The Office of the Chaplain, in conjunction with numerous student ministry groups, has planned an all campus worship service for Monday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. Father Adam Rick, Hillsdale College’s Chaplain, said the idea initially sprang from the faculty.
“They desired to see an opportunity for campus to come together as one family to give thanks to God for the chapel because the main dedication service did not have room for everybody,” he said. “The idea has since matured into a student-led initiative to come together for corporate prayer inside the chapel to offer ourselves to God’s service within it.”
Student representatives from the Anglican Student Fellowship, Catholic Society, Equip Ministries, InterVarsity, Lutheran Society, and Orthodox Christian Fellowship worked with the chaplain to craft the service.
“I reached out to the student ministries to get representatives from each of them who would be willing to brainstorm what the event might look like,” said Father Rick.
Phil Berntson, vice president of Catholic Society, said he hopes the service will have a unifying effect.
“The service is a good way to get everyone together even if we don’t all believe the same things,” said Berntson. “We are all Christians sharing the same space and it’s important that it’s done out of good faith with each other.”
Senior Michelle Reid has been involved in planning Intervarsity’s contribution to the service.
“Father Adam told us leaders when we all met that this service was a blank slate that the administration wanted students to help craft,” Reid said in an email. “I’m excited to see how this service blends beautiful elements from all the traditions we bring to the table.”
Father Rick said the event will include scripture, chant, corporate prayers, and hymns.
“Our intent was to design a service that was genuinely reflective of the diversity of campus,” Rick said. “Dr. Arnn will give some comments on the sacred use of the chapel and what it’s for and I will give a brief address from the scripture readings. Ministries have historically all done their own thing and we’ve never done anything like this before, coming together to do what we have in common.”
