Spiritual Formation Personal Research Paper
During the college years, students can experience immense changes emotionally, mentally, and
spiritually. With this in mind, universities have developed unique approaches to guiding their students
through this process. This study examined Bethany Lutheran College’s and the University of
Northwestern’s Christian spiritual formation programs to evaluate their techniques and effectiveness. In
addition, seven necessary components of spiritual formation were determined to systematically group the
data. The first institution evaluated was Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota. Data from
Bethany was collected through a survey of its website and three individual interviews: two student
interviews and one faculty interview. This information was then compared to a survey of the University of
Northwestern’s website and two student interviews. The four students were interviewed with the same
questions, while a more extensive list of questions was used to interview the faculty member. Interviews
lasted for fifteen minutes to two hours. After cataloging the complete data from the interviews into seven
categories, results were drawn on what factors contribute to student’s spiritual formation at each
institution. From this information, conclusions were formed as to which factors are essential to a
successful spiritual formation program and how current programs may be improved upon to better suit the
students’ needs.
To begin the research on a surface level, Bethany’s website was reviewed. According to their
website, they have approximately 650 students and 43 full-time faculty (Consumer). The website
emphasised that Bethany Lutheran is passionate about the Word of God and the spiritual development of
their students, yet does not require students to adhere to the Christian faith. The Bible is mentioned as
“The One Thing Needful” and as the ultimate authority at Bethany. In addition, the importance of the
Gospel of Christ is also emphasised. However, Bethany does not require students to sign a declaration of
faith or align with Lutheran doctrine. While 75% of students claim Lutheranism, the remaining student
population comes from a variety of religions or no religion. Furthermore, students are not required to
attend Bethany’s daily chapel (Consumer). Overall, a small amount of information was gathered about
Bethany’s approach to spiritual formation from their website, but not enough to accurately critique their
program.
To compare Bethany Lutheran to the University of Northwestern, the information published on
Northwestern’s website was examined. Similar to Bethany, the Scripture is the foundation of
Northwestern’s teachings. Additionally, the Doctrinal Statement mentioned the Christian mission of
spreading the Gospel to a lost world. Unlike Bethany, Northwestern has set itself apart as a Christian
community and holds students to a Christian standard. In addition, Northwestern requires students to meet
a quota of chapel attendances each quarter (Doctrinal). After contrasting Northwestern and Bethany’s
websites, it was concluded that Northwestern and Bethany had similar beliefs on the Bible and Gospel,
yet have very different approaches to student spiritual formation.
While the websites were helpful places for basic information, more in-depth data was gained by
interviewing two students at Bethany. The first interview was with Lydia Hildbrandt, an upperclassman
who is in her third year at Bethany. The interview questions were designed to assess the seven categories
of spiritual formation. In regards to a supportive spiritual community, Lydia referenced the Bible studies
on campus but could not think of anything else. She described the optional chapel service and counselling
services as a way that Bethany encourages its students to take ownership of their faith. When asked about
Bethany’s approach to spiritual disciplines and theology classes, Lydia mentioned that, although they are
not required to practice any spiritual disciplines, all students are required to take six religion classes
during their time at Bethany. Worship looks differently to Lydia who does not align with Lutheran
theology. She does not attend chapel or any regular worship gatherings because “everything is based on
Lutheranism.” Interestingly, Lydia noted that there were not many opportunities for corporate prayer
outside of chapels and athletic events. Concerning mission trips and evangelism, Lydia could not recall
any specific opportunities. To conclude the interview, Lydia was asked about Bethany’s worldview and
approach to culture. Again, she emphasised the Lutheran worldview and cited Bethany’s sizable foreign
exchange program which helps the students interact with other cultures (Hildebrandt).
For comparison, Joe Mahlke, an upperclassman at the University of Northwestern, was
interviewed with the same list of questions. For him, Northwestern built a supportive spiritual community
through Bible studies in each resident hall, accountability groups within residential life, Christian
counseling services, and professors who are great mentors. When asked how Northwestern helps student
take ownership of their faith, Joe answered, “They provide us with all of the needed resources, but it
is your choice what you want to do with them.” In relation to spiritual disciplines, he mentioned that
prayer chapel was held regularly which guides students through the practice of prayer. Joe is a leader in
Northwestern’s Worship Arts Collective which focuses on worshiping God through many forms of art. As
a member, Joe occasionally leads musical worship during chapel. In addition to public worship chapels
and concerts, Joe noted that Northwestern has prayer rooms to encourage students in private worship and
prayer. He added that professors often pray before beginning class. In regards to mission trips, Joe knew
that there were plenty of groups who sent mission teams internationally, as well as groups that worked
with the local community such as Streetlight, Writing in the Sand, and Way in the Wilderness. In reply to
the question about Northwestern’s approach to culture, Joe stated, “In my experience, Northwestern does
not shy away from problems with culture but can be hesitant to address them until necessary” (Mahlke).
