By Joshua Michel
From Feb. 2-4, Trevecca will host a hybrid Spiritual Deepening Week. In-person services will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. A recorded chapel session will be posted in the iAttended app on Thursday. Information regarding Spiritual Deepening Week will be distributed via the iAttended app.
Last semester, videos were released every day for Spiritual Deepening Week, but the return of optional in-person chapel in the spring semester allowed for planning a mixture of physical and online.
“Everyone is fatigued with video stuff. At some point it becomes the law of diminishing return. We were able to do in-person this semester, and we did not want to overdo the video stuff. The amount of content is going to be distilled, we will shrink it down and be intentional with the few moments that we have together,” said Erik Gernand, university chaplain.
Gernand is slated to be the keynote speaker. Gernand has been university chaplain at Trevecca since fall semester of 2019. Before Trevecca, Gernand was a pastor for 17 years. When he is not carrying out chaplaincy duties, Gernand does photography on the side.
The theme for Spiritual Deepening Week will be “Witness,” which is also the chapel theme for the year. Gernand will deliver three sermons over three days.
“The theme Witness comes from the verses in Acts. The theme is inspired by Jesus’ instructions for his disciples. He called them to wait and receive the gift the Father promised, then they will receive power and will be witnesses,” said Gernand.
The chapel on Tuesday will be a worship and witness service. The message will be titled “Wait.” Service will be held in Wakefield Auditorium, Boone Convocation Center, Benson Auditorium, and Zelma.
Wednesday will coincide with a study day or off day. The message will be titled “Receive.” The service will be held in Boone Convocation Center with a max capacity of 80 people.
The chapel message on Thursday will be titled “Be” and will have no meeting time or location. A recording will be posted in the iAttended app.
The title of each sermon represents the postures that Gernand and the ASB chaplain hopes each student will lean into.
“I hope that students will be inspired to embody the love of Christ everywhere they go, including and especially on campus, and that we may be reminded of our identity in Christ,” said Kaitlyn Kleppinger, associate student body chaplain.
