You will find that prayer and devotion are highly valued at Patten and that the environment is inspirational and conducive to spiritual growth. You are encouraged to pray, read the Bible daily, and pray in the Tom Patten Prayer Chapel daily. You are also invited to take part in the Christian Cathedral prayer meetings, a schedule of which is posted in the Prayer Chapel. You are expected to be an active member of a church while enrolled at Patten. If you belong to a church in another city, you are invited to attend Christian Cathedral and to inquire about associate membership. We encourage all students to attend a Community of Faith group, and all resident students to attend monthly prayer and devotionals held at the dorms.

Through planning and student opinion surveys, a varied format has been developed. Chapels feature outside speakers, the student council, visiting and student musicians, faculty speakers, talent, fellowship, and prayer.

Students are encouraged to participate in chapel by presenting testimonies or sermonettes, special music and dramatic presentations. These must be approved by the Director of Student Activities at least a week before they are scheduled. Students must hand in a brief biographical sketch and an outline or abstract of the presentation to the Director of Student Activities. If there is any question regarding the presentation, it will be taken before the Student Affairs committee.

Campus Pastor
Pastor Tobey Montgomery is the Patten University campus pastor and senior pastor of Christian Cathedral, the campus church. Pastor Tobey is a regular speaker in University Chapel services and he and his wife LaRhonda host a bi-weekly college Bible study at their home during the semester. He is available to students by appointment for pastoral counseling needs.

Christian/Community Service

To help you achieve your potential in spirituality and Christian leadership, the University has developed the Christian/Community Service program, which involves A.A. and B.A. degree students in practical ministry or community service (see the Catalog).

For the B.A. degree you must complete 16 hours of Christian/Community Service each semester for a total of six semesters. The A.A. degree requires two semesters of service. Christian/Community service activities include visiting churches, conducting services, calling on the sick in hospitals or convalescent homes, working with needy children, sharing Christ with prisoners, or serving in some other capacity. Thus, on the practical level you will have the opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. In order to encourage exploration of a variety of opportunities, students are required to select 3 of their service activities from our approved list of local organizations.

The program is administered through the Student Services office. Consult the Christian/Community Service board in the hallway outside the student lounge for a list of opportunities. You are advised to choose activities that are best suited to your talents and future ministry.