Chapel Attendance Policy



Chapel Attendance Communication

Chapel at Messiah College is a central expression of our identity as a community of Christians with a deep commitment to spiritual growth and academic excellence. Chapel is a required opportunity for exposure to forms of worship, various speakers and ideas which are put together with the intention of affirming our common commitments while they both reflect and challenge individual preferences in style. Though we hope that students will be challenged in their faith through chapel, we realize that spiritual nurture is ultimately a function of each person's will, preference and responsibility and cannot be subject to requirements. Chapel is required as a common experience. Spiritual nurture is each student's own responsibility.

Messiah offers a variety of different chapel experiences. Common Chapels, for the entire student body, are held in Brubaker Auditorium on Tuesday and a few Thursday mornings. Elective Chapels, which offer students a choice between liturgical worship, Bible teaching, praise and worship, mission awareness, a gospel style service, and more, are held on the remaining Thursday mornings at the regular chapel hour. Alternate Chapels are services held at other times and planned by various student organizations and special interest groups.

Each student is required to attend 24 chapels per semester. Twelve of the chapels attended must be Common Chapels held in Brubaker Auditorium; the remainder may be Elective or Alternate chapels. Students record their chapel attendance electronically with student I.D. cards. Students who attempt to falsify chapel attendance credit will be referred to the office of Community Development for disciplinary action.

The responsibility for verifying chapel attendance records rests with the student. Students' chapel attendance records are posted on the students' Self Serve Banner Link in MCSquare.  College Ministries will activate an online chapel notice form twice during the semester.  Please use this form to submit ALL chapl attendance corrections.  Corrections are not to exceed 3 per notice plus all 3 corrections must be made in one submission.