Spiritual Life at SWU 

Your spiritual development is as important to your SWU education as are your classes.  An active chapel program that forms the heart of our community. Also, discipleship groups, Bible studies and all kinds of outreach opportunities exist. SWU offers multiple avenues for you to explore your relationship with Christ and to find new ways of serving Him and others.

	Go West
	Famed 19th Century newspaperman Horace Greeley coined the term “go west young man.” For Zach Derr, a Southern Wesleyan University senior from Fishers, Ind., majoring in religion, going west proved rewarding. Derr completed an internship at Greeley Wesleyan Church in Greeley, Colo. He spent 10 weeks doing, in his words, "almost everything."

Working with his uncle, Pastor Steve Wilson, Derr was exposed to the various ministries and staff in the church. He learned about pastoral care, working with children and youth, technical and administrative details, spiritual formation, funerals, staff meetings, accountability, leadership, education, small groups, preaching and sermon preparation and visitations.

"I was very impressed with Pastor Wilson's leadership in structuring the internship, giving Zach access to all the ins and outs of the church, and being a significant mentor for Zach," said Dr. Christina Accornero, chair of the Division of Religion at Southern Wesleyan University.

Zach's father, Wayne Derr, is executive director of stewardship ministries for The Wesleyan Church, and his mother, Colleen, is an ordained minister and the denomination's director of children's ministries. He is also the grandson of general superintendent emeritus Dr. Earle Wilson.