Chapel is all about regularly coming together as a campus to worship our Savior, and it’s an integral part of our community’s spiritual life. When we participate in chapel together—from dynamic speakers, to student-led worship, to those who listen and reflect—we serve as faithful witnesses to God’s work in our lives and gain understanding about God and our roles as believers.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 10 am, regular university activities wrap up and the campus heads to chapel in the LaRita Boren Student Center. Unlike many Christian universities, Taylor chooses to not monitor chapel attendance—yet students fill Rediger Auditorium because they want to be a part of it. Chapel participation is expected, and the accountability to attend chapel happens organically through relationships, because when we care about each other, we want to see each other grow spiritually.
Chapel speakers come from around the country, world, and our own faculty and staff. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including theological, leadership, psychological, missions, philosophical, sociological, medical, and counseling. In addition, over 70 students are directly involved in chapel planning and production, including worship bands, video production, and chapel coordinators.
Almost every chapel service includes student-led worship. Every year, approximately five or six bands are assigned to lead the university in music, prayer, and scripture. These bands go through an audition process in the spring, and additional auditions are held in the fall to welcome freshmen and transfers who want to participate. Chapel bands are coordinated by Dr. Clifton Davis, and interested students can email him at cldavis@taylor.edu.
The All-Campus Communion service is the first gathering of the year for the entire community. It’s a special tradition where sophomores, juniors, and seniors prayerfully surround and lay hands on the new students. The service includes a time of prayer, worship, and communion. It’s a powerful beginning to the year, focusing our hearts and minds on Christ’s sacrifice and our calling to serve Him.
Spiritual Renewal is held twice a year, near the beginning of each semester. During each series, a seasoned and respected Christian teacher and leader challenges students and faculty from God’s Word. The Taylor community gathers four times over a three-day period, which includes uplifting singing and powerful teaching. Past speakers include Nirup Alphonse, Heather Larson, JR Briggs, Alistair Begg, Dr. Richard Allen Farmer, and Chris Williamson.
As the final chapel of fall semester, this Christmas chapel service brings the campus together to sing traditional, Christ-honoring carols and participate in a candle-lighting ceremony. With the chapel lights off and all of the candles lit, the student body sings an a capella version of “Silent Night,” reflecting on the birth of the “Son of God, Love’s pure Light.”
While we are deeply committed to worshiping together as a community, we also believe it is important for students to worship and serve within the body of Christ outside of Taylor University. In keeping with this philosophy, we encourage our students to be a part of the body of Christ by celebrating with one of the more than 60 churches in the surrounding area on Sundays.
Being part of a local church body provides an opportunity for students to not only benefit from the richness of our local congregations but also to serve those congregations in a variety of roles. Serving in this way blesses those who are receiving and deepens the faith of those who are giving.
We are always looking for excellent Chapel speakers. If you have a speaker suggestion, please take a few minutes to complete the form below!
