As the last school year was winding down and our new leadership team was getting geared up, we realized there would be a handful of our core group here in Clemson over the summer. I put the idea on the table of having a weekly dinner at my house for whoever could come, as a way to build intimacy and friendships as well as start some new ones. When our leadership team went to Rockbridge for an Intervarsity camp, two staff members gave each of us a book called The Pursuit of God in the Company of Friends by Rich Lamb and encouraged us to read it together over the summer. The idea was manifested as dinner and hang out time every Wednesday night in my home.

The first weeks were comprised of just students who had been attending Greek IV and there was time for relationships to build on something deeper than a just a Tuesday night Large Group meeting. As the weeks went on, new faces began to show up as we each wanted to invite our friends who may or may not be willing to make the step of coming to a meeting during the year. The fact of the matter was that when you experience a community like the one we have been building, you want others to come experience it too, and that’s what happened this summer.

Friends who had never come to a Large Group meeting or to their house bible study came and enjoyed the company of a group of friends dedicated to the pursuit of God. Whether we all realized it then or not, many of the values of community that a few of us had been reading in the book had never found a better place for application. I learned more and more as the summer went on about how to create space for God to work through hospitality. Offering for someone to come into your home, enjoy a meal that they did not have to worry about paying for, and spend time with people who cared to meet and get to know them was such an impactful experience that generally if you came once, you’d want to keep coming. It caused people to want to know why this group was getting together, which opened the door for an explanation about our ministry and what we are about. These summer hang outs were whetting the appetites of our friends to come be a part of us, to share in our vision, and to get involved with this ministry.

The most beautiful part is that this was not because of anything we did or planned, but because a community of believers pursuing Christ together is something so foreign, contagious, and desirable that it drew people in through Him. He moved in hearts and relationships, built up community, and prepared for Himself hands that He wants to use. All this has led to momentum going into the busy school year instead of coming off of a summer lull, which has all of us that were involved very excited.

This Greek IV story was shared by Mike Kelly Author Website: http://clemsongreekiv.com Author Email: Contact Author Author Bio: Mike is currently a student at Clemson University where he is a member of Beta Theta Pi and is actively involved with Greek InterVarsity on campus. More Stories by Mike Kelly

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This post is tagged Bible Study, Community, Discipleship