Stimulate Your Spirit

Although Cottey is not affiliated with any denomination, the College offers opportunities to enrich your spiritual life. Cottey has a spiritual life consultant, Rev. Elizabeth Hadler. Rev. Hadler works with the Spiritual Life Committee in planning worship and chapel services, retreats and workshops. She is available for spiritual counseling, scripture study, and sharing in the spiritual journey of students of all denominations and faiths.

Cottey does not hold mandatory chapel services on campus, but encourages students to attend local churches. You'll meet many leaders of the local churches at the Welcome Picnic that the city of Nevada holds during Orientation Weekend. Most area churches offer an "Adopt-a-Student" program where you can be paired with a local host family during your time in Nevada. Host families give Cottey students a "home-away-from-home" when they want it and also help students integrate into both the church and local community.

You can stretch your spiritual growth by participating in campus Bible studies through Cottey's InterVarsity group, take courses on world religions and philosophy, join the Zen meditation group on campus, or attend the annual spiritual life retreat. One year the retreat was held in Kansas City with a Buddhist meditation theme. The Spiritual Life Committee has also sponsored field trips to synagogues and Eastern orthodox churches.

Of course, with the diversity of religions on Cottey's campus, you'll get to meet and live with students from other faith journeys and can learn from and share with each other. And there are occasional campus faith forums where you can also learn more about the spiritual life of others on campus. You can also join the Spiritual Life Committee to plan interdenominational chapel services for special events.

At Cottey, we're about more than helping you grow intellectually. We want you to help you grow as a person as well.