We are Joe and Sarah Caples. We live in Midtown Sacramento with our three sons, Kaleb, Levi, and Judah.
Before we found Forge, we felt like we were on our own in our desire to live incarnational lives in the neighborhood God had moved us into.
We knew that connecting with our neighbors on an authentically personal level was what was needed. And we were already seeing positive results. But, we didn't feel like we had much of a support system.
Most of our Christian friends didn't understand why we weren't in a church building as much anymore. Or why we weren't trying to bring our neighbors to church. We were starting to question whether or not we were on the right path.
Then we found Forge Sacramento. The conversations we had at our first gathering were enough to hook us. These people were trying to do the same things we were. And their stories gave us hope and encouragement.
As we built relationships with more people connected to Forge, we knew we had found the support system we needed to remain faithful to God's calling on our lives.
Because of the encouragement and support we have received from Forge, our impact in our city has increased tremendously.
Our neighbors know that we actually care about them, and many of them consider our family to be part of their families. Business owners and employees throughout Sacramento know who we are and what we believe, and they open up to us in powerful ways.
And people who do not yet know Jesus repeatedly tell us they are grateful for the relationships we have together, and they wish more Christians would engage in their community like we do.
When our time as residents came to an end, we wanted to do everything we could to help others who are discouraged like we had been.
The reason we stepped up to lead Forge Sacramento when there was a need for new leadership was for people in the same position we found ourselves in. To ensure there would always be a place for missional practitioners in need of encouragement and like-minded Christians in Sacramento.