Judson College inaugurated its fall 2017 Chapel season with a gathering of students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, September 12. Using Daniel 3:16 as her text, Cynthia White, Chapel Committee Chair and Associate Vice President for Student Development, encouraged students to “belong” to Christ by following Him even if it isn’t always convenient or easy. White reminded her audience that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abdnego (of the story in Daniel 3) did not stand up for God alone; they found strength and resolve in their community with each other. White encouraged students, in addition to getting “plugged in” on campus, to find a local church community to which they could belong as they grow in their journey with Christ.
Dr. Tim Cox, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Chelsea, Alabama, and Vice President of the Alabama Baptist Convention, spoke at the Sept. 19 Chapel service and supported this theme. Cox instructed students to “run the [spiritual] race set before” them with endurance. “God hasn’t called us to run with perfection,” Cox said, “but He’s called us to run with steadfast determination, even when we feel like slowing down and quitting.” Cox reminded students that “endurance” comes through “laying aside” things that divert attention away from Christ, being inspired and motivated by the experiences of others, and being instructed through the study of the Bible.
Echoing White’s hope that the Chapel season would “challenge and encourage students to grow in their relationships with Christ,” Cox concluded his message with the benediction: “As you find out how you belong in Christ, as your belief grows as you study the Word of God, may you become like Jesus in character and conduct.”
Guest speakers for the remainder of the Fall 2017 Chapel season are included in the schedule below. Judson Chapel events are free and open to the public. All listed events will begin at 11:05a.m. in Ramsay-McCrummen Chapel in Jewett Hall.
September 26 – Melissa Chism, Lovelady Center (Birmingham)
October 3 – John Thweatt, First Baptist Church (Pell City)
October 10 – Teresa Pugh (Tuscaloosa)
October 17 – April Franklin, International Mission Board
October 24 – Frances Ford, Sowing Seeds of Hope (Marion)
October 31 – 500th anniversary of Protestant Reformation
November 7 – Employee Recognition
November 14 – Laramie Long, Morning Star Baptist Church (Marion)
November 28 – Student-Led Chapel
December 5 – Hymn Sing, George and Leah Washburn (Marion)
For more information about the Chapel schedule or speakers list, contact Cynthia White, Chapel Committee Chair and Associate Vice President for Student Development, at cwhite@judson.edu or (334) 683-5107.