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Spiritual Life
As a Christian university Ambrose makes intentional space for your faith to flourish. To grow in wisdom and love, and to prepare well for vocational purpose means that spiritual practices are an essential part of your education. As part of our learning community at Ambrose, you’ll have company for your spiritual journey: faculty and staff to mentor and guide, and fellow students to walk with you every step of the way. Weekly chapels, community groups and special all-campus events like the Deeper Life Conference and the Ambrose Day of Prayer, provide many opportunities to grow as followers of Jesus
Our Spiritual Life staff include Campus Chaplain Terry Fach, Chapel Worship Coordinator John Vooys, and Community Groups Director Evelyn Eisses. See their stories and contact information below.
Chapel in a time of COVID
Worship at Ambrose
Twice a week our campus community gathers for chapel services. These are times to worship through singing, praying and hearing from the Scriptures (the Bible). Ambrose faculty, staff and students preach and share encouraging stories about their spiritual journeys.
Music is an important part of campus worship. Student music teams lead most chapels with regular involvement by Ambrose choirs and choral groups. Many of these groups are open for auditions every fall semester. Contact the Worship Coordinator if you have an interest in joining a chapel worship team.
Ambrose chapels often feature outstanding guest speakers and performing artists. In recent years Ambrose has hosted Steve Bell, Scott Erickson, Ins Choi, William Willimon, Elaine Storkey, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Sarah Coakley, and Ray Aldred.
Ambrose students come from over 30 Christian denominations and traditions. Some come from other religious traditions or no religion at all! We celebrate this diversity, extend welcome to any who wish to join us, and value sharing the spiritual journey with all. Our worship services reflect our diversity. We encourage you to celebrate and learn from music and practices that are new, even as we confess the one who unites our worship—the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Chapel Times
Tuesday and Thursday
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Ambrose gymnasium and online: ambrose.edu/chapel
If you want to get involved in chapel services, talk to the campus Worship Coordinator.
Chapel Recordings
We record most of our chapel services. To watch, listen, or share one of them go to ambrose.edu/chapel.
Community Groups
Community Groups are small-group gatherings that provide support, friendship, and spiritual growth. Usually no larger than ten persons, such groups are led by a trained student leader who facilitates Christian discipleship through discussion, prayer, service, and Bible study. The goal of these groups is to grow in awareness and love for self, neighbor, and God. This is a place where you can form deep and lasting relationships!
For more information on Community Groups, contact the Student Life office.
Deeper Life Conference
Early every fall semester, we take a full day to focus as a community on what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. With every class and meeting on “pause” we gather to hear from a guest speaker in the morning and then explore practical ways to live our faith in afternoon workshops. Past speakers include James K.A. Smith, Bishop Mark MacDonald, Belden Lane, Norman Wirzba, and Kate Bowler. The topic for Deeper Life Conference changes yearly, sets the tone for the semester, and is often discussed in your classes.
Faith, Life, and Learning Days
In the Winter Semester we invite a speaker to help us explore how Christian vocation connects with a particular issue or challenge in our world today. If the mission of God is to renew and redeem the whole creation in Christ, what might that calling look like in the spheres of business, science, medicine, education, and the workplace in general? What does creation-care, reconciliation with First Nations, equity in our economy, and justice in our prison system —to name a few—mean for the church today? Recent speakers have included Jeff Van Duzer (“Why Business Matters to God”); Bishop Mark McDonald (“Evangelicals and First Nations: Repentance Required?”); Leah Kostamo (“Creation Care: Responding with Christian Hope to the Environmental Crisis”); Dr. Darrel Falk (Evolution, Creation, and the Breath of God”); and Dr. Arlette Zinck (“Serving the Mission Field in your Backyard: A Christian Response to Prisons”).
Prayer Room
On campus we have a quiet place where you can go to pray alone or with a small group. This beautiful, small space has been designed specifically to help you retreat from the busyness of your day-to-day life and direct your thoughts toward Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Prayer Room is L2059 on the second floor of Mjolsness Hall. You’ll recognize it by its colourful painted glass wall. There is no need to reserve the room for your individual use.
The residence buildings also each have rooms set aside for quiet prayer.
Local Church
Although Ambrose is a faith community that offers you regular fellowship and great ways to serve, our community isn't meant to be a substitute for local church involvement. We encourage you to expand your Christian community outside Ambrose by becoming part of one of the many diverse and vibrant congregations in and around Calgary.
You can find a list of churches here to get involved with or you can contact the Student Life office.
Campus Chaplain – Rev. Terry Fach
Terry has been the Campus Chaplain at Ambrose University (Calgary) since 2013. He was planter and pastor of a church in Calgary for sixteen years, and before that taught philosophy and theology at Ambrose. Educated at Canadian Nazarene College and Oxford University,he is married to Ruth and they are the parents of two adult daughters.