Did you know that GCU holds a Chapel service every Monday morning at 10:45 a.m. and theGathering, an evening worship time, on Tuesday at 8 p.m.?

Chapel streams live on our YouTube channel every week, and you can always go back to the Chapel playlist and re-watch past services.

Our hope is to continually provide students with a way to explore and grow in their relationship with Christ, and Chapel and theGathering are just a few of those ways. You can find out more about the weekly services, including the schedule of upcoming speakers. You can also find out more about Spiritual Life at GCU.

These announcements feature many great resources and events each week, and provide a way for you to see all the latest information.  Check back weekly for the newest announcements!

Highlights for this week:

• If your midterms are over, relax but also plan for the rest of the semester.
• Join a student club!
• Go to the Fall Festival and North Campus Nightmare: Haunted House.

Click here to view the announcements!

These announcements feature many great resources and events each week, and provide a way for you to see all the latest information.  Check back weekly for the newest announcements!

Highlights for this week:

• Don’t forget to sleep!
• Flu season is approaching.  The Health Services office has you covered.
• Go to Beauty and the Beast & Comedy on the Bridge at Ethington Theatre.

Click here to view the announcements!

If you are a freshman, your instructors have probably been giving weekly announcements related to the First Year Experience program.

The announcements feature many great resources and events each week and we wanted to provide a way for you to see all the information when you are not in class.  Check back weekly for the latest announcements from the FYE team!

Highlights for this week:

• Review your graded assignments
• Talk to a reference librarian
• Go to Lip-Sync on Thursday!

Click here to view the announcements!

Fresh places and fresh faces abound as we head into another exciting school year! With Welcome Week just two weeks away, excitement is building on campus for students to return!

2012 will be an especially big year with the largest student population on campus ever. To accommodate students living on campus, two new dorms will be opening — Camelback and Sedona halls. In addition to residence halls, GCU will be opening the new College of Arts & Sciences building.

Moving into one of our suite-style living spaces? Check out this video which will help you pack for dorm living.

***NEWS FLASH***

GCU’s talented students have joined together to share the news of campus from their own unique perspective. GCU Tomorrow provides valuable information about what’s happening at GCU and what students need to know, while providing your daily dose of laughs.

Watch for new episodes to stay up to speed with GCU. And check out the GCU Tomorrow playlist for past episodes rich with “infotainment.”

Here’s to you GCU!

It’s that time of year again! High school seniors are working on finishing up college applications and making the all-important decision about where they’re going to spend the next four years of their life.

Getting ready to attend college takes a lot of hard work. There’s a laundry list of big decisions to make, applications to submit and details to be sure are taken care of. We’ve created a checklist for seniors with some of the major tasks you must complete:

• College applications—if you haven’t already started, get to applying! College Board recommends finishing up college applications early to meet priority deadlines, which may include scholarships (make sure to ask your Admissions Counselor about those!).
• Submit test scores and transcripts—be sure to submit SAT or ACT scores if you have them, along with all official transcripts to the college and any application fees the college has (GCU doesn’t have an application fee. You can apply online for free).
• FAFSA— This is an acronym you’ll hear a lot. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If you’re looking in to any type of financial aid, FAFSA, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, is a great tool for assessing what financial aid is available to you. Each state has a deadline for applying for FAFSA, make sure you submit on time.
• Visit campus—campus tours are a great way to gauge what student life is like and whether the school is a place you’ll enjoy living and learning. If you can’t visit campus in person, many schools have virtual tours such as this one, which can give you a good feel for the amenities and environment on campus.
• Register for classes—As soon as you let your Admissions Counselor know you’ll be attending their school, you can start registering for classes!
• Apply for housing—freshmen typically live on campus their first year of school. It’s a great way to get involved, create relationships and get the full college experience. Watch for housing application and registration deadlines so you can get the dorm room of your dreams!

No two colleges are the same. Students need to be proactive about their future school and should frequently check to make sure they’re meeting deadlines and completing checklists. Admissions counselors can assist students with getting a checklist that is created specifically for their school.

Stay organized, stay ahead of deadline and you’re sure to be on the right path for a great college experience!

If you’re thinking about attending Grand Canyon University you can find everything you’ll need at http://www.gcu.edu/Admissions.php.

Good luck with finishing those checklists, and we can’t wait to meet you, Class of 2016!

Grand Canyon University is regularly adding features to enhance the vibrant student life that campus students experience. GCU’s exciting newest addition, the Thunder Alley Bowling Lanes, opened November 14 in the Thunder Alley basement.

