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Spring 2023 groups

Beginning January 29-February 4

Our faith is not meant to be lived out in isolation, but in community with others. 

What is a grow group?

These groups spiritually grow people, focus on a particular topic or book of the Bible, and meet weekly.

Example: Ephesians Bible study, marriage study, etc.

Click here to go to our current grow groups.

What is a connect group?

These groups focus on selected interests rather than spiritual topics. These groups meet weekly or as-needed.

Example: baking, golf, grilling, etc.

Click here to go to our current connect groups.

What is an outreach group?

These groups partner with local organizations to serve our community.

Example: Connie Maxwell Children's Home, Grace Home, DAZZ Crisis Pregnancy Center

Click here to go to our current outreach groups.  
Do you have an idea for a grow or connect group? Let us know!

Grow Groups

Spiritual Life 1.0

Group Leader: Jud Jordan

Sundays @ 5:30 PM beginning January 29
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Most, whether they grew up in church or not, have not been taught the practical, "how to's" of living out the Christian faith. As a result, they do not feel as connected as they would like with God. SL 1.0 teaches the time-tested, practical, “how to” practices for engaging God.

It specifically covers:
1. Understanding and experiencing the gospel. The Gospel, that is the Good News of what God has done for you, is the core of a vibrant faith. For the many who have not experienced how it radically transforms and establishes God as the center of their life, it is just a word. In 1.0, participants have the Gospel unpacked for them as well as walked into experiencing it.

2. Teaching "how to" do specific spiritual practices. 1.0 teaches the "how-to's" of prayer, reading scripture, hearing from God, praying with others, and other time-tested spiritual practices necessary in connecting with God.  

This is the starting place of all and the core course Embark was built upon.

Spiritual Life 2.0

Group Leader: Various Leaders

Time & Date TBD
Really growing close with Jesus involves allowing Him to shape our character and develop our inner man / woman.  This involves learning how to let Him search, reveal and speak into our character flaws, the ways we operate and how we engage others.  Through a time-tested, results-proven process, 2.0 carries participants through "Jesus directed self-work" that will develop a personal inventory of the things that shape how we think, act and respond to ourselves, others and God.  

Requirements:
• Completion of SL 1.0 is required prior to attending SL 2.0.

Spiritual Life 3.0

Group Leader: Jud Jordan

Tuesdays @ 5:30 PM beginning January 31
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Learning how to live out and organize our lives around the spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, fasting, silence / solitude, worship, work and Sabbath) is essential for deep connection with Jesus rather than trying to squeeze Him into our already busy schedules. This course teaches what the spiritual disciplines are, how to do them and how to organize our lives around them through teaching and in-depth discussion. This is a more intensive teaching that requires reflective homework / practicing the skills at home.

Requirements:
• Must have completed Spiritual Life 1.0.
• Although completion of Spiritual Life 2.0 is preferable, this does not necessarily mean you cannot register for the class.  We simply ask you discuss your desire to be a part of this class with your group leader for future clarification.  
• Must have a serious and committed desire to order your lives more around Jesus.

Sunday AM: Mark

Group Leader: Ley Pickens

Sundays @ 8:30 AM beginning January 29
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Mark wrote as a pastor to Christians who previously had heard and believed the Gospel. He desired that they have a biographical story of Jesus Christ as Servant of the Lord and Savior of the world in order to strengthen their faith in the face of severe persecution and to teach them what it meant to be His disciples. This discussion group will study the Book of Mark while focusing on fellowship and fun! This is our only Sunday morning teaching.

Exodus: Chapters 20-49

Group Leaders: Paul & Taylor Ott

Sundays @ 5:30 PM beginning January 29
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Studying the book of Exodus, simply put, shows us that God is reaching out for us and saves sinners. It tells us how God delivered the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness and yet, despite their continued grumbling, rebellion and sin, made a covenant with them. It is a condensed picture of the Gospel. This group will cover Chapters 20-49 as well as focus on fellowship.

Marriage: Art of Marriage & 5 Love Languages

Group Leaders: Josh & Heather Simmons

Sundays @ 5:30 PM beginning January 29
Location: Simmons Home
Childcare is available
A vibrant, life-giving marriage requires not only love but dedication, intentionality, and commitment in “becoming one” with your spouse. Learning how to put God at the center of that is not always easy. The Art of Marriage weaves together expert teaching, real-life stories, humorous sketches, and more to portray both the challenges and the beauty of God’s design for marriage. Coupled with the 5 Love Languages, this discussion group allows couples to establish relationships with others and gives opportunities to strengthen what God has already put together.

