Sabbath Observation: The Seventh-day Sabbath is observed at Oakwood University from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Students are expected to treat these sacred hours with reverence. We request that students refrain from ordering through delivery services (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart etc.) during these hours, unless necessary.
Church and Sabbath School: Each Sabbath, the Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist Church offers formal opportunity for worship and spiritual renewal. The Sabbath School program provides numerous settings campus-wide for formal and informal group Bible study, prayer, music, and discussion.
Chapel Experience: The chapel experience at OU includes Thursday assembly and other events that offer weekly opportunities for the entire campus to gather for worship, academic reflection and discussion. These events are important to the spiritual and social unity of the university family.
Worships: Providing programs conducive to academic and spiritual development at Oakwood University is a part of our walk with God. To preserve this distinctive objective, and to develop a habit of worship, selected attendance at a variety of worship events is required for students living in the residence halls. Morning prayer services, small groups, and evening worships are available every day to give students several opportunities to meet the requirement. Students residing on campus in one of the residence halls (Carter, Holland, Edwards, and Wade) are expected to attend a set number of services per week. Credits are offered for most services on campus (with exception of AYM and Sabbath morning service), students must earn a total of three (3) worship credits per week. Attendance is taken digitally through iAttended, an application that can be downloaded on any mobile device.
Campus Ministries: Campus Ministries is an organization led by the Campus Chaplains and student leaders that provides monthly meetings for student campus ministry leaders. These meetings include opportunities for reflection, learning and mutual encouragement. All ministry leaders are required to attend. Campus ministry leaders can attend the annual North American Division Campus Ministries Convention, where leaders from across the NAD come together for worship, learning and fellowship.
Small groups: The Office of Spiritual Life & Mission (OSLM) encourages spiritual growth in small groups that are vital to the religious life of Oakwood University. Many groups meet weekly on campus for encouragement and spiritual development. Training is provided for group facilitators at the beginning of each semester. Students can find the application at www.ouoslm.com
Prayer Ministries: The Office of Spiritual Life and Mission (Chaplain's Office), provides a variety of opportunities for singing, praying, and spiritual support. Prayer requests can be submitted on the OSLM website by clicking on the ‘Contact Us’ tab.