Spiritual Life

You are a Jesus follower.

At Houghton University, you will live authentically for Christ in our world and serve God with everything you've got. This is a safe place to ask questions and find answers while walking alongside others who will support and challenge you.

Explore Spiritual Formation

Worship is at the heart of our life together.

At Houghton, you have an active role in spiritual formation. Professors integrate the Christian faith into classes, mentoring sessions, and even discussions over coffee. Chapel services root you in God’s truth and love so that you can follow God fearlessly. Prayer groups and worship services honor God and help us grow. You will also develop a pattern of life that helps you know that God goes with you into the marketplace, whether it’s in the world of business, education, the church or the laboratory.

Our Christian Faith

The Christian faith is central everywhere at Houghton—here’s what we mean when we say that Houghton is a Christian place.

What We Believe

Spiritual Formation

Chapel

Worship God together in song, prayer, Scripture and sermon; a place where academics, community, and faith intersect.

Worship

At Houghton, there are more than 500 worship services every school year, so you’re never more than a few hours away from the next time to gather and worship God.

Service

Touch lives locally, regionally, and internationally through various service opportunities.
Houghton student standing with arms raised in worship.

Here, everyday rhythms become opportunities for God’s presence…

 

There has been a radical change in me since I started my freshman year. Coming in, I thought I knew what it meant to pursue God and to have a relationship with Him…in reality that adventure had barely even started. The mentors, prayerful professors, Godly friends, Bible studies, chapel services, and different opportunities on campus have challenged me and pushed my faith to depths that I did not know possible.

Bethany R. ’17

Chapel

Chapel is our main community worship service, where we worship God together in song, prayer, Scripture and sermon. It’s also a time to gather in community, affirming our identity in Christ. Hear from on-campus and off-campus guests and experience many different styles of music and Biblical preaching.

  • Encounter God through music, Scripture, prayer and sermon
  • Engage with a diverse community of Christian from around the world
  • Grow in your understanding and knowledge of God
  • Expand your understanding of the Bible and the Christian faith, and how these root us in our identity as God’s beloved children
  • Experience worship that helps connect you with God and others

Monday and Friday from 11:10-11:50 a.m.

Listen to Chapel Recordings
Worship service in the chapel

Worship Opportunities

Daily Morning Prayer

Each weekday at 8:30 a.m., we gather for morning prayer in the Office of Spiritual Life, on the lower level of the Campus Center. This is a simple, 15-minute service of singing, Scripture, and prayer for the needs of campus and the world.

Daily Communion

Each weekday at 4:00 p.m., we gather for a communion service. This service goes to various sites on campus to accommodate student and faculty schedules throughout the week.

Koinonia

Koinonia is a student-led, informal praise gathering of college students who desire to encounter Jesus Christ through worship in songs, scripture, prayer, and testimony. Koinonia meets in the Wesley Chapel on Sunday evenings from approximately 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Mercy Seat

Mercy Seat is a student-led prayer movement which meets Monday–Friday from 8-9 p.m. in the basement of Wesley Chapel to intercede on behalf of the campus, the county, and the nations and to seek intimate encounters with the Lord. Meetings are led by a worship team, combining worship songs, intercessory prayers, meditation on scripture, and various forms of art.

A Passion to Serve

Service is a cornerstone of the Christian life – and Houghton is no different. Our students travel to Buffalo to help refugee families read, volunteer as a Big Brother/Big Sister for local kids, teach soccer to children in Africa, visit and perform for elderly shut-ins, and more. Our students touch lives locally, regionally, and internationally – and, in turn, leave Houghton changed.

Past International Mission Locations

Area Churches

Houghton students attend many different churches in the area. Do you want to stay connected to the denomination in which you grew up? Or are you looking to worship in churches that expand your horizons about what Christian worship and community can look like?  The Spiritual Life staff is always happy to sit down and discuss what approach might be best to grow your faith.

Directory of Local Churches

Related Links

Student Life
President
What We Believe