Women: Angels & Demons

Group Leader: Ann Foley

Tuesdays @ 10:30 AM beginning January 31
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Angels and demons are portrayed and discussed everywhere — from statues and paintings to poems and songs to the Internet. But are they understood correctly? With all the attention these beings receive, Christians are bound to get confused between what is often assumed to be “common knowledge” and how the Word of God actually portrays them. In this series, Dr. R.C. Sproul challenges many of the modern myths regarding these other-worldly beings by offering a biblical view of the spiritual realm. Join us as we study Dr. Sproul's video series, "Angels and Demons".

Enneagram: The Road Back to You

Group Leader: Erin Henderson

Wednesdays @ 5:30 PM beginning February 1
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Have you ever wondered why you process events in your life a certain way? Or have you wondered why you respond to things in life the way you do? The Enneagram is a personality tool to better understand how you see and inhabit the world around you. The wisdom of the Enneagram helps those who know it better understand their differences, practice compassion, improve their relationships, and find ways of being in the world that add meaning to their lives.

In this small group we will explore each type of the Enneagram so you can better understand yourselves. We will also learn how each type interacts in relationships and under stress. God has designed each of us uniquely and we can better understand God's love for us as we better understand ourselves!

Women: Spiritual Warfare

Group Leader: Beverly Thomas

Thursdays @ 6:30 PM beginning February 2
Location: 955 Riverside Drive
Are you fully equipped for spiritual battle? Do you even know how to recognize the enemy’s tactics? We will be studying living in spiritual victory using the book “Lord, Is it Warfare? Teach Me to Stand” by Kay Arthur. This study will discuss why we encounter spiritual warfare, where it comes from and how to defeat it using God's armor. (Ephesians 6:10-20). If you want to stand in the midst of your battles, this deep and challenging study is for you.

Saturday AM: Ephesians

Group Leader: Robert Smith

Saturdays @ 8:00 AM beginning February 4
Location: The Kuckery
Ephesians was written to encourage the believers at Ephesus. Paul reminded them that they are saved by grace through faith as a free gift from God. This gift of salvation in Christ includes wisdom, hope, understanding, and an eternal inheritance. God brings all believers together under one head—Jesus Christ. They are all adopted as sons and daughters of God and joined together as Jesus’ church. Paul then gave practical ways that the lives of all believers should reflect the reality of this amazing truth as they serve one another in the church, in their homes, and in the world.

Women: Surrendering the Secret

Group Leader: Evelyn Pickens

Time & Date TBD by participant's schedule
Abortion can be one of the most traumatic experiences in a person's life. Research indicates that one in four women will have experienced the pain of abortion. Through the years, these post-abortive women learn to live in silence and secrecy, stockpiling hurts they've buried deep inside.

Surrendering the Secret is a powerful 8-week Bible study guide to emotional healing and freedom after abortion, and is being offered by Embark Church for any woman in the Orangeburg and surrounding areas. Fill out the form below for more information about the date and time of this life giving post-abortion healing Bible study journey for women. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

Connect Groups

Financial Peace University

Group Leader: Tammie Smoak

Sundays @ 5:30 PM beginning January 29
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
Childcare is available
Everything you wish you’d learned about money. Financial Peace University is the course that’ll teach you step by step how to manage your money, beat debt, and build wealth.

Men: Let's Get Real

Group Leader: Bill Bennett

Tuesdays @ 6:00 AM beginning January 31
Location: 3600 Columbia Road
This group seeks to create a strong “band of brothers” who can confide, encourage and spiritually deepen one another in order to be the man God designed them to be. They move past surface level relationships to build unbreakable bonds using teaching, discussion, Scripture, and prayer.

Men: Pursuit of Manhood

Group Leader: Jeff Grant

Thursdays @ 7:00 PM beginning February 2
Location: Grant Home
A small group designed for men. In a world where marketing is around every corner and we're being told so many things, we can get overloaded with opinions! We will dive into the Word of God and unveil the truth of what manhood is.

Outreach Groups

DAZZ Crisis Pregnancy Center

Group Leader: Outreach Team

Time & Date TBD
DAZZ is a pregnancy center that exists to offer life-affirming support and education to the men and women of the Orangeburg area that are facing unplanned pregnancies.

They offer free pregnancy testing, STI/STD testing, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, parenting classes and pregnancy options counseling.

Grace Home: Women's Recovery Center

Group Leader: Outreach Team

Time & Date TBD
Grace Home is devoted to the restoration of women whose lives have been ravaged by alcohol and drug addiction. Grace Home teaches people how to walk in a personal relationship with Christ and begin to learn how to apply God’s principles in their everyday lives.

Grace Home has the capacity to house 16 women and offers a 13-week residential program free of charge except for a $400 refundable medical deposit for emergency purposes.

Connie Maxwell Children's Home

Group Leader: Outreach Team

Time & Date TBD
The children who come to Connie Maxwell are in the midst of the most painful and confusing times of their lives through no fault of their own. Out of that comes a lack of hope, trust, and faith. We work to restore their faith in family, themselves, and God and all that He can do to make their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for their future possible again.