The new midday chapel continues to fill Calvary Chapel up to capacity each week. Midday chapel is from 12 to 12:25 each Thursday afternoon and provides the opportunity for students to reconnect with God throughout their busy day. | Beth Crabtree/THE CHIMES
Spiritual Development added a new chapel, Midday, in response to the Off-Campus Community’s request for another chapel opportunity during hours when commuters are already on campus.
CHAPEL ADDED FOR COMMUTERS
“We want to be as accommodating as we can,” said Chad Miller, director of spiritual formation and soul care.
After the Spiritual Development team met with the OCC leadership in fall 2012, they heard many students ask for a chapel opportunity in the middle of the day, said Miller. They committed to the idea of Midday in a meeting on May 30 in response to this student feedback.
Currently, Spiritual Development has no future plans to add more Midday chapels on other weekdays. But that does not rule out the possibility, said Miller.
CHAPEL HELD THURSDAYS IN CALVARY CHAPEL
Midday is held from 12:00-12:25 on Thursdays in Calvary Chapel.
“It’s shorter than a lot of our services. But we find that it doesn’t take too much time for there to be a fruitful connection with God,” Todd Pickett, director of Spiritual Development, said.
The one Spiritual Development credit students receive for Midday’s 25-minute service was never in question.
“The variances are not so great [with other chapels] that we want to start slicing and dicing credits,” Pickett said.
Attendance has been growing since the first week. There were 285 students who attended the first week, 327 the second week and 357 the third week, according to chapel accountability coordinator Jonathan Wyatt. Although Spiritual Development is not surprised at the popularity, they are gratified, Pickett said.
NEW CHAPEL FOCUSES ON GOD'S BEAUTY
The new chapel’s premise is meditating on beauty and the God who is beautiful, Miller said. Students have been contemplating pieces of art for the past three weeks. He said he hopes to eventually involve the Conservatory of Music.
Midday chapel transitions from contemplating beauty to recollecting identity, said Miller.
Recollection does not necessarily mean remembering but to “re-collect” ourselves as children before God, according to Pickett.
“Often when the day gets going, we … forget for hours at a time that we are not loved just for our performance, but simply as children of God. This chapel draws us back to that place,” Pickett said.
Elissia Kim, a sophomore intercultural studies major, has attended three Midday chapels. Kim said she uses Midday as a time to think about the reason why she is doing school. It is a moment of peace, she said.
As morning, noon and evening prayer are historical Christian traditions, Miller said that he hopes Midday will branch off of Fives and help students develop a rhythm of prayer during these times.
“It’s really different than what I’m used to. I get to reflect on God [and] focus on him,” said Lauren Ades, a freshman English major.
Annika Tuttle, a freshman humanities major who has attended the first three Midday chapels, said she prefers Midday’s quiet introspection for her chapel experience over other options.
Many students are interested in attending Midday but have not yet gone. Braeden Sawyer, a junior cinema and media arts major, is attracted to Midday because of its flexibility.
“I really want to go,” said Sawyer. “It’s a good idea because if your schedule is really busy you can just pop in and out.”
