On Mondays at noon, a prayer circle meets at the foot of the “Glory of God’s Grace” statue that overlooks the tree-lined entrance to La Sierra University’s campus. Led by a student, this group attracts both students and faculty for its focused and serene atmosphere.

“People from all over campus come to the statue to pray together,” says psychology/biology/pre-med sophomore Deejay Walayat, who regularly attends. “We share prayer requests and hold hands. I think it’s a great way to start the week off right.”

Across campus, student worship groups provide spiritual nourishment to students from every walk of life. From traditional to contemporary, from church services to community service, every soul can find what it needs among the university’s spectrum of worship options.

Thursdays at 11 a.m., one of the larger groups meets in Hole Memorial Auditorium for HMA AM. The program includes a short message and a praise-style song service.

“When everyone starts singing together at worship on Thursday mornings, it’s really powerful,” says liberal studies sophomore Stephanie Tucker. “When I get caught up in the week, it puts me back into God-mode.”

Thursday nights, the same venue hosts the appropriately-named Fire in the Hole program. Created and directed by psychology senior John Razzouk, Fire in the Hole is all about applicability. “I wanted students to be able to walk out the door and take something with them,” he says.

Speakers at Fire in the Hole are often students, and the song service has never been done in the same musical style twice. “I didn’t want just a bunch of pastors speaking. I wanted people to see that you don’t have to go to a seminary to have a personal connection with God,” says Razzouk. “Basically, Fire in the Hole is just what I would want from a worship service, and other people seem to like it, too.”

Friday nights, the University Church is home to First Service, a wildly popular program that begins the Sabbath for many students. Essentially a full-on church service, First Service is a lively and innovative program with a mission “to connect humanity with divinity through community.”

“I love the praise atmosphere at First Service,” says senior history major Janden Ogasen. “It’s so comfortable when I can choose to come and join in.”

“First Service transformed my own church experience when I first came to La Sierra; made it real and meaningful,” says sociology/pre-seminary senior Geoff Blake, who is the program director for First Service. “Many students go to their home churches for Sabbath morning services, but First Service is where they can really fill their spiritual tanks, because it’s specifically for them.”

Small groups are also popular on campus. Making their homes in the dormitories, these groups often take on a more informal tone. One group that meets in Angwin Hall, for example, focuses on serving the needs of the dorm family. Every week, social work/religious studies senior Maria Mendiola, who hosts the meeting in her room, comes up with a new service activity for the group to perform. “We leave encouraging notes for girls who are having a hard time, we collect clothing donations for people who are less fortunate, and we make goody bags for students who are sick,” says Mendiola, who is a resident assistant in Angwin Hall. “We not only worship together, but we also get to know each other a little better, too.”

Other small groups meet weekly with mentors—faculty, staff, and even other students—to study the Bible, share their spiritual journeys, and discuss important issues. These groups also bring together people on campus that might not otherwise get to know each other. “In my job, I don’t have a lot of contact with students,” says Wendy Johnson, director of resource development for the university. Johnson mentors a student small group that meets Tuesday evenings to share the ups and downs of their week and pray together. “With this worship group, I can be one more person on campus that they can come to for help.”

“In my small group, we look at ‘this day in history,’ trying to tie events from the past into current situations and concerns, especially suggesting how they relate to spiritual issues,” says university president and history enthusiast Lawrence T. Geraty, who hosts a group in his office Thursday mornings. “We also share encouraging Scripture passages and close with prayer for members of the group. My hope is that students leave feeling better about God and their relationship to Him than they do when they come in.”

The great variety of worship programs ultimately makes La Sierra a very spiritually diverse place to be. “Our students come from so many different backgrounds, so many different places, so many different cultures, and consequently, they have so many different ways to experience God,” says campus pastor Samuel Leonor. “It’s important that every student has an opportunity to come together with God and with each other in their own unique way.”