皇家华人

Students are surrounded by light and beauty in every direction as they enter the new chapel located at the heart of campus.

Tall double doors, framed by two towering paintings depicting the Peaceable Kingdom, described in Isaiah, usher visitors in and prepare them to learn, reflect and worship. There is no technology here – no speakers, projectors or screens. Instead, the sun illuminates the space, shining through stained glass windows on both sides.

“In this space, there’s no hiding at all,” says University Pastor Jamie Johnson, describing the intimate 7,000-square-foot building completed last fall. “I think that’s a really good thing – it reminds everyone there they are part of a worshiping community.”

At first, Johnson and the university’s spiritual life team wondered if this new space would work for weekly chapel services. Unlike the spacious Bauman Auditorium, the smaller venue could not accommodate all campus residents at once. And without the use of technology, how would students sing and worship together?

So they got creative. To address the lack of screens, the team created liturgy books with prayers, hymns and artwork. “They have been a wonderful addition to our worship in the new chapel,” Johnson says, “and each semester we will create a new book that is centered on that semester’s chapel themes.”

“The chapel changed how students enter into worship. It opens up our eyes and our hearts to the Creator.”

And to accommodate a large number of students, the number of chapel services offered each week was expanded from two to five, each with a different emphasis to accommodate different spiritual needs.

“The chapel changed how students enter into worship,” Johnson says. “I’ve noticed, as people come in, there’s more of a reverence. But there’s more to this than just the building. It creates a more holistic experience of who God is, what God invites us into, and the story that we’re a part of. It opens up our eyes and our hearts to the Creator.”