One of the most exciting aspects of being a student at Regent University is the opportunity to establish community. Some may enjoy participating in every official and unofficial event on campus while others may be perfectly content with seeing no one but their roommates. Being a Christian school, Regent offers events like UnChapel and connect groups to students looking for spiritual growth and community with fellow believers. However, despite whatever measures the university takes, it is ultimately up to the student to decide what his community will look like. Due to Regent’s smaller student population, this can be a challenge. In order to maximize their college experiences, Regent students should understand that college is a transitional period and make an effort to intentionally cultivate community beyond institutionally organized events and clubs. Regent offers many opportunities to engage in activities with others around campus, but these experiences serve primarily as a starting point. Connect groups, for example, give students the opportunity to discuss God’s word together and develop spiritually. However, the end goal of a connect group is to encourage students to pursue spiritual development on their own. Connect Group Leaders at Regent are aware of this and are more excited by a student who comes to the group only once the whole semester yearning for a deeper relationship with God than a student who comes every Tuesday night out of obligation.

Similarly, Regent’s Chapel and UnChapel services are not meant to be church substitutes. Rather, they serve as additional experiences to boost a student’s familiarity with God’s word through Chapel and worship through UnChapel. Regent’s Campus Ministries is upfront with the fact that they lean more on the charismatic Evangelical side of Christianity and unfortunately do not offer as much of a catered experience toward students with more traditional or high-church denominational backgrounds, apart from the unofficial Liturgical Chapel services. They do, however, encourage students to get involved in their own church communities off campus. There are many ways a Regent student can serve in this capacity, including helping with childcare, playing on the worship team, or helping set up church events. A growing number of churches are also trying to establish Bible studies and events for college-aged students. These opportunities will be present years after graduation and will steer students away from relying on Regent to supply all the spiritual community they are looking for. By the end of this semester I will have finished my second year working for Regent’s Campus Ministries as a Connect Group Leader and helping out in my church’s praise band. I think both experiences are extremely valuable and would encourage students to try both. I have learned things from some Connect Group attendees who clearly understood the topic better than I did. There is also truth in the idea that teaching material allows for a fuller understanding for the one teaching it. I have experienced this in Connect Groups and Bible studies off campus. Connecting with people and groups at Regent is wonderful, but becoming rooted in other ministries will prepare students to balance their spiritual growth among all their other responsibilities.