Spiritual Formation

Faith & Community

Faith isn't an add-on at ABC — it's the atmosphere. Belonging to something larger than yourself is part of the curriculum.

Arkansas Baptist College · School of Christian Studies · The James & Rosa McKissic Program

"Called. Equipped. Sent."

Faith is the Foundation

More Than an Education.
A Formation.

The School of Christian Studies doesn't separate academic life from spiritual life — because we don't believe they should be separated. Every course, every chapel service, and every community experience is designed to form the whole person: intellect, character, and calling.

We belong to the Baptist tradition that has anchored African American faith communities for generations. That heritage is not just history — it's the living water this program draws from every day.

"For the Glory of God and the Good of the World."

Chapel worship at Arkansas Baptist College

Chapel Life

Chapel & Worship Schedule

Chapel is the heartbeat of the School of Christian Studies. It's where community forms, where calling deepens, and where the week begins and ends in prayer.

Weekly Chapel — Academic Year Schedule

Monday

Opening Chapel — Scripture, Prayer & Devotion

9:00 AM

Wednesday

Mid-Week Worship — Faculty-led or Student-led

11:00 AM

Friday

Closing Chapel — Community Prayer & Announcements

9:00 AM

Special

Guest Preacher Series — Pastors, Chaplains, Ministry Leaders

TBD

Monthly

Combined University Chapel — Full ABC Community

TBD

Exact chapel times subject to confirmation with the Office of Academic Affairs.

Hands-On Ministry

Ministry Opportunities

You graduate having already led. Ministry starts here — not after graduation.

⛪

Church Partnership Placements

Serve in real ministry roles at partner churches across Little Rock and the surrounding region — preaching, teaching, leading worship, or assisting with administration.

🏥

Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care

Clinical pastoral experience through hospital and hospice chaplaincy partnerships — learning to minister in the hardest and holiest moments of human life.

👶

Youth & Children's Ministry

Lead youth groups, children's programs, and vacation Bible school in partnership with local churches. Build the next generation from the very beginning.

🎤

Preaching & Pulpit Practice

Regular opportunities to preach in chapel, at partner churches, and in the Homiletics Lab — with video recording, faculty review, and external preacher critique.

🌍

Community Service

Engage Little Rock's communities through youth intervention programs, non-profit partnerships, and social justice initiatives rooted in the prophetic Black church tradition.

🎵

Worship Leadership Lab

Hands-on worship leading experience in chapel, church services, and the Worship Arts Lab — developing musical excellence alongside liturgical theology.

Spiritual Formation Pathway

Called. Equipped. Sent.

Three movements of Christian formation. The arc of every ABC Christian Studies graduate.

Called

You arrive at ABC already sensing a pull toward something greater. The first year is about discovering, naming, and articulating that calling — with faculty who've walked the same road. Biblical foundations, church history, and spiritual formation ground you in who you are and where you come from.

Equipped

Years two and three go deep into your concentration. Whether it's preaching, administration, worship, or education — you develop the skills, the theology, and the character that ministry actually demands. You're not just learning about leadership; you're practicing it in real ministry contexts.

Sent

You finish with a capstone project reviewed by external ministry practitioners, a personal ministry philosophy, and the community and credentials to step into your calling with confidence. You leave ABC not looking for your calling — you leave living it.