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SMALL GROUPS
Small groups are explicitly relationship-based
gatherings. This is in contrast to the typical
concept in American Christianity of a lay person
taught "Bible study," which is an information-based
or knowledge-based gathering. Our whole purpose for
meeting together in small groups is to develop our
relationships with God and each other.
In each meeting we take time to get to know each other
better, discuss and apply the Bible to our lives,
and pray for each other. In addition to the small
group meeting times, people often
get together informally in a variety of ways.
The activities they participate in together
include having meals together, going to events,
and helping each other out with specific needs.
There is a great deal of variety in how we meet
together. Some groups have a definite beginning and
end (such as a semester), whereas other groups have
been meeting together for years. Some meetings have
a specific purpose such as intercessory prayer. The
frequency of meetings also varies with the group.
Every small group is open to newcomers or visitors
at any time. You are welcome to try out a variety
of small groups. You will probably discover you
are building wonderful new friendships along the way!
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Our Vision for Small Groups
God created us with a need to be in relationship with
Him as well as in healthy relationships with other people.
Within the first few pages of the Bible, God makes
it very clear that it is not good for a person to be alone.
Jesus died not only to take care of our sin problem,
but also to provide the solution to our sense of aloneness.
How does He do this? By working through our relationships
with one another. There are over 50 "one another" verses
in the Bible, instructing us to take care of one another,
love one another, serve one another, encourage one another,
pray for one another, etc. God wants to use us to help
meet each other's needs!
We are committed to relationship-based ministry because
we all need healthy relationships with other people to
grow and become mature in Christ. Our western society is
often impersonal and frequently dysfunctional when it comes
to relationships. Deep interpersonal relationships were a
hallmark of the early church and are a priority for us at
Clemson Community Church. With them we offer the love of
Christ to a broken and hurting world.
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Experience It
There are two ways to learn about the various small
groups in our church. For the more "formal" groups,
please see the current church bulletin. For informal groups,
introduce yourself to someone you don't know and make a friend!
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