PUC Students Unite by Growing Dorm Worship Attendance

Pacific Union College’s (PUC) student attendance at dorm worships has significantly increased following the combined efforts of students and staff to enhance these worship experiences. Organizers say that listening to students and tending to their spiritual needs strengthens their relationship with Christ and keeps them hungry for His word. 

“As a student myself, I know how busy each of us can be with academics, extracurriculars, and relationships,” says PUC sophomore Jacob Duran. “We are all on different roads of life, but we hope that students come to dorm worship with their different experiences and enjoy fellowship with each other.”

Duran has been involved with dorm worship since his freshman year. He first helped through song-leading, and now is the spiritual residence assistant for Newton Hall and director of combined dorm worship. Though he does not plan every worship, he checks that everything runs smoothly. 

“Ultimately, we hope students find a piece of Jesus through music, the message, activities, and, most importantly, each other,” he says.

On average, 100 to 120 students attend dorm worship weekly, about double the attendance of last year. Students are encouraging their friends and gathering together to share their faith. 

Last school year, the campus dormitories—Winning Hall, Newton Hall, and Andre Hall—individually hosted worships, which were open to all students. Students, however, felt that the scattered programs felt too similar, leaving them unenthusiastic about worship programs.

To fix this issue, student leaders and several staff members decided to combine all dorm worships every Tuesday night at Scales Chapel, adopting a three-week rotation of organizers to lead each program. This rotation allows students to develop more creative ways to enhance worship without the stress of feeling burned out. Also, instead of having speakers every week, leaders also included various other activities to add program variety.

Duran has received positive feedback regarding the changes. “Some have appreciated the variety in programming and participants,” he said. “Others have shared their appreciation for the liveliness of every dorm worship, whether through the songs, icebreakers, or the silly teaser videos the dorms post on Instagram promoting dorm worship. And to no surprise, many people have been thoroughly enjoying the food [we now serve] afterward.”

Pacific Union College is a private Seventh-day Adventist liberal arts college in Angwin, California. It is the only four-year college in Napa County, and the twelfth oldest institution of higher education in California.