Spiritual Life

Services of the Chaplain

• works with students in developing and leading worship services
• provides counseling for students with assurance of confidentiality on:                         
  • spiritual matters
  • relationship problems
  • parent/student issues
  • personal issues
  • academic issues
  • provides referral for health and legal issues
  • marriage preparation
• when requested, accompanies students for legal or court meetings or other situations where the presence and support of someone is desired
• visits students who are hospitalized or experiencing traumatic situations
• works with students in identifying life goals and life paths
• provides leadership and organizational instruction
• officiates for weddings

Students of all faiths are welcomed to an interdenominational worship service Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel. Regardless of your background or tradition, you will feel comfortable in this service. Also, students may wish to affiliate with one of the local churches, perhaps a church of her or his own denomination. Many of the local churches provide transportation to and from campus on Sunday mornings.

Catawba offers every student opportunities to participate in activities that can be helpful in the ongoing process of faith development. The College believes you should be able to make your own decisions about what they will participate in or do. Therefore, while you are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities and programs, attendance and participation are not required.

A Religious Life Council coordinates religious activities and offerings for the student body. Opportunities for spiritual growth in addition to Campus Worship include participation in activities such as weekly Bible studies, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Campus Crusade.

The Volunteer Catawba program coordinates a wide variety of community service projects, as well as mission service projects, in various parts of the nation and abroad.

The Lilly Center offers spiritual growth retreats where you are assisted in reflecting upon your spiritual journey and deciding how to take the next step in growing spiritually. Scholarships are available to students exploring the vocation of ministry.

Internships give students opportunities to find out about jobs serving others and to experience what it is like to be engaged in various careers. A major emphasis of the Lilly Center is to help students explore who they are as children of God and to understand what that means in terms of what they are called to do with their lives and the vocation or career they will choose.

The Omwake-Dearborn Chapel opens each day from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. for quiet meditation. Throughout the year, the formal ceremonies of the College, from Opening Convocation to the closing Baccalaureate service, take place in the Chapel. It also is the site of numerous weddings, musical concerts, and community activities.

Today, the College is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The UCC acknowledges that the College considers the Judeo-Christian tradition to be important and provides support to the College, but does not seek control in any way. The rules and policies of the College are made by the members of the Board of Trustees and reflect what they believe to be in the best interests of the students and do not necessarily reflect any church relationship.

The United Church of Christ is a main line protestant denomination very similar in beliefs and practices to the Presbyterian and Methodist churches, and not very different from the Lutheran Church. In the late 1950s, the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged to form the United Church of Christ.