Chapel at Messiah University

As a body of Christians gathered in an educational setting, Chapel is the place where the Messiah University community meets regularly to worship God together. Our gathering to worship is a vital expression of our faith, both as individuals and as an institution. Our sense of community ultimately is based on the fact that we worship and seek to serve a God who both stands over us all and undergirds each of our lives.

Because of its important role in our campus community, chapel attendance is an educational requirement for all full-time undergrad students at Messiah University. Chapel services feature leadership from students, faculty, staff, and special guests and are designed to support the University’s spiritual formation outcomes. Chapel is not intended to replace involvement in and commitment to a local church.

Chapel attendance requirements

Chapel attendance is an educational requirement for all full-time Messiah University undergraduate students. Residential students are expected to attend 14 approved chapel opportunities each semester, and commuter students are expected to attend 7 approved chapel opportunities each semester. Part-time students do not have a chapel requirement.

Services and gatherings are offered in various venues on most Tuesday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and Thursday mornings. Times and dates for all chapel opportunities are posted on the Campus Ministries website at the start of each semester. Students are responsible for recording their chapel attendance using iAttended.

Students who meet certain requirements are eligible to submit a chapel petition for a reduction or exemption during the first four weeks of the semester. Otherwise, students who fail to meet their chapel requirement in any given semester will incur a fine and be placed on chapel probation.

Recording chapel attendance

Messiah University uses iAttended for students to record and track their progress toward the semester chapel requirement. Once students download the iAttended app and register using their Messiah email, they scan a QR code at the end of each chapel service to record their attendance. Students can check their progress toward their chapel requirement through iAttended at any time. 

Chapel attendants are available at each exit to assist students with any questions or problems recording their attendance. Students are responsible for ensuring their attendance was successfully recorded in iAttended before leaving the chapel venue. If a short-term problem arises with the iAttended app or the device on which it is installed (e.g., phone camera breaks or battery dies), the student should seek assistance from a chapel attendant before exiting the chapel venue.

Any student who does not have consistent access to a smartphone or similar device for using iAttended should contact the Office of Campus Ministries for alternative means of recording chapel attendance.

For safety reasons, the doors in most chapel venues will be locked five minutes after the scheduled start time. After the doors are locked, students will not be admitted, and they cannot claim chapel credit.

Click here for step-by-step instructions for downloading and using iAttended.

A student involved in deception regarding any of the chapel attendance policies (e.g., sharing a QR code with another student, filing a dishonest exemption request) will incur the maximum chapel fine of $210. The student will also be required to meet with one of the campus pastors and will be placed on chapel probation for the following semester.  

Chapel etiquette

A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference. ~ Winnie the Pooh

Be present – Life is busy, and we all have a lot going on. That’s a really great reason to set aside things like homework, papers, email, and social media when you step into chapel. We invite you to put away your laptop and phone so you can be more fully present to the Holy Spirit and the community around you. Embrace the opportunity to “interrupt” your day with the gift of corporate worship. Everything else will still be there when chapel is over.

We need you – We hope chapel provides you with abundant opportunities to learn and to grow. But even on days when you feel like you didn’t “get” anything out of chapel, know that you “gave” something. Your very presence matters to our community. When you sing in worship or add your “amen” to a prayer, you are encouraging and strengthening those around you. The body isn’t whole when it’s missing a part. And even more importantly, in showing up to worship, you are giving to God the honor and glory due to God alone. Ultimately, worship isn’t about us—what we like or even what we learn. Worship is our response to an encounter with the living God. And God is worthy of our worship, all the time!

Unity in diversity – Worship also brings us together as a community of equals. It takes us out of our assigned roles (as students or faculty or staff) and reminds us that we stand on common ground at the foot of the cross. Furthermore, worship binds us together in a manner that transcends our differences of opinion and attitude, as we find unity in our worship of the one true God, even within our diversity. The Messiah community brings together people from a wide range of places and traditions, so some chapels will have styles of worship, prayer, and speaking that feel familiar and deeply resonate with you, while others may be new and different. Your favorite worship song may be totally new to the student worshiping next to you, and what you find strange or uninteresting might speak straight to their heart. Be open to God speaking through ways you didn’t expect—to you and to others.

Brubaker balcony – When chapel meets in Brubaker Auditorium, the balcony is designated as a sensory-friendly space. To help make chapel more hospitable for students with sensory-processing differences, the balcony has softer sound and lower lights. We also ask that students who choose to sit in the balcony refrain from typing on laptops or consuming food to keep noise to a minimum.

Food and drinks – Food and drinks are permitted (and occasionally provided!) in Brubaker Auditorium and Hostetter Chapel. Please be considerate of those who work hard to clean up after chapel and take care of your own trash. Only bottled water is permitted in Parmer Hall.

Timing – Chapels begin promptly at the stated time. Due to safety concerns, the doors will close five minutes after the service begins, and entry is not permitted after that time. If you need to step out during the service to use the restroom, please be prepared to leave your student ID with the attendant at the door. When you return, they will let you back in and return your ID. We plan carefully to ensure that chapel ends on time, but despite our best efforts, occasionally a service may run a few minutes beyond the stated time. If and when that happens, please be considerate of those who are on stage. We’ll get you off to class as soon as possible!

Honesty – A student involved in deception regarding any of the chapel attendance policies (e.g., sharing a QR code with another student, filing a dishonest exemption request) will incur the maximum chapel fine of $210. The student will also be required to meet with one of the campus pastors and will be placed on chapel probation for the following semester. We love meeting with students, but we don’t want this to be the reason why!

Chapel petitions

If one of the following conditions applies during any given semester, a student may request chapel exemption or reduction for that semester only: 

The student is engaged in a credit-bearing semester-long internship, clinical, or student teaching experience that directly conflicts with chapel times.

The student is enrolled in an accelerated program and taking a graduate-level course that directly conflicts with chapel times.

The student is employed off-campus for 25 or more hours per week.

The student has parenting obligations for their own children that prohibit chapel attendance.

The student is absent from the university for two (2) weeks or more due to illness or injury.  This exemption must be accompanied by an excuse from the student’s doctor or the Engle Center.

Any petition for a chapel exemption or reduction must be completed within the first four weeks of each semester. The only exception is petitions related to illness or injury, which should be submitted after the student’s return to the university.

Click here to submit a chapel petition. [Insert link to the new chapel petition form.]

Offices that coordinate student internships, nursing clinicals, and teacher education may submit a list of students for a semester-long exemption or reduction. Please consult with your program director if you are unsure whether they have already submitted your name for a chapel exemption or reduction.

A chapel exemption is automatically granted to students who are studying with off-campus programs for the semester.

No chapel exemption is necessary or available for missing a particular chapel opportunity (e.g., short-term illness, field trip, travel for an athletic event).   

Chapel probation

If a student has not completed his/her chapel requirement in a given semester, the student will receive notification that he/she has been placed on chapel probation for the following semester with the following consequences: 

A fine of $15 will be assessed for each unfulfilled chapel credit. For example, a student who attends only 12 of her required 14 chapels will be assessed a fine of $30. (Chapel fines are used to support student benevolence funds and student spiritual formation opportunities, including scholarships for conferences and retreats.)
An active chapel probation status may negatively impact a student’s eligibility for service in a student leadership position.

Appeals regarding a student's chapel probation status should be submitted via the student’s Messiah email address to the Office of Campus Ministries (campusministries@messiah.edu) within 10 business days of receiving notification. Decisions made by Campus Ministries may be appealed in writing to the Dean of Students. 