A groundbreaking and worship night are just two of the approximately one hundred 97 coordinated events taking place Oct. 3-5, Taylor University’s Homecoming Weekend.
Homecoming Weekend is an annual tradition that welcomes alumni and families to Taylor’s campus, ultimately creating an occasion to celebrate God’s provision and faithfulness, Brady Yordy, senior executive director of advancements, said.
This festive weekend presents 97 coordinated approximately one hundred events and hosts roughly 2,000 to 2,500 visitors each year, he said.
“We want God to be honored and create opportunities for people to tell stories with each other, for us to celebrate what God’s doing, has done and continues to do in and through this place,” Yordy said.
One event taking place this year that Yordy is particularly excited about is the groundbreaking for the new chapel and welcome center.
Taylor University will be constructing a new chapel and welcome center as an extension of the existing LaRita Boren Campus Center. The new space will be approximately 85,000 to 90,000 square feet.
In March, the project directors were working on the design and budget factors. The university held a feedback session in the spring to involve students in the project. They received good feedback from that session, and have since incorporated the students' comments into the final design, Andrea Masvero, director of 1846 Enterprises, said.
Construction of the chapel and welcome center will start this fall, and the project is expected to wrap up in Fall 2027. The groundbreaking will take place inside the construction zone, near the tennis courts, Yordy said. Additionally, attendees will hear from Taylor alum and Board of Trustees member, Jill Anschutz (‘07).
Yordy expects the groundbreaking to be a sacred moment.
In addition to the groundbreaking, this year’s Homecoming Weekend will feature an outdoor worship concert with LIFEGATE Music, a worship collective from Denver, Colorado.
Every three years, Homecoming Weekend will host a concert in partnership with an external band or artist. LIFEGATE’s concert is part of this cycle, Yordy said.
Taylor University has a six-year relationship with this worship collective, Greg Dyson, vice president for spiritual life and intercultural leadership and campus pastor, said. The university has involved LIFEGATE Music in many events, and various Taylor students have interned at LIFEGATE Denver. Additionally, they are the most requested worship group by students, Dyson and Yordy said.
The worship concert will be held on Oct. 4, 8:15 p.m. at Reade Lawn.
Additional celebrations are happening at this year’s Homecoming Weekend, including the Residential Village ribbon cutting on Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. and the Physician Assistant Program ribbon cutting and dedication on Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m.
Yordy said there is something special about this weekend as they welcome the Taylor family back to campus and foster moments of connection.
“There’s always moments throughout the weekend where you look around and you just see people deep in conversations, reconnecting and sharing deeply,” he said. “They’re having these conversations decades after they went through here, and there’s a depth and a confidence in the Lord and in his provision in it. It’s just something that’s hard to put words to.”
He described this coming together as a “thin veil moment”—a little taste of heaven.
For more on this year’s Homecoming Weekend, people can scan the QR code to view the schedule.
