The Office of Ministry and Missions seeks to ignite every student to be a missional leader by providing an exceptional spiritual environment that empowers each student to:
- Find identity and value in Jesus
- Belong in a faith community
- Embrace a vocational calling
- Go wherever He leads
Find Identity and Value in Jesus
Through Campus Ministries, Afterglow, LifeGroups (small groups) and Student Week of Prayer, students are enriched by finding their identity and value in an authentic, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Campus Ministries hires and trains student leaders to develop and facilitate ministry and spiritual growth.
- Afterglow is held every Friday at 8:30 pm after the Vespers service. Afterglow provides spaces for students to build meaningful friendships, ask questions, share testimonies and engage in music.
- LifeGroups are available to our campus community based on a variety of topics, including prayer, Bible study, reading through a Christian book, discussing questions on faith and experiencing spiritual activities together. Every student is invited to be part of a LifeGroup as part of their Southern experience.
- Student Week of Prayer is held every Spring semester in the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. This week is run for the students and by the students through Campus Ministries.
Belong in a Faith Community
Partnering with student-focused Adventist churches and facilitating a connection between the local faith community and our students during their time at Southern and beyond. We desire our students to experience a vibrant faith through intergenerational faith communities and meaningful relationships. Students are invited to participate in
- Vespers is held every Friday night at 7:30 pm in the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. Various speakers powerfully share the Gospel each week with student-led music and prayer.
- Renewal Worship Service is Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church's student-led service. Renewal is held every Sabbath morning at 11:45 in the Sanctuary.
- Merge Worship is a gospel style, multicultural, student-led worship service. Merge is held every Sabbath morning at 11:30 in the Lynn Wood Hall Chapel.
Embrace a Vocational Calling
We desire to empower students by identifying their unique talents and gifts to further God's calling in their lives. At Southern students can take advantage of distinct resources made available to them, including:
- PathwayU, is a program offered by Career Services that guides students toward discovering purpose and meaning while exploring majors and occupations that align with their interests, personality, values, and workplace preferences.
- Clifton Strengths is available to students through The Center for Teaching Excellence and Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning (CTE-BFFL). It helps students discover and develop their greatest God-given talents.
Go Wherever He Leads
Southern encourages students to live a countercultural faith through serving others. There are opportunities for students to serve others through:
- uQuest: Students are equipped to create, co-lead, or participate in short-term mission trips globally. uQuest trips primarily travel during spring break and early in the summer and are part of Campus Ministries at Southern Adventist University.
- Student Missions: The Student Missions program began in 1967 and since then, more than 2,000 students have taken a school year or summer to follow the calling God and serve around the nation and the world.
- ERC Summer Trips: The Evangelist Resource Center program sends student evangelists all across the globe to share the good news of salvation through an evangelistic series.
- Christian Service: The Christian Service program is an academic Service-Learning opportunity where credits are earned through classes taken here at Southern or through opportunities such as mission trips and approved student initiated projects.
- Outreach: Students enjoy ministering to people where they live in the communities near campus. Student-led organizations provide food for the homeless, cheer for the elderly and disheartened, and a witness to the wandering.
The Chaplain of Southern Adventist University oversees the spiritual life of the campus and also is available for spiritual counseling, Bible studies, preparation for baptism, prayer and premarital counseling for all students, faculty, and staff.