At the close of the 2024-2025 academic year, student leaders in the Spiritual Formation Office (SFO) at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) asked God to breathe fresh life into campus.
From those prayers and under the guidance of IWU Campus Pastor Andrea Summers, Ph.D., the SFO student staff crafted three distinct spiritual rhythms for the 2025-2026 academic year:
House Parties in particular have taken the IWU-Marion campus by storm. Spiritual awakening is happening across IWU’s campus and beyond, and it starts in the spaces between worship and the weekend.
At first, Michael Zolman, student body chaplain of House Parties, was cautiously optimistic.
“House Parties were part of the dream when we were praying about a new chapel structure. However, starting a new event on a college campus like IWU, which has so many other wonderful opportunities to worship, is challenging,” said Michael.
To make House Parties distinct, Michael and the SFO team intentionally structured them to meet students where they are in their Christian faith journeys, creating a space that is both spiritually intentional and appealing for students to remain on campus during the weekends.
Each House Party begins with a gathering to worship, linger, and encounter God’s presence in meaningful ways. This fall, spiritual leaders like Jim “Umfundisi” Lo, Ruben Cervantes Jr. and Jonathon Rivera delivered powerful messages to students. “This portion of the House Party is a chance for students to respond to what the Holy Spirit may be speaking to them that night,” Michael explained.
After the worship service, students transition to the “after-party” portion of the evening, a time for fun, fellowship, and creative celebration. This fall, after-parties included laser tag, a fall harvest party, and silent disco.
For Michael and the SFO staff, these after-party moments are not a break from encountering God but an extension of it. Instead of holding worship and fun separately, students are invited to experience how opportunities for spiritual formation are intertwined into everyday life.
“Worship doesn’t stop when we move to the after-party,” Michael said. “We believe we can worship God in all that we do. With that in mind, our after-party allows students to worship in new and exciting ways that honor God and build community.”
Just as worship and fun aren’t mutually exclusive, the SFO staff also believes that House Parties aren’t exclusive to Wildcats.
“House Parties are a space where students can truly belong to God and to each other,” said Dr. Summers. “They are also an open door for evangelism, welcoming young adults from across IWU and other campuses in our area to experience Christian community and the transformative presence of God.”
The first House Party drew students from neighboring universities, revealing a need that Michael and his team are passionate about filling. “We had over 450 students attend the first House Party at IWU. This showed us that House Parties were something that students from IWU and other local universities want,” Michael said.
Michael and his team plan to use this momentum as they prepare for the spring semester. “We have some incredible speakers lined up and some really fun afterparties. One thing I'm especially looking forward to is partnering with some incredible student organizations on campus to provide a fun afterparty experience.”
With a future full of impactful speakers and creative after-party experiences, House Parties at IWU show no signs of slowing down, continuing to invite students to encounter God in authentic, unexpected ways.