The bowling alley features six lanes plus a game room with pool tables, ping pong, a Golden Tee Arcade Game, air hockey and two lounge areas with big screen TV’s. The space is designed to be a relaxing and fun area for students, faculty and staff to hang out, watch the big game or bowl a few strikes or pick up a few spares. The facility is also available to reserve or rent for special occasions. Reservations can be made through Stacy Haddow in the Office of Student Life.

“We’re working on getting lots of events planned  for next semester,” said Haddow. “We’d love to get bowling intramurals and pool tournaments going. The space is so multifunctional, we want to make great use of it for students.”

Bowling is a fun, social activity that even doubles as exercise for those students who would rather mingle than log a sweat session at the Student Recreation Center. In research done by the Mayo Clinic on the benefits of exercise for weight loss, bowling can burn more than 300 calories in an hour.

Whether you’re looking for a study break, low-impact exercise or just a place to hang out with friends and let off some steam, Thunder Alley Bowling is a great place to go.

Bowling Alley and Game Room hours are Sunday-Thursday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $1.50/game for students, $2.00/game for staff and $2.50/game for guests. For more information about Thunder Alley Bowling Lanes and reservations visit GCU Today.

One of the great things about GCU is that there are so many ways to be a ‘Lope!

For the student looking for a traditional experience, we have a beautiful campus in Phoenix, Ariz. where 4,000-plus students live, study, work and play. We also offer evening and satellite programs for students who want to attend class in person, but need the flexibility of non-traditional hours. For learners who require a more flexible learning solution, we have many online programs, which allow students to be at school and in the classroom whenever it’s most convenient for them.

Each learning style offers something truly unique. Campus students experience campus and all that comes with it, from Welcome Week and Java Jam to plays in Ethington Theatre and basketball games in the arena. Online students bring their personal experiences from work, family, church and communities into the classroom. This gives the online classroom great variety and presents an outstanding opportunity to network with peers all over the country. Both of these college experiences contribute to our university culture in an important way.

So what does everyone share in common? A rich history!

Since 1949, GCU has been preparing students to become global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators and responsible leaders through an academically challenging, values-based curriculum. This mission has generated well-prepared professionals in the nursing, education, business and fine arts fields, as well as athletes who have gone on to compete at the professional level in baseball and basketball.

GCU’s history also includes a challenging time in the early 2000’s when the university struggled to maintain its operations and the quality of its academic experience in light of dwindling financial support. In 2003, GCU was acquired by a small group of investors who saw an opportunity to advance the mission and Christian foundation through the technology available in online learning.

Since this transition, GCU has re-emerged as a new higher education model serving more than 4,000 students on our main campus in Phoenix and more than 40,000 students around the globe through our online programs.

Both campus and online students have been part of a remarkable evolution with GCU in the past and will be key to shaping a bright future. We’ll be exploring the unique advantages of GCU’s campus and online experiences.

We’d like to hear from all our ‘Lopes out there, on campus and online. What’s the best thing about the way you attend GCU?

What unfair circumstances in your life are holding you back? Are you focusing on the unjust things that have happened to you, and missing the opportunity to see God work His magic?

After being hated, mistreated, physically abused, ambushed, attacked, sold, and sent away to a place where he was enslaved, tempted, falsely accused, and unjustly imprisoned, Joseph had a lot of emotional baggage to deal with.

After years of separation from his family in a foreign land, Joseph was given the opportunity to confront those who did him harm. This time, however, Joseph held a position of power. He had control over the food supply (there was a severe famine in the land) and he had substantial political authority (probably the second most powerful man in the world at that time).

If Joseph had been thinking selfishly, he would have seen this as his chance for justice. He might have even thanked God for the opportunity to punish those who did him harm. But he didn’t.

Joseph’s perspective was neither selfish nor small. He was not motivated by vendetta or personal pride. He could see past his own sufferings to acknowledge a sovereign God. Joseph considered the consequences of his mistreatment, and noticed all of the good things that had resulted.

“ But Joseph replied, ‘Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’ So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.”

Do you want to be free from the chains of hatred for those who have wronged you? Do you want to be able to see all the good that God has done through your suffering? Do you want to live a life defined by God’s amazing miracles in spite of the evil in this world?

Place your trust in the One who is faithful and true. Place your life in the hands of the One who has already overcome the world. Let Him do with you whatever He chooses. He just might use you to “save the lives of many people”.

From Genesis 37 – 50