Spiritual Life/Chapel Program
OUR STATEMENT ON SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Christian Spiritual Formation is the process by which God shapes the lives of those who confess and follow Jesus as Lord, transforming them into the likeness of Jesus, a process fully complete in glory. We recognize the primacy of Christ’s Church in the spiritual formation of believers and the richness of historical Christian thought and practice throughout the ages. Roberts Wesleyan College, as a Christian faith community, cooperates with the Christian Church and contributes to the spiritual formation of all in the community by:
- Providing opportunities for the gathered community to participate in the classic means of grace, such as the proclamation and teaching of the Word of God in scripture, worship, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper
- Providing an environment where people’s relationship with God through Christ is intentionally nurtured through the encouraged practice of communal and individual spiritual disciplines.
- Integrating a biblical, Trinitarian, orthodox Christian worldview and ethic into all aspects of the College: academic life, student life, and service to our neighbors and the world.
The RWC community is therefore transformed through participation in both the church and college so that we live lives directed to the glory of God and service to Christ and His Kingdom in all we do, in the diversity of our vocational callings and lives, as long as God gives us breath.
SPIRITUAL LIFE OPPORTUNITIES
"Community Gathering Chapels" held on Mondays offer students, faculty and staff the opportunity to worship together--to pray, praise God, and hear from the Christian scriptures. Our goal is to maximize opportunities for us to grow in Christ by building relationships with many different people in Christian Community. Students often find it meaningful to have mentors, spiritual guides, prayer partners or the like and Community Gathering Chapels are one way to connect with such relationships. Community Gathering Chapels are structured around monthly sermon series and reflect a breadth of Christian worship traditions over the semester. Wednesday chapels offer biblical messages and testimonies from local pastors and faculty, most commonly with student-led contemporary worship teams leading in the worship of the day. Fridays our Resident Directors host a different spiritual life option entitled, "Pardon the Interruption." These are discussions on different life relevant issues led by our Resident Directors. Saturday Service opportunities provide another, more active growth option to fulfill the spiritual formation credit requirement. These are offered 2 or 3 times a semester as scheduled. This requirement at Roberts testifies to the importance of spiritual and worship life in our educational community. Full time students are required to earn at least 22 spiritual life credits per semester, with at least one each week, so that spiritual life is fostered throughout the entire semester.
In addition to chapel and service opportunities, RWC has multiple opportunities for spiritual growth through small groups and campus ministries such as worship team, drama ministry, dance ministry and intercity ministry. Different ministries are facilitated by the students, the Chaplain's office, and faculty and staff. RWC also strives to offer a number of retreat and mission trip experiences each year where faith can be put into action as we gain a global understanding of God's love for all people.
As mentioned in our statement on spiritual formation, we also encourage everyone in our RWC community to connect with a local church since we believe that God ultimately is forming His people in and through the fellowship, worship, and teaching of the local church.