Chapel Information
Purpose
The purpose of Chapel is to bring together the entire campus in a shared spiritually enriching hour which allows us collectively to be challenged to explore the depths of God's truth and love. Chapel is structured as "the President's Class," and accordingly it is led by the President of the College, Dr. Roger Parrott. The Director of Student Leadership handles questions and issues regarding attendance. Satisfactory participation is required of all students for graduation.
Presentation
Along with exposure to a variety of worship styles and traditions, Chapel brings top quality preachers to campus, as well as Christian speakers from the marketplace who share the opportunities and necessity of active Christian leadership in all sectors of society. Thus, during the semester, Chapel speakers may include preachers and leaders of service ministries, as well as those who speak from a Christ-centered perspective on education, the arts, business, government, science, the family, and various complex contemporary issues. While Chapel is most often structured as a worship service, the purpose of Chapel is somewhat different from the systematic spiritual development students receive from their local church. And thus, Chapel is purposefully designed never to take the place of a local church in a student's life.
Participation
Students' attendance in chapel is required because, within our Christian framework, we believe that all teaching of truth must be built on a foundation of God's truth. Thus, in the same way we require students to study the truth of physical science, the arts, and literature, there is no contradiction in requiring students to study God's truth. As the study of chemistry cannot be completed from a textbook alone, the study of God's truth also needs a "laboratory" for experiencing and understanding, for it is not enough to study the Bible without having exposure to the worship of God and an opportunity to understand the relationship offered to us in Christ.
Expectation
The expectation for students during Chapel is to show respect by listening and not being disruptive. All cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off or set to silent. Students should be seated in the auditorium until after the Benediction verse has been completed. A current Belhaven ID card must be scanned when entering and exiting the Concert Hall to record attendance. It is the responsibility of the student to insure the ID card is current and functions properly when scanning in and out of Chapel.
Chapel Credit
As with any class, students should keep a record of their Chapel attendance. All questions regarding Chapel credit, both for the current semester and past semesters, should be sent to the Office of Student Leadership at chapel@belhaven.edu.
Students may also submit a written request for their Chapel record information in the Office of Student Leadership. Please allow five business days for responses to all submitted questions. Specific Chapel record information will not be provided on-demand in the Office of Student Leadership.
At these links, you may view the current Chapel schedule and download the Chapel exemption form (PDF). The complete Chapel policy may be viewed on pages 17-19 of The Kilt (PDF).If you need to perform community service in order to receive Chapel credit, be sure to read the entire community service Chapel credit packet prior to beginning your community service. Community service must be completed according to the guidelines on the first page of the packet.
All questions regarding Chapel should be directed to the Office of Student Leadership at chapel@belhaven.edu, at 601.968.8990, or in The Cube, Office 101.
Exemption/Credit
Chapel is held every Tuesday morning from 11:00 to 11:50 in the Center for the Arts. All students who are not exempt from Chapel are required to attend a minimum of ten (10) sessions each semester they are enrolled at Belhaven. Additional opportunities for Chapel credit (other than the regularly scheduled Chapel hour) are noted in each semester's Chapel schedule and include events such as Campus Day of Learning; other opportunities will be publicized on campus. Chapel attendance is included in the student's transcript and is a requirement for graduation. As with any class, students should keep a record of their Chapel attendance. Exemptions from the Chapel requirement are available only for the following students when accompanied by supporting documentation:
a) Enrolled in less than twelve (12) hours
b) Employed full time (at least 35-40 hours per week)
c) Enrolled in the Aspire program
d) Taking 51% of their classes in the evening
e) Fulfilling a required student teaching assignment
Applications for exemption are granted by the Director of Student Leadership and are valid for one semester only. This means exempt students must submit and verify exemptions on a semester-by-semester basis. Exemption forms are available on Blazenet and in the Office of Student Leadership (The Cube, room 101).
It is the responsibility of each student to keep a record of his/her Chapel attendance. All questions regarding Chapel credit, both for the current and past semesters, must be submitted electronically by emailing chapel@belhaven.edu. Please allow five business days for responses to submitted questions and requests. Chapel credit information will not be available by phone or on-demand.
Chapel is non-academic credit, and an "S" (Satisfactory) or "U" (Unsatisfactory) will be entered on each student's transcript concerning the Chapel requirement. Until the Chapel requirement has been met, diplomas will be held, and the student will not be considered a graduate of Belhaven or be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Community Service
Students who have not attended the required number of Chapels during a semester may receive attendance credit by serving in the community with an approved organization. A list of approved organizations is attached and available on Blazenet.
Each service session of 2 hours equals one (1) Chapel attendance requirement. The guidelines for community service are as follows:
- Two hours of approved community service fulfills one Chapel attendance credit
- Community service must take place with an approved organization (list is available in the Office of Student Leadership).
- Community service must be properly documented with a report form.
- Community service is not granted for experiences such as mission trips, academic internships, employment, summer camp staffing and spring break projects.
Students are strongly encouraged to complete and submit the community service requirements prior to final exams, to be recorded on the current semester’s grade report. All community service forms must be turned in to the Director of Student Leadership. This process must be followed to have a “U” in Chapel changed to a “S.”
Chapel Questions
All questions regarding Chapel credit, both for the current and past semesters, must be submitted electronically by emailing chapel@belhaven.edu. Please allow five business days for responses to submitted questions and requests. Chapel credit information will not be available by phone or on-demand.
