INGATHERINGS

How good and pleasant it is when God's people gather together... - Psalm 133:1a

SUNDAY MORNING

We have Bible studies for adults at 9:45 AM and our main service at 10:30 AM on Sunday mornings. Services normally conclude around noon, although people often stay and fellowship with one another for quite a while afterwards.

Dress is casual (although some people choose to dress up a little more).

Music is primarily contemporary, although some hymns are sung along with "scripture songs, " songs written by our sister churches over the last 50 years whose words are taken straight out of Scripture.

We offer a nursery for the entire 10:30 service. Younger children attend worship singing with their parents and then can go to classes while the main message is given. Families are welcome to keep their children with them for the entire service if they wish.

We take communion during the service as a church together once a month. We also have a "sharing time" once a month, a time where anyone can share what the Lord has been teaching them and in which we pray for one another. Services run a little past noon on sharing time Sundays.

FELLOWSHIP MEALS AND SMALL GROUPS

Fellowship meals provide an opportunity to get to know one another better and encourage one another in the Lord. Typically, these meals take place once a month right after our Sunday worship service. The fellowships most often take place at the church building, but also take place at several local parks where we have picnics.

Small groups include Bible study and discussion as well as prayer. Small groups are often for a particular group of people such as men, women, and teenagers. Meeting times, frequency, and location vary. Current opportunities are discussed during announcements during the church service.

COLLEGE STUDENT MINISTRY

College is a time of life where many people for the first time really explore who they are, what they really believe, and who they want to become. For the Christian, college is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become truly rooted in one's own faith (not one's parents' faith), to develop lifelong friendships with people who spur one on to follow Christ and love Him more and more, and to become a person of faith who influences their friends, coworkers, and future families for Christ.

Learning to truly live for Christ is "caught" as much or more than it is "taught," and for many people, college is the one time in their lives where there is time and flexibility to really grow and become discipled by those who are more mature in the faith.

Clemson Community Church's college ministry is all about giving students opportunities to grow. Through weekly Bible study/discipleship meetings, outreach opportunities, one-on-one time with our pastors and campus minister, and simply hanging out with friends who help one to grow, our college ministry is not about programs but about living life together in Christ much like the early believers did as recorded in the book of Acts.

DISTINCTIVES

At Clemson Community Church we strive to live as an authentic 1st century church in the 21st century. What does this look like?

Emphasis on developing deep, meaningful relationships with one another
Caring for those with emotional or physical needs
Being a praying church
Helping one another grow in faith and love
An outward focus - bringing help and the gospel to others

For us, church is not just a building (although we have one). It is not just a Sunday morning service (although we have that too). It is not measured by how many programs we have. (Most of our get-togethers are more informal.) It is not leadership-centered (although we do have pastors). It is about all believers in our local body living a Christ-focused life together, serving one another, helping one another, and loving one another.

Here are a few additional distinctives about our church:

We do not "pass the baskets" or ask for an offering. Our regular attenders simply give as the Lord leads. (We have a "giving box" that can be used anytime.)
We do not believe that a church needs full-time paid pastors in order to operate effectively. At present our pastors receive no funds from the church. All giving goes into outreach/evangelism activities, ministry to the needy, missionary support, support for our campus minister, secretarial support, and facilities maintenance.
We do not have formal membership procedures or mandatory newcomer classes. If you are a Christian believer who attends regularly, we see you as a "member" of the church.