Thirty minutes before doors opened, the parking lot was full and cars lined the streets. By 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2016, nearly 800 students, faculty and staff overflowed in Spring Road Christian Church for the first community chapel of the academic year. The Marching Skyhawks kicked off the night by marching in and playing the Skyhawks Fight Song. The Point family was excited to all fellowship together once again.
Senior Garret Motes and junior Re’nold Kent led the congregation in worship, singing songs about freedom to emphasize this year’s spiritual formation theme, “Unleashed.” Dr. Joshua Rice, professor in Point’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies, spoke about how Christ has unleashed us from hostility, both to ourselves and to others. He encouraged the audience to free themselves from bitterness and anger; “Forgive everyone, every time.”
The night centered around the verse from Ephesians 2:14, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”
As chapel closed, Wye Huxford, vice president for spiritual formation, asked every student, staff and faculty member to write down on a sheet of paper one thing that holds them back from truly following Christ. He then instructed everyone who wrote something down to place their sheet of paper in burn barrels as they exited the church. Burning their burdens in the barrels represented the freedom they have to surrender their strongholds to Christ and wholeheartedly serve him.
Chapel is a long-held tradition for Point—representing a time when the Point family can leave behind the stresses of college life to worship and fellowship together. Many alumni remember the days of weekly chapel held at the East Point campus, when classes would stop for a worship service and joint meal of fried chicken.
Point students look forward to the day when they again have their own chapel, with plenty of parking spaces and seats for everyone. A place where they can weekly come together and encourage each other in their endeavors for the kingdom. You can still be a part of the chapel tradition. Join us for next month’s chapel on October 20th at 7:00 p.m. You can also give towards the Vision 2020 campaign to help build a new chapel for future Point students. Learn more how you can be a part of future chapel experience by giving towards the new chapel building at point.edu/vision2020.
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