Leaving Chapel: Faith in the College Years

We are fast approaching the end of another school year, preparing to send off an outstanding group of graduates—and as always, there is that familiar bittersweet sense of excitement and pride mixed with the inevitable sadness of saying goodbye. This time of year causes me to reflect on the experiences of our students and ask myself: Are these students ready to take on the world? Have we done everything we could to equip them to live full lives once they leave our campus?

Have we prepared them well?

Preparing students to go out into the world from the perspective of a faith-based university involves more than just the basics. Of course we challenge our students intellectually. We ensure they have access to internships and research opportunities. We guide them as they create resumes and coach them to brave their first job interviews with confidence.

But there are deeper, even more foundational preparations to be made, and I find that they parallel the reasons why students choose faith-based universities in the first place—and why they’re happy with that choice.

Truly preparing them well must include helping them to grow in their own personal faith during their college years. Encouraging them to consider their spiritual development as part of their education is mindfully woven into everything we do—even into our curriculum.

Mark Peacock is a professor and the director of our MBA program. He says that “Integrating values, ethics, and faith into the curriculum not only enriches the student's academic experience but also prepares students to be ethical leaders and compassionate citizens in an ever-changing world. My hope is that in teaching Business Ethics with a grounding in timeless principles and moral values, our business graduates will emerge as thoughtful, broadly prepared individuals who are equipped to make a positive impact in their professions, communities, and beyond.”

In weaving that sense of faith into life on campus, we create a close-knit community steeped in our shared values, even as diverse views can surround those values. Community involves a sense of being at home, of closeness and belonging, and of bonding over common interests and beliefs. It means getting students involved and invested in life on campus—offering opportunities for them to find their people, so to speak. Madeline Lake, a senior Political Science major, says it so well: “TLU is one of those places where there is something for everyone to do. It was so easy for me to get engaged and be a part of this vibrant community. Being involved has made my time at TLU an incredibly joyful experience.”

Hannah Hansen, a senior Theology-Youth Ministry and Psychology major, is an active member of our campus ministry program. “Through the opportunities that campus ministry has provided me with to grow in my faith, and the community of students and faculty at TLU that have been so open to theological dialogue, I can say without a doubt that I have grown spiritually in my time at TLU,” she says.

Students like these who attend faith-based colleges and universities value being part of a community that supports them while also challenging them. They grow in faith during their college years in part because they are challenged to broaden their thinking and grapple with the big questions in life. They cherish the opportunity to come together in worship on a regular basis, and they bond as they work together to serve their community.

Our campus is centered around our beautiful chapel where countless prayers have been lifted over the years by our students. But as we launch our graduates, I realize that it’s what happens when we walk out of that chapel that is the true indicator of how well we’ve prepared them. And come May, when it’s time to see our graduates off, I have every confidence that they’ll be prepared and ready to fly.