beliefs

A 19th-century hymn begins: The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is the foundation for the Christian Church universal and also for the local body of Clemson Presbyterian Church. It is a privilege to join with faithful believers in our local community and throughout the world who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9). Jesus is both our salvation and our foundation.


We also recognize certain distinctives as a Reformed congregation of the PCA Church. Though we stand firmly on these truths and hold tightly to our convictions, we seek to present our beliefs in a way that is not divisive. If you have questions about what we believe, we hope that this page will answer some of those questions.


We are Biblically grounded

We believe that the Bible is God’s living word and completely true in all that it teaches. Because it is God’s gracious self-revelation, we joyfully submit to its authority in all areas of life.



We are Gospel centered

We believe that the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for sinners can transform any life, family or culture. Therefore, we are optimistic about the power of the Gospel and full of joy because of its work in our life as a church. We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and for the glory of God alone.


We are prayerfully dependent

We believe in the power of prayer, expecting God to accomplish surprising things when His people express their total dependence on Him. Therefore, we are boldly asking God to do things so magnificent that we know we could not possible achieve them in our wisdom and strength.


We are outwardly focused

We believe that our community is a mission field and our gateway to the world. We do not exist solely for ourselves, but for our friends and neighbors who do not know Christ. Because of where God has placed us, the students of Clemson University are central to our outreach.


We are historically connected

We believe in the historic creeds of the early church. We are Protestant, affirming the unique authority of the Scriptures; Evangelical, acknowledging the supernatural character of our God; and Reformed, believing that salvation is by grace alone and that God is sovereign.


As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), we affirm the Westminster Confession of Faith along with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine found in the Holy Scriptures.

our values and goals

Worship

As we gather together on the Lord’s Day, we celebrate the glory of God and the glorious hope we have as His people. We desire genuine and passionate worship of the living God and we long to “glorify and enjoy Him” in all things. As the Body of Christ, we worship the living God in Spirit and in Truth through song, corporate confession of sin, congregational prayer, affirming the creeds of the early church, and participating in the sacraments of The Lord’s Supper and baptism.


Growth in Grace

The Gospel of Grace and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit change people! We believe that the primary means by which Christians experience significant growth in grace is through the ministry of the Word and Spirit, through communion with God and with one another in prayer, and through the celebration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper in the context of Christ-centered worship.


Fellowship and Service

We believe that all Christians — including our children and youth — are called to pursue fellowship with other believers. We also believe that the most significant growth in grace takes place in the context of the Body of Christ in which believers are committed to one another, seeking to encourage one another, meeting one another’s needs and spurring one another on toward the sacrificial service of love and good deeds throughout their communities and the world. We seek to develop relationships which center around the Gospel and embody the “one another” commands of the New Testament. Regularly serving together to put “hands and feet” to the Gospel is a sacred part of fellowship within the Body of Christ.


Evangelism and Missions

Evangelism begins with gratitude. Because of our deep appreciation for the grace we have received in Christ, we long to see friends, neighbors, family members, and even strangers receive this grace and come to a saving knowledge of Christ. We seek to be equipped for the everyday mission field we each inhabit as well as to participate in the work of missions in other parts of our nation and world. For more information of CPC’s involvement in missions, click here.


Biblical World and Life View

Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? Our goal is to equip everyone in our church — from children to our senior members — with the discernment to view all of life through the lens of Scripture and to stand confidently on its truth. A Biblical world and life view begins first and foremost with an understanding of God’s Word, but it also includes training in Reformed doctrine, basic apologetics, and a redemptive framework for understanding all of history.