Adapting Chapel: Virtual & Outdoor Service Successes Spiritual life on campus looked different during the 2020-21 school year. In-person, indoor gathering limitations made it very difficult for the entire school community to join together in Boggs Chapel, as is customary. Despite these obstacles, the R-MA community took up the challenge to find ways to maintain spiritual services and continue growing in faith. The initial solution for continuing spiritual life activities on campus was to move everything outside. Outdoor chapel services helped to alleviate the social distancing concerns, while the change of venue provided a breath of fresh air. R-MA Chaplain, Rev. Josh Orndorff, recalls, “It was remarkable how we were able to adapt. It became an opportunity for the community to join together to make it the best experience possible.” Thankfully, there was ample time to continue perfecting the outdoor chapel services as the Virginia weather held up long enough for outdoor chapel services to proceed through November 2020. Virtual Chapel became the primary setup for all services as winter weather soon crept onto campus. Everything transitioned to livestream on Youtube with the help and guidance of the Chapel Media team which led to new opportunities for student involvement. As Chaplain Orndorff stated, “Students were running the cameras, handling the
audio, and the service overall. We had a lot of student-led sermons and they took on the responsibilities for organizing several services.” It is another tremendous example of the capabilities and leadership of R-MA students to plan and execute these services for the benefit of the entire community. The students embraced the challenge and undoubtedly learned valuable lessons from the experience. Another main takeaway aside from the lasting benefits of students’ involvement with planning, coordinating, and executing the virtual chapel services was the accessibility of R-MA services for the extended community. The virtual livestreams and recordings allowed for parents and other members of the R-MA community to join students in expressing and growing in their faith. The accessibility of these services allowed people of all different faiths to continue their worship in safe and effective ways. Thank you to Chaplain Josh Orndorff, Michael DeMato (Music) and Brian Kelly (Film) for their efforts in guiding this student production. Additional thanks to the Chapel Media Team: Sardor Danier, Richie Garcia, Clayton Athey, Caleb Wilson, Liz Markov, and Dove Alliali; as well as the Praise Team: Sardor Danier, Cecilia Parades, Vincent Kofie, Alex Tendler, Ethan Mayo, and Zachary Laing.
Cadet Caleb Wilson ‘24 prepares to stream a service in Boggs Chapel. The Sabre Magazine | Summer-Fall 2021
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