A Week to Slow Down: How Students Describe Campus Week of Prayer

Three Adventist schools describe setting aside a week for worship and prayer. Their reports use similar language about its purpose, and each comes from a student or school writer.

In September 2026, Andrews University's student newspaper, the Student Movement, interviewed four students after that semester's Week of Prayer. The writer calls it "a staple in most Adventist universities," but that is her own description, not a measured figure. One student said it "gives you time to slow down, reflect and step away from stress." Another called it "a great way to put a pause in my day and focus on Christ." The same article reports frustration with required chapel credits and a scanning system that wasn't working. One student said, "Worship feels more meaningful when people choose to be there."

A February 2020 post by a student writer on Washington Adventist University's website describes "WISE week," its January week of prayer. There, student speakers mixed teaching from Ephesians with "personal struggles and stories." After each sermon, the audience split into small prayer groups, which the writer says brought together "people that may have never spoken to each other."

A December 2020 Northwest Adventists article describes a school identified as UCA, which it says has held a student-led week of prayer for "more than four decades," according to that article. Students prepare and give the talks themselves after a retreat with teachers. One student leader said the process "allows you to calm down and focus on God." A teacher noted that some prayer partnerships last beyond graduation.

What these reports share is simple: students describe the week as a pause for prayer, rest and connection with classmates. The formats differ, with a guest speaker at Andrews and student speakers at the other two schools. The reports present the week as part of Christian formation, and none of them weighs in on doctrine.

Sources (3)

1. Andrews University Student Movement: "The Impact of Week of Prayer According to Students" (27 Sep 2026) — Other
2. Washington Adventist University: "WISE Week" (6 Feb 2020) — Official
3. Northwest Adventists: "UCA Students Share Jesus With Peers" (13 Dec 2020) — Official

Source categories describe type only, not reliability. About our source categories.

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A Week to Slow Down: How Students Describe Campus Week of Prayer. Puls Strom, Nov 6, 2026. https://pulsstrom.com/c/ba26ae

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