November 11, 2026 by

 

It is no secret that one of the most beloved and unifying parts of life at Cedarville University is our daily chapel hour.  

Cedarville students, including myself, will testify to the sweet time it is to gather every weekday at 10 a.m. to worship as a student body.  

Chapel is a daily rhythm where Cedarville students grow each day of their 1000 Days on campus. Here are five ways I’ve seen that to be true. 

The Chance To Pause 

While it may sound nice from the outside to have one guaranteed hour every day of the week where you will not have to sit in class, making time for chapel five days a week can be a little bit trickier than that.  

There are certainly days where it is truly a delight to pause in the middle of your morning and worship. However, there are also days where you have a million other things that you feel you need to be doing crowding your mind.  

In the midst of lab reports, book reflections, internship applications, and all the busy parts of life, it can be easy to become so focused on your to-do list that you neglect to appreciate the moment you have to take a rest from the busyness of it all and look to Christ.  

Chapel is that opportunity. 

It is 50 minutes in the chaos of your day dedicated to resting and delighting in the goodness of our God, putting on pause all of the checkboxes on your list.  

The Chance To Grow in Community 

One of the most meaningful parts of daily chapel is simply the fact that you are attending in community.  

Not only do we gather daily to hear from the Word of God and praise His name, but we get to do so together in community.  

Over the course of my time here at Cedarville, I have been so encouraged by the opportunity to sit with my friends and bro-sis every day as we hear from the Word of God, and there is hardly a sweeter sound than the collection of voices lifting up the name of Jesus in worship.  

Image of a worship team on Cedarville's chapel stage.

The Chance To Hear From a Variety of Speakers 

One of the most delightful parts of chapel is the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers. 

From our own SGA (Student Government Association) chaplain and popular authors and apologists to pastors from across the country, there are so many different speakers who preach and share their testimonies in chapel.  

Each speaker comes from a different background and brings unique life experiences. 

This is a great blessing and a way for us to grow. To be able to sit under the teaching of a variety of preachers and learn from each of them is a valuable way that you will grow in chapel day by day. 

The Chance To Grow in Knowledge  

Not only do students get the opportunity to sit under a variety of different teachers during the chapel hour, but we are able to sit under the teaching and preaching of a variety of different exegetical texts and topics.  

From pro-life topics to wisdom literature, epistles to personal testimonies, during your time at Cedarville, you will have the privilege to learn about a variety of topics and books of the Bible and work through them in community as a student body.  

The Chance To Grow in Love for God and His Word  

All of the many blessings chapel brings are simply bonuses compared to the opportunity to grow in love for God in His Word as we collectively study Scripture and praise Him in song.  

What a gift it is to study the Word and be mutually encouraged and convicted as a campus community.  

Image of a large group of people standing in the rows of Cedarville's chapel, singing.

Amidst all of the beautiful ways in which we can grow during chapel, may we not forget the ultimate reason we attend chapel is to grow in love for God and His Word as we sit under the teaching of Scripture and meditate on the Word day in and day out.  

Chapel is a special opportunity to grow during your time at Cedarville. It is true that chapel is the heartbeat of Cedarville.  

Cedarville students have a unique opportunity to grow during our time on campus through the daily participation in chapel services. May you take advantage of this opportunity to gather with your friends, peers, faculty, staff, and other members of the Cedarville community and study the Word and worship in song.  

Be open to the ways that God is going to grow you through this special gift of daily communal worship and diving into the Word. I hope you will treasure this time as a blessing and daily gift to pause and grow in love for our God and Savior.  

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