The second Bethany student to be interviewed was Jaden Hoek, a freshman in her first semester
at college. To begin the interview, Jaden was asked how Bethany Lutheran helps students form a
supportive spiritual community. She noted two Bible studies on campus, but could not recall more
opportunities. Jaden stated that the professors and counselling were the main factors that contributed to
students taking ownership of their faith. When asked about spiritual disciplines, Jaden’s response
mirrored Lydia’s answer that the students were had mandated religion classes, but spiritual disciplines
were not taught. Jaden reported that Bethany’s “very traditional and disciplined”corporate worship
services involved hymns and scripture recitation. For Jaden who does not attend chapel regularly, private
worship in prayer is essential for strengthening her faith and relieving stress. In reply to a question about
Bethany’s theology classes, Jaden mentioned that religion classes taught “the world is very sinful, but we
are the light in the darkness.” As far as opportunities for local and international missions, Jaden informed
that Bethany had mission trips to China, Italy, California, and Greece. She added that the nursing
department has a specialized two-week medical service trip to Nicaragua. In regards to culture
immersion, Jaden referred the institution’s foreign exchange program and overall welcoming environment
(Hoek).
To compare, Angela Wieskamp, a freshman in her first semester at Northwestern, was
interviewed. For Angela, the resident life staff, specifically the Resident Assistants and Ministry Partners,
built the foundation of a supportive spiritual community. When asked about how Northwestern
encourages students to take ownership of their faith, Angela referred her spiritual formation class which
includes journaling in the curriculum and her professors who are available. As far as spiritual disciplines,
Angela noted that multiple disciplines were taught in her Bible classes. Music is one of Angela’s favorite
ways to express worship. For her, Northwestern’s daily chapels are more than lights and show, they are a
time for her to worship privately while in a large group. She stated, “The individual worship is up to
you... [the music] gives me the Holy Spirit chills.” In regards to theology, Angela knew that her Bible
classes taught principles of Christianity, yet she did not recall specifics. Angela did not know the details
of the international mission trips, but she knew about the local ministry groups at Northwestern. In reply
to the question about the university’s approach to culture, Angela mentioned FORCE, which works
specifically with culture issues. Angela also expressed her enthusiasm about multilingual caroling and
Spanish Praise and Worship chapels (Wieskamp).
After hearing from students at both colleges, a few conclusions were drawn about what
constitutes an effective spiritual formation program. In the supportive spiritual community category, each
student listed different ways that they found a place to belong. This lead to the inference that students
need multiple and varying opportunities to form community. As far as taking ownership of their faith, the
students listed resources that were available for support, yet the decision of utilizing them was left to the
students. From this information, it was concluded services should be available and a level of autonomy is
required for students take responsibility for their faith. For the spiritual disciplines category, students did
not appear to have much knowledge about or experience with any disciplines. Students could be taught
more about spiritual disciplines in classes. While all of the students mentioned chapels for regular
corporate worship, daily private worship was not emphasised in all of the interviews. This information
lead to the conclusion that students might be overlooking the importance of private worship and prayer in
their daily lives. All four interviewees listed Bible and theology classes as an aspect of their spiritual
formation. The students mentioned learning about other perspectives while maintaining a solid
theological foundation as helpful for their maturation. In both colleges, the students knew that there were
mission opportunities available, yet the specifics were often unknown. The mission aspect of a spiritual
formation program could be improved by increasing awareness and availability of ministries. Finally, the
students reported different methods that their institutions used to encourage a Christian approach to
culture. Overall, experiences with other cultures assist students in apply what they have learned. Figure 1
is an organized summary of the contributing factors and the correlating conclusions.
The final interview was conducted with Dr. Don Moldstad, the Director of Campus Spiritual Life
at Bethany. Dr. Moldstad viewed spiritual formation as entirely the work of God shaping faith. This faith,
in his view, was primarily passed onto the next generation through Christian parents, but missionaries
could help people who did not have Christian parents. Dr. Moldstad emphasised that Bethany did not
force the Christian faith or process of spiritual formation upon any of its students. He added that the
majority of the students claimed Christianity while some students were Buddhist, Muslim, Atheists, or
from other religious backgrounds. On average, one student per year becomes a Christian at Bethany.
