SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY offers an education rooted in Christianity. As a result, not only does the curriculum include required courses related to Christianity, but “Chapel Service" is an integral part of the education program, as are the various religious events incorporated into the school year.
Chapel Service
We consider regular Chapel attendance to be an especially valuable part of school life, as we believe it is crucial for understanding and internalizing the founding principles of our school. In order to effectively and assertively promote human development that is rooted in the Christian principles that we uphold as our mission and goals, we maintain Chapel as the most vital and central part of our religious education program.
It is our wish that Chapel will serve to help each and every student become familiar with Christian principles; gain an accurate understanding of Christian life and ethics; polish and brighten their individual character; and make a positive contribution to their human development.
Chapel services take place in the chapel on campus every Monday and Thursday morning from 10:30-11:05. We treat the first year as “Christianity Focus Year.” We want our incoming students to truly experience Christianity and establish it as a foundation for their lives as Shokei University students. We urge all to attend with a proactive will and a subjective spirit. Lastly, Chapel is a time for the announcer, the speaker, the accompanist, and all in attendance to come together before God with collaborative and willing hearts. Please bring your own Bible and hymnal and prepare your hearts for this special time.
The Shokei Choir
The Shokei Choir is a mixed chorus that represents our university.
The choir engages in various types of volunteer activities through music, such as singing hymns at chapel services and ceremonies, presenting the Christmas Charity Concert, and performing at Miyagi Children's Hospital. Faculty members stand side by side with students in the choir as they rehearse assiduously to elevate the level of their musical performance.
The beauty of the choir’s voices echoing through the chapel is a solace like no other. The choir practices every Monday and Tuesday evening. We hope that you will stop by the chapel on your way back from classes to have a listen.
The tradition of music at Shokei began with the Founding Principal Ms. Annie S. Buzzell, who placed a special emphasis on music. “Music is an expression of our worship of God,” she wrote. “Religion and music should go hand in hand.” Although the all-out war effort of the Pacific War laid siege to liberal education and its uniqueness, Shokei continued to hold piano and vocal classes, and a campus filled with music came to be regarded as the “hallmark of Shokei”.
We are certain there must still be a role for music to play today in a world beleaguered by natural calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis, and pandemics, as well as the ravages of war. The desire for peace, cooperation, tolerance, and empathy are the basso continuo underlying choral activities that bring together voices and thoughts through hard times as well as good, and the choir’s work is positioned as an activity based on the spirit of the university's founding philosophy, which emphasizes “living in harmony with others.”
Whether you are a seasoned vocalist or a complete beginner, won’t you come enjoy singing with us in the chapel?
Religious Events
- Christmas Service
- In mid-December we hold a Christmas service to celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This all-university event is the biggest of the school year.
- Graduation Service
- In closing your education here at SHOKEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITY, as an internal, formal gesture of encouragement to the graduates going forth into the world, we hold this service the day before Graduation.
Other Events
During Lunch time on weekdays, students may participate in activities such as Bible Reading, Learning New Testament Greek, or Hymn Singing. Additional planned activities include movie viewings, observation tours to various off-campus facilities, and a Cambodia Study Tour. For further details, please see the Religion Department’s bulletin “Shalom,” published several times a year.