Every year at Simpson University, students take a step forward in their faith. Some arrive in Redding to play a sport or chase a degree and leave with something they never expected: a relationship with Jesus.
“We are super blessed, because every year we have students who take a step forward in their faith,” said Natalie Goens, Director of Spiritual Formation. “They respond to Jesus and the gospel and accept the Lord as their Lord and Savior. After students do that, we do the best we can to encourage baptism.”
A public step of faith
Why baptism? “Because we believe that Jesus says to publicly proclaim to the church family, the body of Christ, that they are saved,” Goens explained. “Baptism is like a symbol of a decision you’ve made.”
Simpson holds baptisms twice a year, outdoors during chapel: once in December at the end of the fall semester, and again in April at the end of the spring semester.
Most students begin by meeting with Goens, who talks with them about their faith journey and their proclamation of faith. However, the Spirit doesn’t always keep a schedule. Sometimes, a few students feel called in the moment and step into the tank for a spontaneous baptism.
Stories that start before the semester does
Last year, a group of athletes asked to be baptized at training camp over the summer, before classes had even begun. The football team brought in a big pool, and 15 to 20 athletes were baptized. Goens called it amazing, because school hadn’t even started yet.
This fall, around 30 students made decisions for Jesus at the start of the school year, whether by joining the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) or raising a hand at chapel. Goens checks in with each of them throughout the semester. So far, three to five say they’re interested in being baptized this December.
Faith also takes root in the classroom. “There have been a few situations where students have come to know Jesus in the classroom setting, and then they decide to get baptized,” Goens said.
Her favorite stories, though, belong to students who came to Simpson for something else entirely.
“They are here to play sports, and they begin to realize that there is a God out there that created them, loves them, sees them, gives them worth and value, knows them and cares about them. They start to learn more about God, and at the end of the semester they choose to make more serious decisions for the Lord. Those are my favorite stories I get to witness, especially when a student has no idea what decision they are going to make later on. I think that is really special.”
No one is pressured. “The hope would be that they feel accepted whether or not they make a decision for Jesus,” Goens said. “But Lord willing, our hope is that God would really draw their heart in and that they would take steps out into their faith, because we believe that is the path of the most flourishing for them in their life.”
Room to grow, big or small
Baptism is one milestone in a much longer walk, and Simpson offers many ways to take it. Some students grow best in a small, close-knit group. Others come alive in a large worship setting. Simpson’s spiritual life programs are built to meet students wherever they are, whatever their denominational background, preference, or personality:
- Weekly evening gatherings hosted by the Spiritual Formation team, including Encounter, Alpha, and FCA
- Bible studies on your residence hall floor or with your athletic team
- Small groups, including a Nurses Christian Fellowship group, and prayer moments
- Worship nights, athlete nights and testimony nights
- Chapel
- WorldSERVE Mission trips each year, to places near and far
“Students are going to grow with God in all kinds of different ways, and students have all kinds of different comfort levels with different types of events,” Goens said. “Our heart is to offer events where students feel like it meets them in their season of life.”
For those called to go deeper: Tozer Seminary
For students who sense a call to ministry, the next step may be Tozer Seminary, Simpson’s graduate seminary.
“A.W. Tozer was a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and now we have a seminary named after him,” said seminary student Gabriel Frohlich. “We have students from all over the world in Tozer. We have a small section here on campus, but we have a lot of students over in Hong Kong joining in online.”
Tozer offers four programs:
- Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership – a two-year academic program
- Master of Divinity – a three-year program with an internship built in
- Master of Arts in Community Counseling – 100% online, with many international students
- Tozer 30 – a certificate program
Students pursuing ordination first become licensed workers with the Alliance. That path includes a detailed application and an accreditation interview. From there, students specialize in the ministry they feel called to, whether serving as a pastor in a local church or as a missionary overseas.
Tozer also connects with Simpson’s undergraduate biblical studies program. Some classes share content across both levels, with master’s students going deeper in their coursework. Frohlich says those combined classes have ranged from as many as 12 students to as few as three for him personally here on campus.
Professors work with students to shape the path ahead. Frohlich has taken independent study and online classes with a missions focus, while friends headed toward chaplaincy or pastoral roles follow a different track.
This year, Frohlich has watched the program grow as Simpson adds more graduate programs on campus. He sees rising interest from people drawn to student life, too. “Oftentimes those two passions coincide,” he said, “because what we get to do here is ministry on campus.”
Join us in December
From a pool at football camp to the baptism tank at chapel, from a dorm-floor Bible study to a seminary classroom connected to Hong Kong, faith at Simpson grows in many places. This December, a few more students will step into the water and share their decision with the campus family.
Want to experience spiritual life at Simpson or Tozer Seminary for yourself? Plan a campus visit.
