Earning and Tracking Spiritual Growth Credits

Earning and Tracking Spiritual Growth Credits

How do I earn Spiritual Growth Credits

1. Students fulfill Spiritual Growth Credits as (a) individuals or (b) in a Core Community group with a mentor.
2. (A) Pathway 1 – Individual
   • Pursue Spiritual Growth Credits Individually
   • Students may earn twenty-one (21) Spiritual Growth Credits (sixteen for commuters). Ten of the twenty-one must be earned in the chapel service, in person. The other eleven will be earned by attending Spiritual Growth opportunities on/off campus, or virtually.
3. (B) Pathway 2 – Core Community Group
   • Students may join a Core Community group. A Core Community group is a mentor paired with a group of two to seven students. The maximum size of a Core group is eight persons: one mentor and seven students.
   • Traditional students will earn twenty-one (21) spiritual growth credits by attending ten chapel services in person and joining a Core Community group that fosters belonging, discipleship, and meaning. The Core Community mentor will simply report that the students have been in group attendance at the end of the semester. Students will be awarded eleven credits. Attending the required ten chapels as a group is suggested but not required.
4. You get Spiritual Growth Credits by attending approved Spiritual Growth opportunities presented through the Student Life Office. Available Spiritual Growth programs are posted on posters around campus, on the iAttended app, and on the university online calendar.  Students are encouraged to attend growth events at their pleasure, however, every opportunity for learning does not earn a Spiritual Growth Credit.  Students will know that a program is worth Spiritual Growth Credit when they see the phrase, “Worth one Spiritual Growth Credit”.
5. Each semester faculty, staff & students eagerly plan spiritual growth programs through the Student Life office for your enjoyment and enrichment on and off campus.  There are several ways to engage growth opportunities. Some are required, others are elected. Below is a short list of ways to earn the credits.
   1. In-Person Events
      • Chapel – University Chapel is our flagship program for spiritual growth. The Chapel gathering is open to all students, even those who are exempt from earning credits. Here, we:
        • worship our God, 
        • gather with our community, 
        • celebrate and support our teams and peers
        • express the Good News of Jesus
        • confess, repent, pray and respond to God
      • In-Person Spiritual Growth Events – These events may be on or off campus. Students get credit by entering the code provided or scanning the QR code provided for students at an event. If no code is available, or if the technology is unavailable, the Spiritual Growth host will take each student’s name at the event and turn it into the Student Life office within 48 hours.
      • Student Enrichment Opportunities – These personal and professional development opportunities will be provided by the Student Life office for students who desire to learn and grow in a specific area. Student Enrichment opportunities will allow students to prepare for post-college life and community.
      • Listed below are the five categories of Spiritual Growth opportunities for students:
        • 1. Discipleship– Students who would like to step in for the first time, or deepen their Christian faith
        • 2. Personal Enrichment– Development of self and social management through soft and emotional skills 
        • 3. Life Skills– Students who desire to develop skills beyond their academic/professional discipline to improve their marketability 
        • 4. Service– Students who desire to grow in Christlike service to others through on or off-campus opportunities 
        • 5. Courageous Conversations– Students who desire to dialogue, understand, and/or interact with current and impactful social realities.
   2. Virtual Events
      • Virtual Chapel – (Primarily for commuters)- Students can look for “virtual chapel” in the iAttended app, then take the quizzes with questions relating to the virtual chapel video. The verbiage for virtual chapel videos is similar to the following, “Virtual Chapel – Title of Message – (video)”; and the verbiage for quizzes is similar to the following, “Virtual Chapel – Title of Message – (quiz)”. Generally, students receive .5 credit for watching the video and .5 credit for answering the quiz questions to the video correctly, totaling 1 full credit. The earned credit will be posted to iAttended immediately after submission.
      • Virtual Live Spiritual Growth Events – Some hosts offer their programming through Zoom. Students can engage the host even when they are far away from campus.
      • Virtual Videos – There will be recorded videos on a variety of topics that students can learn from.

How do I track my Spiritual Growth Credits?

• The Student is responsible for keeping track of all of their earned Spiritual Growth credits. When students open the iAttended App and press the “Progress” button they can see:
  • (a) the percentage of their completed Spiritual Growth Opportunities (SGOs) for the semester,
  • (b) the number of chapels they have physically attended for the semester,
  • (c) the number of their SGCs, and
  • (d) the required number of SGCs.
• If you do not have a smartphone or if no event code or QR code is provided at an event, be sure to communicate with the event host and provide that person with your name and student ID number. The host will turn in your attendance within two business days. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that their attendance was submitted to the Student Life office.