Southern Nazarene University

Overview

Chapel is an indispensable means of addressing each participant – evoking commitment in spirit, bringing illumination to the mind, and motivating the body to service.  Chapel serves as a place for the SNU community to gather, to participate in a common worship time, to hear from a diverse group of teachers and preachers so that we might grow together, and then serve the world in which we live.  All students carrying six hours or more of university credit are automatically enrolled in chapel – Religion 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000.

Description

Chapel serves as the only weekly all campus gathering.  We meet twice a week.  We hope to equip students to live out their Christian faith in all settings and circumstances of life, strengthen community ties, allow persons the opportunity to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through confession of sin and profession of faith, and integrate important social, moral, intellectual, and political issues in a Christian faith and learning context.

Instruction Materials

• Bible (if you do not have a Bible or would like one in your native language please contact the Spiritual Development office at 717.6216 or spiritualdevelopment@snu.edu)
• Journal (optional)

Learning Objectives

1. Hear the gospel and respond.
2. Gain an appreciation for the integration of faith and learning.
3. Experience worship as a wholistic endeavor engaging the heart (emotion), the mind (intellect), and the body (service).
4. Hear the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith: creator, redeemer, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, salvation and living a Holy life.
5. Learn the implications of loving the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30).
6. Be presented with opportunities to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).
7. Become more global in your thinking and perspective. Understand worship as a lifestyle and not an event.
8. Develop a personal spiritual journey through an understanding of the Bible and the practice of spiritual disciplines.
9. Learn about the Nazarene tradition in which our University has its roots.
10. Become familiar with the contribution of various church traditions to the general church’s journey of faith.

Student Requirements

All students carrying six hours or more of University credit are automatically enrolled in chapel (Religion 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000). Students are required to obtain 27 credits per semester in order to pass chapel.  There are approximately 30 chapel services or convocations offered each semester.  Chapel credits may be earned in the following ways: 

1. Attendance at chapel services and 7:20 Friday Morning Prayer Services (1 credit per chapel, however Friday Morning Prayer services are not offered all semester long). Friday Morning Prayer Services are held in the Prayer Chapel, and regular chapel services are held in Herrick Auditorium.
2. Participation in weekly spiritual formation exercise: Bible Study, Accountability Group (1 credit per activity, maximum 5).

   A Bible study must be an on-going group whose sole purpose is to gather for spiritual growth and development by regularly studying the scriptures together. Sometimes the main text is a religious book. These are not "one shot" experiences where a group of friends happens to get together and the conversation turns to scripture.

   An accountability group is an on-going group whose sole purpose is to strengthen, support, and hold accountable brothers and sisters in Christ. Bible study and prayer may or may not be a direct part of this gathering. Essential elements to these groups include: consistency, trust, honesty, confession, and support. An accountability group is not a "one shot" deal where a group of friends just  happens to get together and the conversations turns to areas of one's life where there is struggle.



3. Participation in a Mission trip. 

   Trip must take place during the semester in which the student is applying for the credit (1 credit per day of work, maximum 5).

   Note: Prayer Activity MUST INCLUDE another component. (#2 above)

4. Service Project: A service project must be done through an organization (e.g., SNU, or a local church, or parachurch organization). The project must have clearly defined goals and a leader that can verify the project took place. The project must be done within the same month that the enrichment is submitted.

Enrichment Chapel Credits

Definition: Chapel credits 2, 3, and 4 above are considered acceptable enrichment chapel credits.    Five of the 27 credits may be earned as enrichment chapel credits.  Activities that are not acceptable for enrichment credit include (but are not limited to) the following: Sunday morning church or any activity for which you receive class credit or a scholarship for attending.  You must not be required to be there in order to receive enrichment credit. 

Applying: Students may apply for five enrichment credits per semester. Enrichment credits must be submitted within the month they are earned (All events that took place in March must be submitted in March).  In the comment section you must include the book or topic discussed in the comment section in order to receive credit.  To submit an enrichment credit:

• Log on to my.snu.edu
• Go to “My Stuff”
• Click on the “chapel”
• Click on “Enrichment Credit Petition”
• Choose the category for your petition (Spiritual Formation, Service Project, Mission Trip)
• Fill in the information
• Submit

Following Up:
To check on the status of your enrichment credits:

• Go to your my.snu.edu web page
• Go to “My Stuff”
• Click on “Chapel”

Under Enrichment Credit you will find the following options:

• Approved
• Pending
• Unapproved

You may click on any of the above title headings to view the progress of your petition.
If an enrichment credit is declined with the message “Need More Information” students may resubmit the activity by adding more information to the comment section and changing the date to the day after the activity took place.  Deadlines still apply to resubmissions.

Deadline:  The last day to submit enrichment chapel credits are as follows.

Fall 2009- Thursday, December 10th.
Spring 2010- Thursday, May 6th.

Behavior: 
Promoting an environment that is conducive to worship, listening and community celebration is vital. Certain activities, while appropriate in another setting, are considered inappropriate for Chapel.

Such activities include:

• Talking or activity which is determined to be distracting or disruptive
• Eating and/or drinking
• Wearing and/or listening to radios/stereos
• Use of laptop computers
• Use of cell phones
• Use of gaming devices

Students engaging in such activity will be subject to loss of credit for their attendance that day. Students who continue to behave in ways disruptive to the goals of Chapel or who attempt to receive credit for Chapel when they are not present will be subject to disciplinary consequences.

Evaluation

Students are required to earn 27 chapel credits per semester.  Fines, probation and failure will be based on the following scale:
27-33 credits    Pass
22-26 credits    $20 fine per credit missed up to $100
15-21 credits     Chapel Probation & $150 fine
0-14   credits    Chapel Failure & $200 fine

Students with either Two semesters of Chapel Failure, Three semesters of Chapel Probation or consecutive semesters of either Chapel Failure or Probation will be suspended from SNU for one Semester. 

To request permission to re-enroll following the semester of ineligibility, a student must submit a written appeal, which will then be considered by Student Development/Spiritual Development administration or a designated committee.

Integity

Integrity is expected of all students at SNU.  It is an integral part of the educational process where learning takes place in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.  Each student is responsible for his/her maintenance of high standards of academic ethics, personal honesty, and moral integrity.  Dishonest behavior will be dealt with fairly yet firmly. 

The Spiritual Development office realizes that there are numerous ways to “scam” the Chapel Attendance and Enrichment Chapel Credit system.  While recognizing this we also realize that it is the responsibility of each student to conduct their lives (both public and personal) with honesty and integrity.  For this reason, we allow you, the student, to monitor yourselves; however we will address issues of integrity when they are brought to our attention.

Late Work

Students who wish to submit enrichment chapel credits are allowed to submit them for the month in which they occur.  Students may submit up to 5 enrichment chapel credits per semester.  No enrichment chapel credits will be accepted after December 11, 2008 (Fall Semester) or April 30, 2009 (Spring Semester).  These deadlines include any enrichment chapel petitions that are being resubmitted with more information.

Weekly Assignments

Below is the weekly chapel schedule.  Chapel is held twice a week:
Tuesday (10:50-11:35 AM); Thursday (10:50-11:35 AM).

ADA Statement

If you need assistance with a learning or physical disability that may affect your participation in chapel, please contact the Academic Center for Excellence at 491-6694.  In addition, specialized services are available for first-generation (neither parent earned a bachelor’s degree), low-income, disability and international students.