Beginning Again in Spring 2026

What God Is Doing on Anderson University’s Campus This Spring

At the start of the spring semester, students filled Reardon Auditorium for the first chapel gathering of the year. Along the walls, faculty and staff stood waiting. One by one, students stepped forward, some alone, some with friends, to be prayed over. Hands were laid on shoulders. Quiet conversations filled the space. It was a simple moment, but one that set the tone for everything that would follow. This semester, the invitation was clear: begin again.

A Campus Invited Into Transformation

The theme for chapel this spring has centered on renewal, rooted in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” 

This spring, the focus has drawn from the Gospel of John, where the campus is encountering the life of Jesus and the ongoing invitation to transformation, reminding us that no one is bound by who they’ve been, but can step into something new through Christ.

Pastor Brian “B” Martin, dean of the Center for Spiritual and Intercultural Life, shared, “This semester, we’ve invited speakers to share their pivotal moments, the decisions that changed the course of their lives. Sometimes those moments come out of pain or confusion, and sometimes through a powerful encounter with God. They often involve choosing a different way, humility instead of pride, forgiveness instead of resentment, surrender instead of control, and we’re exploring what it takes to make that choice and live it out with courage, and how it shapes not only our lives, but the lives of others.”

But this hasn’t just been a message heard from the stage. It’s something students are beginning to live.

A View from the President’s House

In one spiritual formation group, the invitation to begin again became deeply personal. President Scott Moats reflected on a recent conversation with a parent, “I met with a parent and his daughter, who is a current student. I learned that she was invited into conversation and community through our spiritual formation groups. She made a profession of faith this semester.” Moments like that rarely come with a spotlight. They happen quietly, in conversations, in relationships, in spaces where students feel known and supported.

Other moments unfold just as quietly.

President Moats shared another story from his own home, “A student was walking back to their dorm, discouraged by challenges at home, and he made a last-minute decision to come to our house and knock on the door.” The first lady, Sheryl Moats, welcomed him in. She listened, prayed with him, and made sure he left with a plate of cookies.

Weeks later, a note arrived from the student’s parent, expressing gratitude for the care shown to her son in a moment that mattered in their family. These moments are not programmed or planned. But they are shaping the kind of community Anderson University is becoming.

A New Sound Emerging

What began as a small group of students with a shared passion for worship has grown into something much larger, called “AU Movement.” They pray. They talk. They write. They try again.  More than a band, AU Movement is a student-led collective focused on writing songs for the church, leading worship, and responding in real time to what God is doing on campus. Their songs are not written for performance. They are written for people. 

Pastor Becca Palmer, director of spiritual formation at AU, shared, “They meet regularly to pray together, discuss ideas, workshop songs, and record songs. Several in this group went to Nashville this month with Dr. Becky Chappell to connect with AU alums in the songwriting and music industry and spent a whole day recording at a great studio in the heart of Nashville. What stood out to these students was seeing how many successful AU alums are working in the music industry in Nashville, and how the common theme in all of their lives was to continually trust God’s leading.” 

AU Movement continues to grow. There is a quiet confidence to the group, an authenticity rooted not in polish, but in purpose. The Spirit of God is moving, and this group continues to respond and go forward.

They led at the winter retreat for the northeastern Ohio Church of God youth in January and will lead worship at Church at the Crossing in March. They will perform original worship songs at AU’s student music event, Somnium, on campus in April. They are also leading worship services at upcoming state youth conventions in the Church of God. For the rest of this semester, they are focusing on recording original songs with Oranghaus Records in AU’s record label within the School of Music & Performing Arts.

Faith in Action

For many students, spiritual formation is not limited to campus spaces; it’s lived out in real-world contexts. Through AU’s NetVUE Leadership for Communities of Faith grant, students are participating in paid internships with local churches. These experiences give students opportunities to serve while discerning their calling, bridging what they are learning in the classroom with the realities of ministry.

Lilly Hymes, a Christian ministries major and peace & conflict transformation minor, describes her experience this way: “My internship is opening my eyes to a more holistic perspective of doing ministry. I am able to serve in new capacities and get hands-on experience in relational ministry. Connecting with the students has been a highlight of my semester.”

Church of God Ministries Global Strategy is a campus partner for our Serve, Study, Share travel program, known as Tri-S. AU’s Tri-S program, led by Dr. Stefanie Leiter, is sending 89 students and faculty across the world this spring to serve communities, apply academic skills, and experience global cultures through faith-centered learning. 

Student-led gatherings like 10:07, a weekly acoustic worship night, continue to grow, creating consistent opportunities for students to lead and participate in worship. Vision ReVision continues to be a really impactful chapel service for students because it’s created and facilitated by students. Students designed this semester’s event on the idea of koinonia, a Greek word that speaks to the gathering of believers that produces accountability, fellowship, community, and intimacy with God. 

Organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) are drawing dozens of students each week, creating consistent rhythms of community and encouragement. Right before spring break, the Pacer’s chaplain and a player from the Noblesville Boom came to meet with FCA to speak to, pray for, and encourage students in their faith and leadership.

There are also moments when the campus slows down. During Encounter: 24 Hours of Prayer, Miller Chapel remains open as students come and go, sometimes in silence, sometimes in worship, making space simply to be present with God. Moments like these are shaping how students experience community, not just as something they attend, but something they actively build.

A Renewed Partnership with the Church

This spring, the momentum on campus is matched by a renewed and growing partnership between Anderson University and the broader Church of God Ministries.

Locally, collaboration is growing. Sherman Street Church of God youth will visit campus in April. Freedom House, formerly known as Madison Park Church of God, has moved its offices and services to AU’s campus. Becca Palmer shared, “The number of volunteers for Park Place Neighbors, the campus ministry that serves our neighbors at the Park Place Church of God  Food Pantry, has grown this year, and students have loved connecting with both the local volunteers and the neighbors that visit the pantry.” 

Church of God Ministries is increasingly inviting AU leaders into national conversations, including its “Mondays with Monté” series. Faculty and administrators are also engaging across the country and globally, contributing to conversations on ministry, leadership, and theological education.

AU launched a $5,000 Church of God scholarship to invest in undergraduate students connected to the movement. The scholarship is available to students pursuing any major and reflects a shared priority between the university and the Church of God to identify, support, and prepare the next generation of leaders.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Campmeeting will return to campus this June. Registrations are already more than 500 strong, bringing hundreds together for worship, teaching, and connection. More than a single event, it reflects a broader season of re-engagement between the university and the church.

The Center for Compelling Preaching continues to equip pastors through its National Preaching Clinic, now aligned with Campmeeting’s schedule. Registrations have doubled for the second year in a row. Together, these events will strengthen the connection between theological training and the life of the church.

Looking Ahead

There is a sense, across campus, that something is unfolding. It can be seen in a student stepping forward for prayer. In a group gathered around a guitar, writing songs late into the night. In quiet conversations that lead to life-changing decisions.

It can be heard in worship, in classrooms, and in moments of service. This spring, the invitation to “begin again” is not just a theme; it is a call to action. It is becoming a lived reality. And for many students at Anderson University, it is only the beginning.

Written by Mischon Hart ’07 | God Bless, Go Ravens!

About Anderson University

Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 18 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult, graduate, and online programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, social work, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.