spiritual life and service
Bertha Munro, the first dean of Eastern Nazarene University, once said: “There is no contradiction between the best in education and the best in the Christian faith.” Eastern He said that at the heart of Nazarene University’s vision is a commitment to integrating “the best of the Christian faith with the best of education.” With a diverse background of faith, Eastern Nazarene University supports students’ spiritual growth and provides opportunities to practice their faith. The Office of Spiritual Development promotes spiritual transformation through programs and services such as faith formation, service opportunities, pastoral care, and leadership development.
faith formation
chapel
Students learn what it means to be in a relationship with Christ and dig deeper into their personal faith journeys through chapel experiences and on-campus worship.
disciple group
In addition to chapel, one of the most important opportunities for spiritual growth in our community is small group discipleship. Small groups provide opportunities for more genuine and authentic discussions that are not possible in larger groups. We offer full chapel credit for participation because we believe the spiritual growth that can occur in small groups is so important.
Small groups can take many forms. This can be done in person or remotely via a conferencing platform such as Zoom. You can focus on a topic, book, or scripture of your group’s choosing. We can also help you think about what you want your group to be and what its focus will be.
In other words, we want to offer you a lot of freedom and flexibility so that you can create or find small groups that are of interest to you and most beneficial to your spiritual growth. If you would like your small group meetings to count toward chapel credit, we ask that the group leader, with approval from the Office of Spiritual Development, update us regularly on how the group is doing. If you are interested in leading a small group, please complete an application in the Spiritual Development Canvas course or contact iela.galiano-williams@enc.edu.
service opportunities
FUSION short-term mission
The FUSION program is designed to give students the opportunity to connect with God’s activity in a context that transcends lines of difference. In 2019, fusion teams in San Diego and Tijuana partnered with an organization called Global Immers to experience the immigrant journey and delve into the human and social issues that affect immigrant families in the United States. Another fusion team in Puerto Rico He visited the area and helped local leaders rebuild the community, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria. In 2018 and 2019, a team led by psychology professor Dr. Catherine Bell and soccer coach Mark Bell was sent to Zambia where Christian relief agencies provided food, bed nets, school visits, and homes to people living with HIV/AIDS. Assisted in providing visits. For more information, please contact Lisa Michaels at lisa.michaels@enc.edu.
chapel team
Students have the opportunity to develop their creative talents as musicians, singers, and songwriters, and lead their peers in weekly chapel services. To apply to the Chapel team, please complete an application in the Spiritual Development Canvas course. For more information, please contact Lisa Michaels at lisa.michaels@enc.edu.
summer service activities
Student-led summer ministry teams visit camps and churches on the East Coast. This is a long-standing tradition and a valuable experiential learning experience for those interested. Each summer, the university sends a team of students representing the school to serve as pastors at East Field at Nazarene Church and other Christian camps and retreat centers. These teams are selected in the fall and sent out from June to August. For more information about summer ministry, please contact Madisen Fernandez, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, at madisen.fernandez@enc.edu.
pastoral care
University is an exciting time for students, but it can also be a difficult time for some. The Office of Spiritual Development is dedicated to supporting students throughout their time at Eastern Nazarene University.
If you need spiritual guidance, pastoral counseling, or just someone to talk to, please feel free to contact someone in our office. We will arrange a time to meet.
Lisa Michaels lisa.michaels@enc.edu
David Young david.young@enc.edu
leadership development
The Office of Spiritual Development is committed to developing spiritual leaders in students by sponsoring students who wish to attend leadership conferences and by offering internships and employment as student ministers. Eastern Nazarene University is committed to supporting students who wish to dedicate their lives to the service of God’s Kingdom.
Eastern Nazarene University also offers degree programs for students interested in further study of religion or careers in service. Students can choose to major in religion, Christian ministry, children’s ministry, youth ministry, or worship arts. For more information about degree programs that allow you to serve and lead others, please visit our main page or contact Pastor John Nielson at John.Nielson@enc.edu.
daily prayer card
Daily Prayer Card for the East Nazarene University Community
spiritual development staff
Dr. David Young
chapel priest
Assistant Professor of Biblical Literature
David.Young@enc.edu
lisa michaels
Associate Pastor of Missions
lisa.michaels.@enc.edu
robert vanbecerer ale
Faith Formation and Discipleship Coordinator
robert.vanbecelaere@enc.edu
Giovanna Pere
Service and Mission Coordinator
geovanna.pereira@enc.edu
