Community Life and Worship

When you want a young plant to grow strong and flourishing, you put it in a greenhouse. A greenhouse provides the ideal environment to stimulate as much growth as possible in the most formative season of development to establish a level of health and multiply its fruitfulness throughout its life.

At HCU, we want to nurture each student’s intellectual and spiritual development in preparation to fulfill the calling God has placed on their lives so we’ve built a spiritual greenhouse that will support the formation of whole-life excellence that glorifies Jesus as Lord. In our classrooms, in Convocation, in Kaleō discipling relationships, through church partnerships and campus ministries, we’ve constructed a comprehensive curriculum of campus life that plants us with abundant access to the light of God’s presence, the nourishing water of God’s Word, and the supportive company of God’s people (Ps 1:1–3).

But you won’t benefit from this growth if you don’t spend time in the greenhouse, soaking in the light, water, and warmth that will accelerate your development for years to come. Community Life and Worship credits are our way of providing guidance, accountability, and support to make sure that you spend enough time in the right kinds of environments to experience the kinds of growth that produce mature and excellent adulthood, which is the reason you are pursuing an HCU education in the first place. (Even if you are not coming to HCU as a Christian, we want CLWs to help you consider openly the truth of Christ in a community that will support your exploration and enjoy learning alongside you.)

CLWs help prioritize the kinds of spiritual growth that will help us to integrate our academic and professional advancement into a holistic excellence that will cause us to flourish as humans. Community Life and Worship guides you into practices and patterns of relationships that will serve your spiritual formation and fruitfulness for the rest of your life.

Community Life and Worship is because God loves you, we love you, and we want you to graduate, leave the greenhouse, and go out into the world ready and equipped with the maturity for lifelong spiritual formation as a follower of Jesus.

CLW Graduation Requirement

A graduation requirement for all HCU bachelor’s degrees is involvement on a regular basis in spiritual formation events. All students seeking an undergraduate degree must complete the 80 CLW credit requirement before graduation. A minimum of 50 CLW-A credits must be earned through attendance at Convocation. Students are highly encouraged to garner a minimum of 15 credits per semester. Students can earn as many CLW credits per semester as their schedule allows.

Transfer Students

Transfer students will receive 3/4 CLW transfer credit for every transfer credit hour, up to a maximum of 60 CLW transfer credits. For example, a student with 40 transfer hours will receive 30 CLW transfer credits towards the total requirement of 80 CLW credits.

Attendance and Tracking

A representative designated by the Spiritual Life Office will be available at events approved for CLW credits to assist students with recording their participation.

  • The student is responsible for having his/her attendance recorded by using a cell phone to scan a QR code or having his/her H Number readily available to record on a sign-in sheet.
  • Students do not receive CLW credit when they arrive late, leave early, fail to sign-in or scan-in, or distract someone else from participating.
  • Students may check the records of their total CLW credits through HuskyNet.
  • It is a student’s responsibility to notify the Spiritual Life Office with any questions regarding his or her CLW record.
  • In the case of an omission or error in the student CLW record, changes in credit must be requested by the end of the following semester.
  • A minimum of 50 CLW credits must be obtained through attendance at Convocation (CLW-A credits) to meet the graduation requirement.
  • Students enrolled in a Pampell Global Campus online undergraduate degree program will complete their CLW credits through Blackboard.

Petitions Policy

All students seeking an undergraduate degree must complete the 80 CLW credit requirement. No petitions are accepted requesting a decrease in the CLW credit requirement.

CLW-A Opportunities

The minimum of fifty (50) CLW-A credits needed for graduation may be received only through participation in Convocation services held each week during the Fall and Spring semesters and in IGNITE Spiritual Emphasis Week services.

Convocation Schedule

Wednesdays | 11:00 – 11:50 AM | Dunham Theater

Thursdays | 4:00-4:50 PM | Belin Chapel

IGNITE Spiritual Emphasis Weeks

October, 1–3, 2024

February 26–27, 2025

 

CLW-B Opportunities

  • We offer CLW-B credit for certain Bible studies for each of our Campus Ministry partners. Find out about these opportunities and which small group gatherings are approved for CLW credit.

  • The Dunham Bible Museum houses world-class exhibits with six opportunities for students to receive the CLW-B credits indicated below by visiting the exhibit and completing a reflection activity:

    • The Early Bibles – 2 CLW B credits
    • Bible in America – 2 CLW B credits
    • The Bible and Literature – 2 CLW B credits
    • Bible on the Moon/Treasured Word/St. John’s Bible– 2 CLW B credits
    • Celebrating the Life of Jesus Christ in 5 Centuries of Bible Art – 2 CLW B credits
    • Stations of the Cross Walking Tour – 3 CLW B credits

    For more information, please contact Dr. Diana Severance at 281-649-3287 or visit HC.edu/BibleMuseum.

  • C. S. Lewis was a scholar of medieval and Renaissance literature and a brilliant apologist for the Christian faith. Students can view videos from a 12-part lecture series that introduce his writings and his legacy for Christians today and then offer their own reflections on these lectures by responding to a series of questions provided for each lecture.

    Recordings of the lecture series can be checked out at the Moody Library Circulation Desk (2nd Floor) for viewing in the Library.  Students must provide thoughtful, original reflections to a series of questions, which are provided when requested from SpiritualLife@HC.edu. One CLW-B Credit per video (up to a maximum of 12 CLW-B credits) will be given for responses that meet these criteria.

    • Ignite Workshops and Breakouts (1 CLW-B credits per session)
    • See You at the Pole – September 25, 2024 (1 CLW-B credit)
    • HCU Sponsored Mission Trips (5 CLW-B credits for a trip of one week or longer)
    • Other Mission Trips (5 CLW-B credits for a trip of one week or longer, if pre-approved by Spiritual Life)
    • University- or College-Sponsored Lectures (1 CLW-B credit for approved lectures)
    • Spiritual Life Seminars & Workshops (1 CLW-B for each session)
    • Student-Organization Sponsored Discipleship Events (1 CLW-B credit if pre-approved by Spiritual Life)

Remember that a minimum of 50 CLW-A credits must be attained through attendance at Convocation in order to graduate regardless of how many CLW-B credits a student attains.

For more information on specific CLW-B opportunities, see the weekly Student Newsletter for more details or contact SpiritualLife@HC.edu if you have questions.