The library is busier this time of year at Bethany Lutheran College. Power consumption is up as laptops and desktops get a workout scouring the Internet and databases for information while students furiously try to wrap up semester projects and research papers. The life of a college student at semester’s end is certainly a busy one. It hardly seems like the appropriate environment to ready oneself for the birth of our Savior.

In reality, there isn’t a better place to prepare for the coming of the Christ-Child. As a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Bethany Lutheran College is committed to the Gospel of Christ, and the preparation for Christmas takes on many forms at this institution.

Advent season worship opportunities abound at Bethany. During the Advent season, the Bethany community joyously receives the message of Christ’s coming. Every weekday at 10 a.m. the campus shuts down and convenes in Trinity Chapel to hear and learn from God’s word. It is a wonderful blessing for students, faculty, and community members to spend 20 minutes receiving the saving message of Christ’s birth and resurrection.

Bethany’s Trinity Chapel, together with Mount Olive Lutheran, Mankato, and Peace Lutheran, North Mankato, our local ELS congregations, offers Wednesday afternoon Advent services. The pastors serving these local churches as well as Bethany Chaplain Don Moldstad share the pulpit for these special Advent services. The services, held at 5:30 p.m., are convenient for Bethany students, employees and families with younger children.

In addition to the regularly scheduled worship chapel services, students also have the opportunity to learn more of Christ’s coming and study God’s word at weekly Bible studies, led by Chaplain Moldstad.

While morning chapel and weekly Bible studies offer the entire campus an opportunity to come together and celebrate Christ’s coming, another opportunity for worship is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Bethany communication department produces a video devotion that can be viewed on the Bethany Web site. This video devotional series called “Evening Bells At Bethany” is produced, recorded and edited entirely by Bethany communication students and faculty. Anyone may view these devotions by going to www.blc.edu/worship/ and opening any one of the recent programs. You’ll also find audio archives of the daily chapel services at Bethany. We invite you to experience worship at Bethany by regularly visiting this online worship resource.

While all preparations for Christ’s coming are equally important, perhaps the most beautiful events of the Advent season at Bethany are the annual “Christmas at Bethany” Concerts. The Bethany Concert Choir and Handbell Choir, under the direction of Dennis Marzolf, along with the Mary Martha Singers, directed by Ann Fredrickson, as well as the Bethany Concert Band under the direction of Adrian Lo join forces to perform sacred music of Christmas. These concerts are routinely filled to capacity and bring tour groups from across the upper Midwest to the campus. The beautiful surroundings of Trinity Chapel provide a setting for the concerts that keeps the focus of the spoken word and music directly on the Christ Child.

While the world prepares for Christ’s birth, we invite you to experience “Christmas at Bethany” by visiting the campus during the month of December or by visiting the Bethany Web site to experience worship on the Bethany campus. Bethany joins with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in rejoicing and thanking our Heavenly Father for the marvelous gift of His Son.

The students and employees of Bethany Lutheran College wish you a blessed and joyous Advent and Christmas season.

Lance Schwartz is Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minnesota.