What is Sunday morning worship at the Chapel like?

What should I expect (and how do I dress)?

The Chapel of the Resurrection is a magnificent and awe-inspiring worship space. Yet we hope you will always feel you are a welcome part of the community that sings and prays in this place.

Sunday mornings at the Chapel are services of Holy Communion. While Pastor Jim and Pastor Kate are both Lutheran, you absolutely do not have to be Lutheran to participate! All are welcome.

Worship here draws upon the gifts of Christians from across the centuries and around the world. Students, pastors, deaconesses, musicians and other members of the University community shape each worship service through music and art, proclamation and prayer.

A message is given each Sunday morning by either one of our campus ministers. Occasionally we may have a guest preacher, such as one of the Theology Department professors. Our  Sunday morning services are usually livestreamed to our YouTube channel. Sermons are also audio recorded during the school year and available through Soundcloud.com or at valpo.edu/chapel/sermons.

We use a variety of worship settings over the course of the church year. Our impressive Reddel Memorial Organ and a choir help to lead the music most Sundays. On others, a praise band will help lead the music. There is may be a procession of people carrying in a smaller cross, torches, and the Bible at the start of the service. You’ll see the ministers and choir wearing robes. Our worshiping community is made up of students and their family members or friends, faculty and staff members and their families, and people from the larger Valparaiso area and beyond. Children are welcome, too!

There are pads hanging from the chair in front of your seat that may be used during the prayers. If you choose not to kneel at these times, please sit forward in your seat so that the person behind you may kneel if they choose.

It is traditional that men remove their hats when inside the Chapel, as a sign of respect. However, there is no dress code! For Sunday mornings at the Chapel, people dress in a variety of ways, from jeans or shorts to dresses and jackets and ties. (Be comfortable! The Chapel was constructed without air conditioning.)

Sunday morning is one of eight different worship services held at the Chapel throughout the week. There are two late-night services, popular with students. On Sunday nights at 9 p.m., Candlelight Evening Prayer gathers around word, song and prayer. Celebrate! is our weekly praise band service of Holy Communion that meets on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. Students dress comfortably for these services. Morning Prayer is a 20-minute service every weekday at 10 a.m. during the Chapel Break period of the academic day when classes are not in session. Each day of Morning Prayer offers a different style of worship through which the Valpo community joins together in prayer and praise. Valpo students play key parts in both planning and leading all of these services.

Can I receive communion?

Yes! Communion is celebrated here each Sunday morning in the confidence of receiving from our Lord all that he promises when he gives his body and blood to eat and to drink. All who are baptized and share this conviction are welcome to commune, however no one is required to commune. If your own church tradition or personal conviction prevents you from receiving the elements of Holy Communion, you may come forward for words of blessing or remain in your chair and join in the singing. If you desire to be baptized or learn more about Holy Communion, please speak with one of the pastors.

Our bread is gluten- and dairy-free. Dealcoholized wine is available. Ushers will direct you where to go.  

On Wednesday evenings, students are encouraged to participate in communion during our mid-week Celebrate! praise band service that begins at 10 p.m.

What are the Chapel’s hours?

The Chapel is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily during the academic year. Students, faculty and staff can use their identification cards to “swipe” into the Chapel in the evenings until 11 p.m.

Where do I park?

Valparaiso is a walking campus, but guests may be dropped off in the turnaround between the Chapel and Harre Union. There is limited handicap parking available here. We recommend that you park in Lot 20, down hill from the Christopher Center and Chapel, or in Lot 15.

Are tours offered?

There are no official tours, but please feel free to pick up a self-guided tour book about the Chapel, available in the narthex, which offers information on different features of the Chapel as well an explanation of the stained glass windows. 

Is the Chapel handicap accessible?

A handicap accessible doorway is located at the entrance opposite the Harre Union, from the Chapel turnaround. The Chapel has two family/handicap accessible restrooms on the main level, in the narthex. To access the Gloria Christi Chapel without using stairs, we recommend entering at the ground level on the eastern end of the building. (The Gloria Christi Chapel is a smaller chapel, built below the chancel, on the eastern end of the building.) There are sidewalks with ramps on the southern side of the Chapel and the Helge Center.

What if I just want to stop by to pray?

Many people find it a blessing to be able to pause in the Chapel of the Resurrection for prayer and personal reflection. You are welcome! There also is a prayer chapel in the Gloria Christi Chapel. The Resurrection Labyrinth, located outside the Chapel on the east end, is accessible 24/7 as a devotional space.