For many SNU students, chapel is an opportunity built into the week where they can find rest in between classes and turn their eyes towards Jesus for guidance, wisdom, and peace. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:50 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., students and faculty are invited to attend chapel services, often hosted at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene (BFC). SNU’s chapel services have evolved immensely over the past four decades into what it is today.
Since I started attending SNU in the fall of 2021, there have been at least three opportunities in the week to get chapel credits to meet the 25-credit Christian Formation requirement: Tuesday and Thursday morning chapel services, small groups, and Kerygma/Kingdom Come on Thursday night. Occasionally, students can earn additional chapel credits through various social and service-related events and activities. However, it was not always this way. Jim Smith, mass communication Professor and The Echo Faculty Advisor, attended SNU as a student in the early-1980s. Smith recalls, “Chapel was two days a week but we also had a ‘chapel hour’ on Wednesdays that was often used for special speakers.”
Kim Rosfeld, Ph.D., McNair Director and professor, who attended in the early-1990s mentions that aside from the three mandatory chapels, “we didn’t have alternative ways to earn chapel credit. We also had to get a lot more chapel credits.” Smith adds, “If you failed a semester of chapel, you were required to add an additional religion/theology class to your schedule in order to graduate.” Today, if students do not fulfill the 25 Christian Formation credit requirement, they must pay a fine for every deficient credit or complete makeup assignments. If they fail to do so, then they will be put on probation.
Besides the fundamental changes in chapel and the credit system over the past couple of decades, the look and feel of chapel services have also changed. For starters, chapel was hosted in Herrick until about five years ago when the switch was made to host it at BFC. Throughout my undergraduate experience, we have had many guest speakers who have spoken at chapel services. We have also had small groups, Kingdom Come, and Kerygma, which are mostly student-led.
Smith notes that during his time as a student, “The chaplain of the school delivered a sermon for most of the chapel services. The music mainly consisted of singing hymns from a hymn book.” Talk about a shift! We have gone from reading notes in a book to reading lyrics on a screen. Today, students are involved in leading worship in a contemporary worship style that differs from traditional hymns. For some students, the classic hymns are familiar, as some are integrated into contemporary worship music, but it is still different nonetheless.
People have various opinions about chapel, but regardless, there are some things that we can appreciate about it both now and then. Rosfeld appreciated when chapel highlighted students more and had fewer guest speakers than it does now. On the other hand, Smith relates how various guest speakers have impacted his chapel experience. “We had some amazing guest speakers when I was a student..that really challenged my way of thinking,” Smith states.
For current pastoral ministry major, Gisell Becerra, her experience at chapel has evolved through her years at SNU. Becerra expresses, “When I was a freshman I came in with limited theological knowledge, so everything sounded so beautiful.” As she has grown, she has had to learn how to “theologically analyze what is being said” while trying to be “as authentic and intentional” as she can in her faith. “I have to check myself and my mindset prior to chapels,” she continues. Becerra reminds us that although chapel can be easy to blow off, it can also be a time of reflection, growth, and community.
From past chapel experiences to new services, one thing has always remained the same: SNU’s love for Christ and dedication to keeping Him first in all things. Let this be a reminder of how truly blessed we are to attend a university that pauses in the middle of the day to worship God together.
Featured Photo by: SNU Creative