By Zena Hargroves | Encounter Week is a spiritual launch pad for the campus to start the semester. It is also an opportunity for the student body to earn extra chapel credits. There will be a guest pastor and band that will perform and have worship services twice a day.
“It is a time to come together as a campus body and a Christian university,” said Dr. Christopher Rosborough, chair, department of music and chapel coordinator.
Encounter Week will be held on Monday morning and evening, Sept. 12, and continue through Wednesday, Sept. 14. During the mornings, it will be at 10 a.m. and during the evenings it will be at 7:30 p.m. Each service will last about an hour.
Classes will adjust to accommodate the chapel time on Tuesday.
Brad Miles will be the guest speaker for this year. He is a senior pastor from First Baptist Church, in Shallowater, Texas. He is also an alumnus of HPU.
The guest worship leader will be Matt Gaskin, worship art associate minister from Mount Church in Keller, Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree of science in church ministries. He has been a spiritual and worship leader for several years.
The services will be held in Mims Auditorium.
Encounter Week is for everyone. It is directed mainly to students on campus, but people from the community are welcome to come as well. Pastors, church staff, and community members have attended Encounter Week for years.
Daniel Archer, HPU sophomore and RA, attended last year.
“I think if you engage with Encounter Week, it can help you strengthen your relationship with God. It also helps evaluate how we are living against how we ought to be living and encourages us to go in the right direction,” said Archer.
Encounter Week is designed to help everyone spiritually begin the year.
Rosborough added that Encounter Week is a great way to reset for the fall semester.
“We cannot do good academically if we are struggling spiritually,” said Rosborough.
Archer said that Encounter Week can be very thought-provoking.
“To anyone considering going, I would strongly recommend it,” said Archer.