Simpson University

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Walk by Faith: Baptism, Community and Calling at Simpson University

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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.

Fall Preview Weekend

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Fall in love with Simpson!

This is an opportunity to experience life as a Simpson Red Hawk! Sit in on current classes, tour campus, get hosted overnight by current Simpson students and take part in one of our sweet 16 campus life events. This is also the perfect chance to discuss your goals with your admissions counselor and get information from your future faculty. 

REGISTER HERE

View the weekend schedule.

Commuter Life at Simpson University

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North State Promise Opens the Door for More Local Students at Simpson University 

For students across Northern California, attending college close to home is becoming a more accessible option as Simpson University expands opportunities for local students through its new North State Promise. 

The initiative reflects Simpson’s commitment to investing in future local leaders while making higher education more affordable, accessible, and local. Incoming traditional undergraduate students from Northern California who qualify for the program receive an automatic 50% discount on tuition. 

As more North State students consider Simpson, some may choose to commute from home rather than live on campus. Currently, about 30% of Simpson’s undergraduate students commute to the university. 

For senior Glorianna Junokas, commuting has allowed her to remain connected to her local community while becoming deeply involved in life at Simpson. 

Junokas grew up about 30 minutes from the university but had never visited the campus until she attended a tour. 

“I actually was not planning on coming to Simpson,” Junokas said. “But I ended up coming to one of the tour days, like the Spring Preview Tour Day. And I ended up really falling in love with the campus. I remember thinking like, I couldn’t believe Simpson has been here this whole time, and I lived here this whole time and never stepped foot on campus. And the next thing I knew, I was fully enrolled as a student here at Simpson.” 

A residential experience with options for local students 

Simpson is a residential university and encourages students to live on campus during their college careers. However, certain students may qualify to live off campus and commute. 

Students may qualify for commuter status if they live with a parent, legal guardian or grandparent within 35 miles of campus. Other circumstances that may qualify include being married or having children living with them, having served three or more years in the armed services, having an off-campus job that requires them to live at their place of employment, already owning a local home, or having a documented disability that has been approved through Simpson’s accommodations process. 

For students who qualify, commuting can also provide significant savings. Students who live at home could save on housing costs and dining costs. 

Those savings come with other considerations, including gasoline and vehicle wear and tear on your vehicle. Students who spend much of their day on campus may also need to budget for meals while they are at school. 

For Junokas, commuting has not kept her from making Simpson a major part of her daily life. 

“There are definitely days where I come here, I have an 8 a.m., and I stay all the way until the library closes at 9 p.m.,” she said. “I have definitely done that multiple times, especially being a science major.” 

Building community beyond the classroom 

One of the challenges commuter students can face is finding opportunities to develop friendships and become connected to campus life. 

“For commuters, it’s a little bit harder; you have to have a little bit more effort to make connections and friends because it is very easy to just come and do your classes and then leave and go home,” Junokas said. 

Simpson’s commuter support team works to help students overcome that barrier by creating opportunities specifically designed to bring commuter students together. 

“We really want to foster community among the commuters, so that they really feel like they belong and that they, you know, have a place at Simpson,” Junokas said. 

The commuter support team organizes events, sends commuter updates and offers activities designed to encourage students to connect with one another. 

“We have commuter challenges, like a weekly challenge, and our goal is to get other commuters to meet commuters,” Junokas said. 

Events are planned with commuter schedules in mind. Some activities take place shortly after classes, while others may be scheduled in the morning or during the middle of the school day. 

A commuter lunch in the campus dining area, for example, gives students an opportunity to meet other commuters without requiring them to make a separate trip to campus. 

Making the most of campus life 

While Junokas lives off campus, she has found ways to make Simpson’s campus feel like an important part of her college experience. 

She regularly uses campus facilities for studying, particularly the library. 

“I spend a lot of time in the library,” she said. “I really like the quiet rooms for studying, because if I go home I will be distracted.” 

Commuting also does not prevent students from participating in extracurricular activities. 

“A lot of commuters are still athletes, and still very involved on campus,” Junokas said. 

For Junokas, attending athletic events is another way to experience the community that makes up college life. 

“It’s really fun to, like, sit in a cheer section, and you really get to feel like you are having that college experience, going to a game and cheering for people,” she said. 

She encourages other commuter students to attend games and support their classmates. 

“I think going to games are definitely worthwhile, and you get to cheer on your classmates, especially if you have met other commuters that are also on the sports team; you get to cheer them on, and yeah, it’s pretty cool.” 

A local path to the Simpson experience 

As the North State Promise brings Simpson’s affordability within reach for more students from Northern California, the university is also creating opportunities for local students to build their college experience in a way that fits their circumstances. 

For some students, that may mean living in a residence hall and experiencing campus life around the clock. For others, it may mean returning home each evening while spending much of the day learning, studying, competing and building friendships on campus. 

For Junokas, the combination has allowed her to stay connected to home while embracing the Simpson community. 

Her experience illustrates that being a commuter does not have to mean being on the outside of campus life. With intentional effort, support and opportunities to connect, local students can make Simpson University their college home—even when they sleep somewhere else.