Gardner-Webb University Hosts Selah Week, a Time for Reflection and Renewal

Annual Event Encourages Campus and Community to ‘Pause’ and Encounter God

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University invites students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community to participate in Selah Week, happening Feb. 24-28, a time dedicated to spiritual renewal and reflection. Themed “Encountering God,” this event will feature engaging worship services, student and faculty testimonies, and messages designed to inspire personal faith journeys.

“Selah,” meaning to pause and rest, reflects the heart of this long-standing tradition, formerly known as Celebration Week. For more than four decades, Gardner-Webb has set aside this special time to encourage audiences to step away from daily distractions and focus on their spiritual walk. Each day during this week, all are encouraged to take some time out of their day to be still, and “encounter God” just where they are. 

“This is an opportunity for students and all who attend to take a pause, turn their eyes and hearts toward the Lord, and listen,” said Neal Payne, associate minister to the University for student ministries. “Our prayer is that students and attendees will see themselves in the biblical stories shared and recognize how God is speaking to them, inviting them into a deeper relationship with Him.”

Selah Week Schedule & Featured Speakers

Bo Wagner, evangelist, author and pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Mooresboro, N.C., will serve as the featured speaker, delivering four powerful messages throughout the week. Each sermon will focus on a different biblical character’s encounter with God, providing insight into how faith can transform lives.

In addition to Wagner’s messages, student and faculty testimonies will be shared:

Feb. 25

• Tuesday, 9:25 a.m. – Student Solomon McNair, Tucker Student Center.
• Tuesday, 8 p.m. – Jay Zimmer, Gardner-Webb assistant professor of biology and natural sciences, Dover Chapel.

Feb. 27

• Thursday, 9:25 a.m. – Student Serena Kohler.
• Thursday, 8 p.m. – Additional faculty/staff testimony.

Worship music will be led by Cialen Gadsen with fellow students, creating a meaningful atmosphere of praise and reflection. The Campus Ministries United Co-coordinators, Whitney Easter and A.J. Hogan, will welcome attendees each evening.

For more information, contact: Dr. Josh Parrott, vice president and university chaplain for Christian Life and Service, [email protected] or Neal Payne, associate minister to the University for Student Ministries, [email protected].

Chloe Cloutier, a senior communication studies major, contributed to this story.

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event.  Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.