Outdoor worship opens the spring semester

It’s called the Spring semester. But as the north wind blew, everyone was reminded that it is after all, winter. But at least the sun was warm under clear, blue skies.  

With the temperature in the 40s, the sound of worship filled the chilly air as the new semester got underway at Columbia International University with an outdoor Chapel service in The Quad. New students were welcomed, setting the stage for the second half of the school year.

As students sipped hot chocolate, coffee and tea, they heard Dean of Students Rick Swift ask them to encourage each other through life’s various challenges, especially in an era where COVID still lingers. He read from Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”

“But I would say more than anything, let’s grab hold of God,” Swift said. “And wherever we are, let’s move forward in our walk with Him. His grace is always there. All we need to do is ask for it, and then apply it, and walk with Him.”

Community is at the heart of CIU. Check it out. With record enrollment for five straight years, CIU consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.