Fulfilling the Chapel Requirement Through Service
Fall 2008

Local Community Service Director: Becky Owen
Office: Agape Center c/m Box #3027
Phone: x3891
E-mail: rowen@messiah.edu

Objectives

• To provide an alternative option to fulfill chapel credit
• To model worship through action and reflection
• To provide an opportunity for growth in self awareness, worldview development, faith development, and world awareness
• To provide an opportunity include community service in the schedule to encourage service as a lifestyle during college and beyond

Who Can Apply?

1. Sophomores, juniors and seniors may apply to participate for a maximum of two semesters.
2. Team Leaders may participate for all semesters of their sophomore, junior and senior years.
3. All students must be clear of chapel probation to be accepted.
4. Admission is limited to the first 50 students who are accepted. Additional openings will be provided for eligible Outreach Teams Coordinators and Outreach Team Leaders.

Application Process:
Students must complete a Service for Chapel intent form on-line. Team Leader candidates must also fill out a Team Leader application.

Requirements:

• 1 orientation chapel
• 8 site visits (2 logs)
• 2 assignments
• 1 debrief chapel

Fall Program Schedule:
Monay, September 8th On-line applications due
Tuesday, September 9th Orientation chapel @ 9:30-10:15a.m. Boyer 131
Friday, October 24th Service Log #1 & Assignment #1 due
Tuesday, December 9th Debrief chapel @ 9:30-10:15a.m. Boyer 131
Friday, December 12th Service Log #2 & Assignment #2 due


Chapel Make Up Procedure:
If you miss a site visit due to sickness, weather or cancellation, you may do one of the following to make up that unit to avoid chapel probation:

• Read an approved article on service supplied by the program director and write a 200 word response paper.
• Attend your service site more than once a week to compensate for up to 3 lost site visits.
• If you absolutely cannot attend your own site, you may attend a different site in addition to your primary site to compensate for up to 3 missed site visits.
• Attending regular chapel meetings do not count towards fulfilling chapel credit through service.

Consequences for Incompletion:
If for any reason a student decides, or has been asked, to discontinue their service commitment before the first Service Log & Assignment due date a release form, signed by the Local Community Service Director, must be submitted to College Ministries immediately. Chapel credit will be assigned at the discretion of the College Ministries office according to the service hours completed, and the remaining requirement will need to be fulfilled by attending chapel. Medical or family emergencies will be handled according to the standard chapel policy.

Students who fail to complete the full service commitment or the agreement stated on their release form will be placed on Chapel Probation and will incur the appropriate consequences as per the Chapel Attendance Policy.

Time Commitment:
In order to receive full chapel credit for the semester, a student must attend all training sessions and serve at their approved site weekly for 8 visits. Training consists of two sessions: one for orientation during the second week of chapel each semester, and a second for debriefing/celebration meeting at the end of the semester. Students are also responsible for two reading and writing assignments to be handed in with their service logs twice a semester (see Assignment Guidelines). Students serving in the spring are automatically exempt from J-Term chapels.

Exclusions:
Students on disciplinary, academic or chapel probation are not eligible for participation in this program. Fall and Spring break service projects are not eligible for chapel exchange credit. Service Day participation is expected of all students and therefore will not be eligible for this program. Students may not receive credit for chapel and for the service component of a course from the same service site visit.

Deadlines and Accountability:
An On-Line Intent Form is due to the Local Community Service Director by the date announced at the beginning of each semester. Fifty openings are available and registrations will be closed when these spots are filled. Eligible student leaders from Outreach Teams will be provided additional openings.

Students' site visits will be recorded through the Outreach Teams leader and reported to the College Ministries office on the day of the last chapel of the semester. A self-evaluation will be completed at the final debriefing/celebration meeting.