Chapel, is a time to connect with God during our busy lives. From the music, the praise dance team, the first five, and the speaker, all of these things come together and allow us to grow in God. However, many students are not aware of the preparation that goes into creating a chapel. There is a team who has dedicated their time to making sure everything goes according to plan.
One of the students in the Bible and Worship is junior Emmanuel Dyer. When asked how the team decides what is going to happen in chapel, Emmanuel said, “We think about how we can best get the student body engaged, and what will help the students open up.”
Many students only see the finished product, which is normally Wednesday chapel. It always seems to go according to plan but this is thanks to the hard work that is put in by everyone contributing. Although chapel is on Wednesday, the team begins preparation for next week's chapel on Thursday.
The team has many important jobs that must get done in order for chapel to come together. They must first find a speaker, whether it is a parent of a student or possibly a faculty member at EC. The speakers are asked and notified weeks in advance, so they can properly prepare to speak at EC.
Another important aspect of chapel is the worship. The chapel band collaborates with the Bible and Worship team, choosing songs and participants. They have to try and get the students involved in chapel, whether it’s speaking such as doing a first five, or introducing a speaker.
The Bible and Worship team also strives to help students in their walk of faith. They want to get students as engaged as possible, singing the songs, listening attentively during the message, and walking away from chapel feeling closer to God.
In recent weeks, it seems as if the EC student body has had a prayer revival. The last few chapels have kept the students engaged and attentive. During an interview with Emmanuel, he was asked what has been his favorite chapel so far this year.
Emmanuel responded, “So far this year there have been many great chapels so it is very hard to choose from. My personal favorite was when Mr. S spoke at chapel and used such an unconventional way to connect with the students. The students were fully engaged and wanting more of Jesus and his presence. That is what we want every week, and that is why it was my favorite chapel.”