The sound of students worshipping echoed throughout campus on the evening of Sept. 22 as the LU Serve team kicked off its week of cultural celebration with the Global Night of Worship on the Academic Lawn.
Students had the opportunity to pray, hear Scripture and worship in Spanish, Korean and a handful of other languages.
Projects Coordinator for LU Serve Emily Jackson said their special projects team put this event together for students to see different cultures in a new light.
“Our big highlight this entire week is sharing the Gospel worldwide, and with that, we are looking to get students connected, whether that’s through their career or on missions,” Jackson said.
She said the mission of Global Focus Week goes beyond Liberty’s campus.
“Just proclaiming the name of Jesus across the world — it’s a great way for us to highlight the name of Jesus. More than anything, that’s what it’s all pointing to,” Jackson said.
Sophomore Caleb Newport said this event speaks to everyone on campus, no matter their background.
“I don’t know any other languages, but it’s just awesome to come out here and worship the Lord,” Newport said.
Rachael De Klerk, a senior from South Africa, said she looks forward to this week of cultural celebration every year.
“Global Focus Week is one of my absolute favorite weeks of the entire year. As an international student, I just love the focus that gets put on it,” De Klerk said.
She said the week of events allows her to prepare and learn more about her future career as a missionary.
“I personally plan on going into missions after I graduate, and so I just love the opportunities to learn about mission opportunities that exist, and to focus and learn about different cultures,” De Klerk said.
She said she hopes other students who attended the night of worship gained a new understanding of other cultures through the lens of Jesus Christ.
“Worship nights like this — I’ve been to a couple of them before, and they’re just incredible to be a part of. You get worship in different languages and see worship expressed in so many ways. It’s super beautiful and very comforting to me,” De Klerk said.
Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.