26 August 2011

On behalf of the entire Office of Ministry team, we like to welcome you to Washington Adventist University. We are thrilled that you’ve decided to be a part of our Washington Adventist University family. In the midst of your joys and sorrows, we hope you will find comfort and encouragement in being around people who genuinely care for you and about you here at Washington Adventist University. Our office is thrilled to have you join our campus family, and we are ready to make your years here at Washington Adventist University as successful and life- changing as possible.

We know this is a very exciting time for you. It’s your first year away from home, on your own, and ready to explore what the world is willing to offer. Our main purpose at the office of Ministry (OM) is to facilitate your exploration by providing a spiritual map for navigating through all of life’s trials, joys, pleasures, pains, suffering, etc. Plainly stated, we help you find God in the midst of it all. We do this through a variety of means: worship, service, and mission opportunities, and more intimate paths such as small groups or bible studies.

This year is going to be great, and with your involvement it can be even better! We have many ways you can get yourself involved. Every Wednesday at 11:15 am we have a weekly gathering called chapel/Convocation. It’s a time to take a break from the studying and deadlines and simply worship. This year each chapel will be a little different. There are some chapels /Convocations where we will simply sing together in praise and adoration; there are those where we will have invited guests and artists sharing their skills and talents; and others where we will have inspirational messages from area pastors geared at motivating us and directing us through life’s troubles and victories. The most exciting news about chapel/Convocation is what we are calling Chapel4U; this is where you can really get involved. Chapel will take place in a variety of locations, each location geared towards a different topic or genre; these chapels are run by students and for students. Other worship opportunities happen on Friday nights starting at 7:30. We have two different options for students: Reflections and Singspiration. Reflections is a new worship initiative to give the campus community an opportunity to welcome in the Sabbath in a creative and exciting manner through: Pottery and Poetry, Singing, and Studying, Story-telling and worshipping in a multifaceted, multicultural setting. Singspiration is a dynamic praise and worship service, filled with drama and mime, poetry and testimony, geared at those who are looking for the freedom to worship without limitations. And for those of you who will be living in the Residential halls, every Sunday we will have a worship gathering at 7:30 to bring in the new week!

In addition to our many worship services, we have all sorts of other ministries and service opportunities, such as Residential Worship. Every semester we have our major Service Day, when the entire campus community joins together to impact the DC area. We have several short-term mission opportunities to Russia and Tanzania, and our most exciting yet a Cruise with Purpose to 5 island-nations, among them Barbados, Puerto-Rico, and US Virgin Islands. We have prison ministries, bible studies, and even a choir you can join.

The opportunities are endless. Get involved with campus ministries by contacting our office at 301-891-4112, or visit us at our office located on the 2nd floor of Richards hall. We are looking forward to meeting you and helping you navigate through this new and exciting journey.

May God bless you,

Baraka Muganda, Vice President for Ministry
Jose St. Phard,  Chaplain for Ministries