The Christian Life Community (CLC) is for people who want to understand more deeply how God is at work in their everyday lives. We meet regularly in small groups to pray and share, supporting one another through the ups and downs of ordinary life. In listening to one another, we grow to understand ourselves, deepen our relationship with God, and discover more clearly how each one of us is uniquely called to respond to God’s love.
CLC might be for you, if you:
– are searching for space in your life to deeply reflect and pray
– want to meet and share with others
– are trying to work out how God is calling you
– want to integrate your faith and life more closely
– are interested in Ignatian Spirituality
What is CLC?
The Christian Life Community is not so much an organisation but a way of life inspired by the spirituality of Saint Ignatius. We embrace this way of life as a means to enable us to bring together our faith and our lives so that we are aware of God in every aspect of them. Some of us come to CLC without any prior experience of Ignatian spirituality; others come after discovering Ignatian spirituality in various ways, such as weeks of guided prayer or retreats.
CLC Worldwide
The Christian Life Community is made up of 60 national communities worldwide. At local level, small communities commit themselves to meet regularly in order to support each other in their lives of prayer and service.
The CLC Way of Life
CLC does not have a rulebook, but a set of flexible General Principles, which help to give shape to our lives. These set out the following three characteristics:
Spirituality: living prayer
+ We try to pray each day, learning to meditate on the Scriptures and to reflect on the working of God in our lives. This helps us to grow in sensitivity to the ways God is leading us.
+ We see our relationship with Jesus as central to our lives.
+ We grow in our experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius through retreats and by using Ignatian methods of prayer.
Community: a Spiritual Family
+ In our regular community meetings we listen to how God has been at work in each other, receive support, and are encouraged to persevere in deepening our union with God.
+ At regional and national meetings we are put in touch with the wider community, and we widen our horizons.
Mission: loving service
+ We are companions of Christ in his mission to establish the reign of God wherever we live or work.
+ Through prayer and community, each of us discovers the call to serve Christ in the home, at work, in the Parish, in the local community and through wider organisations.
Where is CLC?
There are over 50 groups in CLC England and Wales, including Plymouth and Falmouth. If you are interested in joining the CLC, in Plymouth or in Devon or in Cornwall, please contact Elaine Young: elaineclcplymouth@gmail.com. For detailed information about the CLC, please visit the Christian Life Community’s webpages on the Jesuit website, www.pathwaystogod.org under the heading: ‘My Prayer Life’.