Religious Life

Your GPS

A Young Harris College education has incorporated wrestling with life’s hard questions and engaging in a robust religious life since the founding of the College in 1886 by a Methodist circuit-riding minister, Rev. Artemas Lester.

As a natural outgrowth from our United Methodist heritage, the Office of Religious Life endeavors to create space, opportunities and conversations where faith seeking understanding connects with life. We believe a liberal arts education includes the transformation of how we think, what we believe and what we do. The Office of Religious Life seeks to provide a GPS of sorts for student navigating their lives during these formative years.

YHC Religious Life on Instagram

(G)reat Conversations.

We believe that the ability to have deep and meaningful conversations is essential to the good life. We also believe that this is a neglected and dying skill in our culture today. Therefore, our events always seek to promote dialogue rather than monologue. Our Chapel services every week at 7 p.m. on Monday nights offer a chance to ask questions and wrestle with the deep questions of life. Furthermore, our main small group ministry is centered around Discovery Bible Studies, which is a conversational method that requires little to no preparation to participate in and is based more on questions than answers. We also plan events each semester such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast and bring in special speakers from time to time to help facilitate such life-giving discussions.

(P)articipatory Practices.

We believe that any vision of the good life requires practice. Rather, actually doing something. For that reason, we provide opportunities for students to experiment with different religious and spiritual practices like mindfulness, prayer, singing, art, poetry, and even educational trips that challenge the mind and the heart. One such trip we are planning in the Spring of 2024 is a Civil Rights Bus Tour that will provide historical and theological understandings of this important moment in history. Other such experiences in the works are a trip to Israel/Palestine. We also provide what are called Life Labs, which offer 6-8 week experiences for students to participate in research on stress and mindfulness for which they are paid a small fee, and we offer two one-day retreats on campus during the Fall and the Spring Semester.

(S)ervice to Others.

We believe that any meaningful life will be poured out for others. We look to incorporate service in all that we do. This looks different in each instance but can be anything from writing cards to the patients in Atlanta Children’s Hospital, singing Christmas Carols, or going on a trip to places such as Give Kids the World in Florida or Brazil.

We hope this gives you an idea how you can get involved with us on campus!

Please take the time to fill out the interest form for YHC Religious Life here so we can be in touch!

Please let us know if you have any questions at all or if we can help you in any way!

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Dr. Adam Daniels
Chaplain