![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg\")
Chapel. For students at Grove City College, where spiritual formation is at the core of a Grove education, this singular word provokes great conversation and debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While each full-time student is required to attend chapel at least 12 times per semester, some walk through the doors of Harbison Chapel already counting the minutes before they can return to their studies and complete pressing assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My conversations with students about chapel typically yield negative feedback about the program, largely due to the style of music in chapel services. Adding a special music portion to the weekly Wednesday morning chapel service would offer an alternative style of music and allow for more students to participate in worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music is a crucial part of worshipping together as Christians, emphasized several times in Scripture. The psalmist states, \u201cWorship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapel services at Grove City College currently incorporate music through student-led worship teams, where student volunteers lead singing in a largely contemporary format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While members of these student worship teams reap the benefits of leading worship, several instrument and voice majors, who are more classically trained or specialize in performing as a soloist, are excluded by the contemporary format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These student musicians are gearing up to minister in churches with more of a traditional format through playing piano or organ, directing choirs and hymn singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, these students only get to perform at their respective recitals and juries, lacking the practical experience of using their gifts as an act of worship. Having a special music component in chapel to allow music students to perform would give them valuable experience, even if their area of music expertise does not fit in with the conventional worship team format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking beyond soloists, special music time in chapel could also be an opportunity for musical ensembles on campus to participate in services and foster further student participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special music in chapel would also expose students to a wider variety of music and complement the material taught in Civilization and the Arts. Special music would bring something new to chapel services and incentivize students to attend with an attitude of excitement, not resentment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some might worry a special music component would take away from the worship teams or add an unnecessary element in an already jam-packed chapel service, the educational and spiritual benefits for both the musician and the listener would help craft a more holy experience for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music in church is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Contemporary worship formats do not work in every church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By adding a special music portion to chapel, all musicians can have the opportunity to use their gifts in worship to God and gain valuable experience in the process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A call for alternative chapel music<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[215],"tags":[113,45,29],"class_list":["post-1297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","tag-alec-durfee","tag-issue-2026-02-13","tag-perspectives"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",571,488,false],"thumbnail":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",150,128,false],"medium":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",300,256,false],"medium_large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",571,488,false],"large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",571,488,false],"1536x1536":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",571,488,false],"2048x2048":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-02-13-18-one-size-doesnt-fit-all-1.jpg",571,488,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Ian Schartner","author_link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/author\/schartnerij23\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A call for alternative chapel music","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1759,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297\/revisions\/1759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}