However, Bethany does require all of its full-time professors to hold the Bible as God’s truth and teach a
Christian worldview. He commented that any professor who decided not to support the Word of God
would be released from their position. In regards to assisting the college’s students in spiritual formation,
Dr. Moldstad listed study abroad opportunities, people who help students find mission trips, the seminary
partner, and speakers who come each month to address different areas of faith life (Moldstad).
After speaking about what Bethany’s spiritual formation program focuses on, Dr. Moldstad was
asked to share about the effectiveness. To measure this, Bethany evaluates chapel attendance, size of
Bible studies, and polls. According to the polls, 75% of the students tried to attend chapel once a week,
50% tried to go everyday and about 15% did not attend chapel at all. Dr. Moldstad reported that the
weekly Bible study which he leads has high attendance at the beginning of each semester, but attendance
could dwindle to five students by the end of the semester. In addition to polls, Bethany measures program
effectiveness through an annual student survey. Though Dr. Moldstad did not disclose exact numbers, he
relayed, “Many students report that their faith has increased by our chapel and religion classes.” As a
chaplain for the campus and a professor for freshman religion classes, Dr. Moldstad also converses with
the students directly about matters of their faith. From his own personal interactions with the students, Dr.
Moldstad concludes, “the vast majority of our students care about their faith and want to explore the Bible
for answers to the big life questions of our time.” When asked how he would improve Bethany’s spiritual
formation program, Dr. Moldstad responded that scholarship money for mission trips would be his
biggest dream for his program (Moldstad).
This study analyzed four student perspectives from two colleges to determine which factors
students considered most helpful toward their spiritual formation. From this information,
recommendations were made. In addition, this research included a faculty interview to examine how a
Christian spiritual formation program is designed. Overall, this project and other projects like this one can
assist university leaders in constructing Christian spiritual formation programs that are effective and
necessary for students’ spiritual needs.
Appendix:
Figure 1: Contributing Factors to Spiritual Formation- Results from Student Interviews
Bethany Northwestern Conclusions
Supportive Spiritual
Community
Daily chapel, Bible
studies
Small groups, mentors,
accountability groups,
professors, RAs, and
MPs
Students need multiple
and varying
opportunities to form
community
Ownership of Faith Student’s choice to go
to chapel, counseling
for difficult
Student’s choice to use
resources, counseling
for difficult
While many supportive
services should be
offered, students need a
circumstances circumstances degree of autonomy.
Spiritual Disciplines Not required, and not
much is known about
them
Occasionally required
in classes, but not much
is known about them
Students could be
taught more about
spiritual disciplines in
classes.
Worship Traditional worship
chapels, hymns,
scripture recitation
Variety of chapels,
worship events, private
prayer rooms, Day of
Prayer and Service
Students might be
overlooking the
importance of private
worship and prayer.
Theology/Knowledge Six mandatory religion
classes
Bible majors or minors Openness to learn about
other perspectives from
a secure foundation is a
relatively successful
approach.
Application A few mission trips
annually
Student groups for local
and international
ministries trips, mission
trips over breaks
In addition to offering
mission trips, students
need to be aware of
mission opportunities.
Christian Approach to
Culture
A large foreign
exchange program
FORCE, multilingual
worship, Christianity
and Culture class
Experiences in other
cultures help students
apply a Christian
approach to culture.
Works Cited:
“Consumer Right To Know.” Consumer Right To Know | Bethany Lutheran College,
www.blc.edu/consumer-right-know.
“Doctrinal Statement.” University of Northwestern, unwsp.edu/about/doctrinal-statement.
Klassen, Rebekah, and Angela Wieskamp. “Interview with Angela.” 14 Dec. 2017.
Klassen, Rebekah, and Don Moldstad. “Interview with Dr. Moldstad.” 13 Dec. 2017.
Klassen, Rebekah, and Jaden Hoek. “Interview with Jaden.” 10 Dec. 2017.
Klassen, Rebekah, and Joe Mahlke. “Interview with Joe.” 13 Dec. 2017.
Klassen, Rebekah, and Lydia Hildebrandt. “Interview with Lydia.” 10 Dec. 2017.
