Regent’s Night of Worship Events Unite the Campus and Community Through Music
In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (NKJV). That’s the goal of Regent’s Night of Worship (NOW) music events held in the Regent Chapel. Led by well-known and respected artists who are passionate about worship, these free concerts have been uniting more than just students since September 2013.
“I’m amazed by the impact NOW has on the Regent campus and the community at large,” says Ann LeBlanc, vice president of Alumni Relations & Events. “Watching young people come together to do nothing but worship almighty God, without constraints of denominations and church boundaries, is transformative.”
The university invites the entire Regent/CBN family and the surrounding community, not just students, to attend. Regent’s Office of Alumni Relations & Events, which organizes, promotes and hosts NOW events, reports that interest in the concert series is more popular than ever.
“In February, worship and recording artist Kim Walker-Smith performed at NOW,” recalls Lyn Kaiser, executive director of Alumni Relations & Events. “It turned out to be our most highly attended NOW event to date with over 1,700 in attendance between the main event in the Regent Chapel and our simulcast location in the Regent Theatre. Many more followed the event online with a record-breaking 15,000 views of the live stream.”
On March 29, Walker-Smith returned for a NOW encore — the first time an artist has performed twice in an academic year. The Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist spoke to Impact about her first Regent visit.
“The last time I was here, it was really a room full of hungry people who were really ready to worship,” Walker-Smith remembered. “And for me, as a worship leader, it made my job super easy. Because they were ready to be there and ready to go into the presence of God.”
NOW concerts are 100% donor-sponsored events that are free and open to the public. The artists are compensated for their appearance, but that’s only possible through the generous and faithful support of NOW donors.
“Fortunately, there are friends who are committed to financially support this opportunity for the students at Regent,” LeBlanc adds. “It wouldn’t be possible without their continued gifts.”
Donations to NOW are making an impact in the lives of students and on attendees from the surrounding area. Regent undergrad Faith Ferrulli (CAS, ’21) insists the events are important to people both on and off campus. “They’re a reminder to praise the Lord in every aspect of our lives,” she explains. “They are full of empowerment and cause a reaction within us to seek the Lord more and more throughout each day.”
Jason Montgomery (CAS ’15) will graduate from Regent’s School of Law this year. He calls the sense of community at NOW events “incredible” and sees them as an opportunity for the university to fulfill its vision.
“If Regent University wants students to change the world, the school should and does lead by example,” he says. “NOW is one of the ways Regent is impacting those in and around the school, modeling what community impact looks like.”
For more information about NOW events or to make a donation, contact Regent’s Office of Alumni Relations & Events at 800.335.4409 or visit regent.edu/now.
