Virginia Wesleyan’s Chaplain Rev. Florence Brooks institutes new and creative services to promote spiritual life.
By Maura Bradley ’11 | October 7, 2009
Virginia Wesleyan College’s new Chaplain, Reverend Florence Brooks, has wasted no time creating new spiritual life services for the campus community.
Brooks, who assumed the position in August, has instituted a weekly devotional service, a non-denominational service, and Catholic mass on Sundays. Her goal is to bring students together who have a common interest in spiritual life.
SOAR, a non-denominational service, promotes “Christian worship and community building,” said Brooks. The service incorporates elements from many different styles of worship and uses emergent forms of worship.
Each week the service is led by a different preacher with a different themed message. Freshman LaTaria White from New Iberia, La., said the messages can easily be applied to the lives of college students.
“It’s not your traditional service where the preacher gives a message that’s hard to swallow,” said White. “It’s more like organized fellowship.”
The College reconsecrated the Monumental Chapel over Homecoming Weekend. The service celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Chapel and major renovations to the building, including handicap accessible doors, liturgical banners, new furnishings, storage, lighting and audio visual equipment.Junior Gillian Lane, from Topsham, Maine, is a Roman Catholic. She decided to give the non-denominational service a try.
Lane described the service as “very contemporary” and said she enjoyed the experience, but feels more comfortable at the Catholic mass. Father Parke, a priest from the Church of Ascension, heads the Catholic service.
Adam Smith, a junior from Fredericksburg, Va., used to travel off-campus to attend mass. Smith is excited to have the service on campus.
“It’s really convenient and I’m with other students from the College,” he said.
On Wednesday nights, students take part in Faith Break, a sit down service during dinner that includes fellowship, prayer and student-led devotions.
Sophomore Brian Boettcher from Chesapeake, Va., is an advocate for Faith Break, in which he has served as a devotional leader. Devotional leaders try to make points about spiritual or Biblical topics, simply talk about something that is on their minds, or in his case, rap about Jesus, said Boettcher.
“Students should attend Faith Break because it’s fun,” he said. “We are all just people hanging out and talking about God.”
Brooks is currently trying to form a new organization on campus entitled SPARC (Spiritual Life Activities and Resource Counsel). Her vision is to fully engulf those interested in faith-based activities with opportunities to work with other spiritual life groups on campus to plan events and partake in faith-based community service.
“I think that the new spiritual life services offered on the campus have opened new doors to the campus community,” said Boettcher.
Megan Z. Shearin contributed to this article.
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