10 Things You’re Bound to Experience in Institute Student Housing

The Institute for GOD on Move-In day may look a little like this. We love celebrating new students and helping make move-in as seamless as possible.

If you have gotten a little taste of what the Institute is like through a student visitation, then you know a lot goes on around the campus. In fact, it can almost be overwhelming when considering all the programs and activities which take place, so much so that it’s hard to cover it all in a short visit. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, then we’ll take a minute to hone in on what the student housing life is like at the Institute by covering some of the things you’ll likely experience if you plan on living in student housing at the Institute. 

Morning prayer is one of the most instituted practices at The Institute. No matter how we change up other programs or processes, this one remains. Every morning begins like this —asking the Lord for help for the day, alongside your roomies.

1. Morning Prayer

Morning prayer is a foundational element of a healthy spiritual life, and is essential to practice alongside an in depth study of God’s Word at the college. Coming together with your housemates to start your day by meeting with the Lord is one of the most important aspects of student housing, as it is a daily practice demonstrating how God should be at the forefront of all we do, even in how we get along with others we live with. By inviting God into your home, you can change the atmosphere from being just like any other college experience, to one which challenges you to live out your faith with those you are learning the Bible with. 

Everybody worship! Wednesdays are the beginning of the Institute week and it starts like this - joined in worship and the Word.

2.  Weekly Chapel 

Each week, students gather together to worship and learn the Word during chapel. Whether it is a guest speaker, professors, alumni, or President Gregg Garner, these times of Bible study are great opportunities to gather as a body of believers to learn God’s word together outside of the classroom. The worship is often led by a worship band composed of members from the student body.

Students get involved in various ministry opportunities to practice what they’re learning … immediately. Some say “practice what you preach.” We say “the Bible is meant to be lived, not just talked about.”

3. Ministry Practicums

The ministry practicum program at the Institute is reflective of Jesus’ coming not to be served, but to serve. Various programs within the G.O.D. International network — Hopewell Farms, Language in Action, the Academy for G.O.D., the Church AV crew, Institute Ambassadors, Students Living A Mission and more — invest into a team of students every year. Students will gain practical ministry skills, shadow and assist teachers and leaders in the field, and receive real-time feedback as a part of their biblical education. Jesus’ disciples were both his students and the ones passing out the bread, praying for the sick, and setting up the community meal. Our students receive the same experience, getting hands-on experience in ministry long before graduation — like, on day one.

Students work for alumni-run businesses, many of whom are ranked “Best of Nashville”!

4. Student Jobs

Any student who is in search of work is guaranteed a job! The Institute partners with dozens of companies who understand the college’s mission and vision. Students can work for Christian bosses who look out for their well-being and understand the complexities of being a full-time student and ministering internationally. Students simultaneously pay for their education and develop professional skills they’ll use in their future careers. The companies provide schedules which take into account the students’ class schedules, ensuring they do not have to sacrifice one or the other to be a working student. By gaining viable work experience while they are studying, students at the Institute are set up for success to find jobs after graduating. In fact, one hundred percent of our graduates have received a full-time job offer before they graduate. That same one hundred percent graduate debt-free.

Student Accountability Groups are a way to build friendships and foster spirituality. From teachers to peers to mentors to your accountability group, someone is always checking in on you. We know it’s not for everyone — but for those craving spiritual maturity, it’s a great path.

5. Accountability Groups

Every student is included into an accountability group to help them develop friendships and offer spiritual accountability. This is to help students grow in their faith and friendships by giving them a group who they can meet regularly with, offering a venue for honesty, support, and prayer. These groups can help students from feeling lonely during their first years at college, and help to promote both mental and spiritual health. 

Academics are only one part of college. Most of the struggles come in the other stuff — relationships, finances, physical health, work-life balance, time management. For all of that, a prayerful, available mentor does wonders for your health and growth in Christ.

6. Mentors for all

When students come to the Institute, they are given a mentor — someone who can help them through all the tough parts of college life outside of the classroom, and someone who has done it before. These mentors aid the students by checking in on them and offering advice about situations the students may be encountering. Whether the topic is about relationships, finances, work, or school, these mentors are able to walk through the issues the students are facing, providing guidance to the newer students.  

Many of our mentors and ministry practicum managers are Institute alumni. Upon our review by our accreditor, the Association for Biblical Higher Education, one of the commendations they made about our college was our strong alumni presence.

7. Alumni Participation

One of the best aspects of student life is getting to know some of the alumni who are actively involved in many of the programs. In fact, many alumni continue to take classes long after they have even graduated. Many alumni work for the businesses connected to the student employment opportunities, and so you may even have the opportunity to work alongside Institute alumni. 

We have an on-campus church, global mission and community service headquarters, and a K-12 school. It’s a busy place, but you’ve got a front row seat! Pictured: Institute President Gregg Garner is a featured preacher in Institute chapels as well as church service on Sunday.

8. GOD Intl, The Community Church for GOD, and the Academy for GOD

The Institute is affiliated with G.O.D. International —a non-profit organization that focuses on education, community service, and international missions. GOD also has a church community and K-12 Academy. This means there is never a dull moment on campus. Institute students have an integrated community experience where they see kids, parents, grandparents, and neighbors right alongside their peers. This creates an opportunity to see faith lived out across the generations, and a strong sense of neighborliness.

Residents in Institute Housing have regular cleaning assignments to ensure everyone in the house has a pleasant experience.

9. Cleaning Assignments

While the phrase “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” may not be an exact quote from the Bible, the principle is there. The cleanliness laws in Leviticus provide us with a template of how we should maintain an environment which promotes health and order. Cleaning responsibilities, and the cleaning checks, help to develop in students a desire for an ordered environment, as maintaining cleanliness is something which pleases God. The same way God ordered creation and made it fit for man, we too should enact that same spirit by ensuring our environments reflect the organized-nature of the God we serve. For Institute students, who live in houses and not block-walled classic dorms, the experience prepares them well for adulthood.

Conflict is inevitable, but in a holy community, resolution is the expectation. When you live together, work together, and worship together … conflict can’t last long. Students are guided to work out their inevitable conflicts with love (Eph. 4:3).

10. Conflict Resolution 

Conflict happens. There’s no way around it. Even by trying to avoid it, you can sometimes cause it. It’s normal. But what isn’t so normal is the pro-active attitude of ensuring conflict gets resolved (Matthew 18:15-20, Eph. 4:3). Having times of conflict resolution with your roommates or housemates is something which incites healthy relationships and stronger friendships. So don’t be scared if you see it happening in your student housing. Your mentors will encourage you to be open and honest with your friends, and not to shy away from conflict. It allows us the opportunity to figure out a healthy balance of living with others, and also the possibility to forgive or be forgiven. It is an essential component of developing friends who stick closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24).