MISHAWAKA —This past week has been spiritually challenging, and altogether eye-opening for students on campus. It was a blessing to be able to have Nirup Alphonse with us to encourage students in their walks with God through intense chapel sessions.
The week’s focus was in Galatians and covered a wide variety of topics.
“I deal with so many young professionals who after years are still wrestling with the same things over and over again and they’re just not free,” Alphonse said. “I think if you could leave this place, this week, this month, this college life knowing that Christ has set you free, you will experience a life of eternal joy. So, I want to see people set free and that is why I picked the topic.”
Spiritual Emphasis Week has much to offer, but students need to be open to opening their hearts and minds to receive it. Though the morning chapels were required, the evening ones were not, and there was still a good turnout for each night. And many seemed to be deeply moved by the messages and worship.
“Spiritual emphasis week is always a week that just refocuses my mind on what matters,” Ariana Jones, a junior, said. “I absolutely love seeing people worship, so the alter calls and just the vulnerability that goes on during spiritual emphasis week is probably one of my favorite things and being able to see people authentically and unapologetically worship the Lord.”
“I like spiritual emphasis week because I think it gives us a time to refocus on ourselves but also gives us the encouragement to reach out to others,” Maryann Brandt, a junior, said. “So, I think it is a really good challenging week but also an encouraging week for each other and it gives us an idea of what it looks like to be a community of Christ and come along side one another.”
Altogether, this has been another successful spiritual emphasis week and the hope is that students will be able to apply and take to heart the things they learned and were encouraged by in the weeks to come.