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Home > Resources > Worshiping Communities > Campus > MinistriesDordt College
Sioux Center, Iowa
| Denomination: Associated with the Christian Reformed Church | Size: More than 1300 students |
| Affiliation: Member of the CCCU | Website: www.dordt.edu/campus_life/campus_ministries/ |
Motto
Ours is a community where faith and life and learning are not separate...they're one.
Philosophy
Dordt College owes its existence to a community whose faith commitment demands obedience to biblical principles in all of life. This religious commitment, historically known as the Reformed faith, has always been the basis of education at Dordt College.
The Dordt College community confesses that the Scriptures are the Word of God. As God's infallibly and authoritatively inspired revelation, the Bible reveals the way of salvation in Jesus Christ, requires a life of obedience to the Lord, and provides the key to understanding, interpreting, and finding purpose in life.
Chapel
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to come together for a half hour each Tuesday and Thursday morning to worship God together and to reflect as a Christian community on contemporary issues. These worship times include singing, prayer and reflections on scripture given by Dordt faculty, staff, and students as well as invited guests. A student working alongside the Campus Pastor coordinates the chapel schedule. Chapel participation is encouraged, not required.
Tuesday Chapels: Grace for the Journey (The chapel page lists speakers for this series)
Thursday Chapels: The Call To Holiness (These are led by Campus Pastor Cliff Bajema)
Sundays
Every Sunday a multitude of Christian churches in the Sioux Center community meet in worship. Students are invited to participate in local churches, with transportation for students provided. There is also a directory of churches, pastors and locations.
GIFT - Growing In Faith Together - is a time of worship held on campus on alternating Sunday nights. Supervised by the Campus Pastor, GIFT is organized and led almost exclusively by students.
Other Worship Opportunities
"Praise and Worship" happens on Wednesday nights at 10 pm. Coordinated by students, these times of singing, Scripture reading, and prayer are led by one of four worship teams that serve on a rotating basis.
"Wellspring" was launched in 2003 to offer students a quiet place of rest and reflection. In a noisy and hurried world, this service highlights simplicity, reflection, silence and prayer. The songs at Wellspring are structured as prayers, with quiet reflection on how the prayer intersects with one's life. While there is no "sermon" in a Wellspring service, there is someone who facilitates a guided meditation, reflection, or spiritual exercise designed to invite students to consider more deeply God's activity in the world, in the community, and in them.
Other Highlights
At the beginning of each semester students are encourage to join a Small group. These groups, with a variety of purposes, are student-led, coordinated by a student volunteer, and under the supervision of the Campus Pastor.
Since its beginnings in 1981 the Community Outreach Program (COP) has involved hundreds of students in volunteer service through agencies and ministries in the Sioux Center area.
An All-Campus Retreat is held every year. All students are encouraged to join together at Lake Okoboji, 75 miles away, to spend an early weekend of the new school year forming relationships, worshiping, laughing, relaxing, and enjoying the beautiful setting.