At Montreat College, we invite students into a transformational relationship with Jesus through encountering God’s story, engaging in authentic community, and participating in kingdom work.
Encountering God’s story
Chapel is not the only – or even primary – means by which students grow in faith. However, corporate worship is at the heart of life at Montreat College. When we are drawn into the story of God and his people, it reorients our perspective on the whole of life (Psalm 100; Heb. 12:28). In chapel, this takes shape in these primary ways:
- Proclaiming Scripture. The Bible is the story of who God is and what he has done. It is God’s redemptive narrative of history culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We believe Scripture to be the living, transformational Word of God and the final authority on all matters of faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12). Thus, Chapel is a space committed to faithfully proclaiming the narrative of Scripture and confronting students with the Gospel’s relevance to their lives. Furthermore, the story of who God is and what he has done doesn’t just stay in chapel. Our biblical worldview is the lens through which we interpret every aspect of life, both inside and outside the classroom. These areas too are spiritually formative, for we believe that God is redeeming all of life and that all pursuits can reflect his glory. View Montreat College’s full Statement of Faith.
- Rhythms and Habits of the Church. As Christians, we are a part of the broader story of God’s people; we are members of the body of Christ that stretches throughout history and across the globe. We invite students to experience the richness and depth of the liturgical practices given to us by our Reformed roots and other Christian traditions.
- Creative Worship. Throughout history, Christians have celebrated music and the arts as a means of glorifying God. In chapel, students have an opportunity to use their artistic gifts to articulate the biblical narrative and invite other students into worship.
Engaging in authentic community
Lasting transformation happens through authentic relationships (Prov. 27:17; Matt. 18:20; John 3:22; Gal 6:2; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 John 1:7). At Montreat College, we create space for deep, transformational relationships to grow through these primary avenues:
- Small Groups. In discussing real-life issues through the lens of Scripture with student leaders and a Christian mentor, small groups give students the chance to explore hard questions from a biblical perspective with their peers.
- Pastoral Care. Montreat College desires to be a safe place for students to wrestle with the hard questions of faith and life. As a community, we are deeply committed to praying that our students experience a transformational encounter with the Holy Spirit himself. Formal pastoral care is available through the Dean of Spiritual Formation. However, discipleship often happens organically, and other avenues for care can include, but are not limited to, coaches, faculty, and staff.
- The Local Church. While deeply committed to the spiritual formation of our students, Montreat College is not the local church. We are equally committed to connecting students into our thriving local church communities, where the primary responsibility of Christian discipleship resides.
Participating in Kingdom Work
The Kingdom of God is already here, yet still coming (Luke 17:20-21; Rev. 22:1-5). Thus, an integral aspect of spiritual formation is participating in God’s active redemption of the world. At Montreat College, we do so by serving our neighbors, living into our vocations, and working towards restoration.
- Serving our neighbors. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). At Montreat College, we seek to deepen our love for God and our neighbors by creating opportunities for students to serve both our local and global communities.
- Living into vocation. The Reformed doctrine of vocation teaches that all aspects of life are holy and an opportunity to love our neighbor – from mundane activities, to relationships, to studies, to future careers (1 Cor. 7:20-24). Consequently, we seek to craft an understanding in our students through chapel, programs, and courses that living into vocation is a fundamental aspect of spiritual formation. We invite students to offer every aspect of life as divine worship.
- Working towards restoration. In the Fall of Genesis 3, everything fractured. We now experience division and conflict in relationships, communities, ethnicities, creation, and even within ourselves. Yet through the person and work of Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit, God is making all things new (Rev. 21:5) and reconciling all things to himself (Col. 1:20). There will come a day when every nation, tribe, people, and language will stand unified – in beautiful diversity – in worship before the throne of God (Rev. 7:9-10). In hopeful anticipation of that day, Montreat College is committed to engaging the brokenness of life and culture with the expectation that God is in the process of redeeming all things.