Spring semester for many students is full of assignments, tests, and the business that comes with being a college student. With the fast-track pace of a college student’s life, it can be easy to neglect one’s spiritual health. That is why throughout the semester, student organizations and faculty have multiple events planned that aid in the spiritual growth of students.
More traditional means of spiritual growth are cultivated and observed by the JBU community. This includes observing holidays on the traditional church calendar. At JBU this looks like observing the season of Lent, which lasts from Feb. 14 to March 28.
Lent serves as a 40-day period of fasting and prayer. For many Christians, Lent is a time of not only fasting from food, but other enjoyments such as social media, sweets, and secular music. This time of fasting serves as a time for strengthening and focusing on one’s personal relationship with Christ.
For those who choose to participate, JBU hosts an Ash Wednesday service on Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. that marks the beginning of Lent. This service not only serves to mark the start of Lent, but also invites students to participate in the 40-day period of fasting and prayer.
In addition to Ash Wednesday Service, JBU also hosts a Maundy Thursday service March 28 to commemorate the Last Supper of Christ. JBU’s Maundy Thursday service takes place during regular chapel time, an example of a spiritual growth opportunity built into students’ schedule this spring semester.
In addition to services observing Christian holidays, JBU also offers Men’s and Women’s spiritual retreats. These retreats serve as a time for students to join together and grow in community and spirituality. This years’ Men’s retreat will cover “Biblical Manhood” with speaker Maxie Burch. The Women’s retreat theme is “A Grounded Identity” and will host speakers Kim Cornett, Hope Cureton, and Michelle Kim. The retreats take place March 1-3, with sign ups closing Feb. 25.
JBU also hosts a number of spring break missions trips that are a great opportunity for spiritual growth and development. This year’s spring break trips will include opportunities for students to serve in Chicago, El Paso, and Dallas.
Aside from special opportunities for spiritual growth planned for the spring semester there are more simple and consistent opportunities as well. One such opportunity is The Gathering. Every Sunday at 9 p.m. students gather in the cathedral for an opportunity to join in worship and hear from a student speaker. The Gathering is not required but is a great opportunity for students to grow in their spirituality and community and start the new week grounded in worship and community.