The Holy Spirit is moving on John Brown University’s campus, and the worship night at the campus coffee shop, Ground Floor, was a great way to see it. On Sept. 30, during Homecoming week, students, faculty and staff gathered in Ground Floor’s new outdoor area “Spees Plaza” for a relaxed time of worship and prayer. This was the final station for the“Worship in the Wild” series, where Chapel and worship were held in various spots around campus, including the quad, Walker Student Center, the cathedral, the gym and finally, Ground Floor. The dimly lit atmosphere prepared the attendees to turn their eyes from the things of the world and onto the Lord.
The worship was conducted by chapel band drummer Alexa Austin; co-leader and acoustic guitarist Michael Sneed; keys player Jon Woodard; leaders and vocalists Charis Stegall, Sarah Sustaita Garcia Hannah Cheney and Mackenzie Pollard; and Worship Director Candace Coker. Chapel band leaders and vocalists led the congregation through scripture reading and prayer.
Coker shared that the outdoor gathering space had been designed with worship and similar events in mind. Homecoming week also made Ground Floor the ideal choice for this event.
“When Homecoming week came around and we realized that the donor to the plaza would be visiting JBU, we thought it would be fun to kick off our very first chapel band-led worship night there — to invite him into what we hope will be the first of many JBU worship nights in that space,” Coker said.
This worship night served as an inauguration for the space being meant for worship.
“Many years ago, the Lord gave me a passion for the concept of ordinary spaces becoming sacred spaces… my hope is that we’re encouraging students to recognize holy ground all over campus and that God is ready to meet with them in any place and at any time,” Coker said.
Cultivating a heart for worship on campus, regardless of setting and circumstance is a large part of Coker’s vision for spiritual life on campus this year.
“With worship nights, this is really about creating more space for the student body to bring their hearts to the Lord in environments where they may feel more relaxed and free to bring their authentic selves into worship,” Coker said. “It’s also a way for me to encourage our student leaders to delight in the Lord and in communal worship itself, rather than delighting primarily in the settings in which worship happens. When we can find as much joy in worshiping together in a coffee shop or classroom as we would in a cathedral, I think it has a purifying effect on our worship.”
Coker’s heart and work with the chapel band team have been evident in the response to the various worship events.
“The most impactful thing about leading worship at Ground Floor was seeing people so comfortable and relaxed while worshipping. Worship in the cathedral feels formal for most people, and while it is still wonderful, it tends to feel a bit more rigid and uptight,” Cheney said. “But, last night at Ground Floor, everybody worshipping there seemed truly comfortable, taking whatever posture they wanted to. It was so cozy, and it really allowed me to feel the Spirit, because their comfort relaxed me as well.”
This ability to take a comfortable, natural position in worship was a highlight of the night and reflected the heart of what is going on with spiritual life on JBU’s campus.
“Spiritual life on campus this year is feeling very abundant and vibrant… The engagement during worship, I feel, is increasing over time. People seem like they are more comfortable in worship, and they seem like they truly want more from Him,” Cheney said.
Coker’s thoughts on worship are reflective of this increase of desire in the student body.
“My personal conviction is that true worship is about love. It’s expressing love to the One we adore out of an overflowing heart, and in a way that He would best receive it. But we can't adore someone we don't really know or like. So that’s what’s on my heart for myself and for the students this year: How do we deepen the sincerity of our relationship with the Lord so that our musical worship becomes an overflow of something that is being sincerely cultivated in secret?” Coker said.
The efforts to meet the goals set by the worship ministries team are looking promising as Cheney shared her experiences with students.
“I also hear from others frequently about how God is moving on campus, and there have been lots of little and big encounters and wins this semester. Overall, I feel that people are really seeking after God in every aspect, and God is showing up for the students,” Cheney said.
The hearts of the worship team were on display during this worship session, and it provides hope and anticipation for how the Lord is going to be working through the student body, faculty and staff at JBU.
Illustration by Julia White
