Chapel at Westmont
Believing that the worship of God is at the heart of all that we are and do, Chapel will be one of the core activities of your week. Chapel meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30 – 11:20 a.m. in Murchison Gym. The first thing you will notice when you come into the gym will be the friendly greeter who will hand you a Chapel card. It is your responsibility to fill out the card legibly with your name and ID number before the end of the Chapel service and return it to a greeter as you leave. These cards are used to enter your Chapel attendance. Please note: if you do not enter the correct information on your Chapel card, you may not receive credit for attending Chapel. The doors close at 10:30 and Chapel cards will not be handed out after this, so plan on getting to Chapel early.
The purpose of the Chapel ministry is to nurture the pure love of God in the church as it is gathered in a Christian liberal arts community. You can expect the musical aspects of the service to include the use of contemporary praise songs as well as traditional hymns of the faith. They will be led by the Director of Worship and Music, Joel Patterson, Chapel student worship teams, and different choirs. The teaching of the Word is foundational. Ben Patterson, Campus Pastor, speaks regularly as well as other members of the Westmont community and outstanding orators who represent the worldwide Church.
Chapel is mandatory. Only seniors in their final semester of attendance at Westmont are not required to attend Chapel. You are given 12 Chapel misses per semester. Feel free to use these absences at your discretion. Please be aware that illnesses as well as doctor and physical therapy appointments are not excusable Chapel misses and are counted as part of your 12 allowable Chapel misses. You can find listings of what constitutes a Chapel to be excused on our web-pages: www.westmont.edu/_offices/campus_pastor/chapel-attendance-policy.html. Each student who misses more than twelve Chapels will not be eligible to register for the following semester.
Chapel is not meant to replace the gathering of the church on Sunday mornings. Students are encouraged to find a church home. Some churches send buses, shuttles and vans to the campus each Sunday morning to assist you in getting to church. During orientation there will be a church fair on campus with representatives from local churches available to meet you and to give you information about their services. We encourage you to connect with the body of Christ beyond the walls of Westmont.
The Campus Pastor’s office is located upstairs from the dining commons in the Kerr Student Center and students are welcomed to make an appointment with the Campus Pastor, Ben Patterson, or just come in to enjoy a handful of M & M’s.