations about empathy, justice, and the gospel. I think for anyone interested in those things – especially people who are also interested in exploring the outdoors – this event is a no brainer."

This year, On This Rock raised money for Redmond Middle School Climbing Clubs and provided free climbing experiences to roughly 60 people! You can learn more about On This Rock and the Common Ground church plant by visiting www.commongroundbend.org.

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