“One of the most impactful parts of Candler has been weekly worship services. The diversity of the worship services has been restorative, challenging, inspiring, and introspective.”
Taniecia McFarlane
MTS '23
Worship through the week
As a community, we worship twice each week at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Cannon Chapel and via livestream. Our services are planned by our incredible team of student workers and are ecumenical in nature – we welcome and honor the richness of many Christian denominations, traditions, and worship styles. We also celebrate communion every Tuesday. On Wednesday evenings, our Episcopal/Anglican program hosts a service of Evensong or Eucharist in the Teaching Chapel.
View the worship schedule
Spiritual Formation
On the first Friday of every month, we host an Agape Meal, an opportunity to gather in community, enjoy a free lunch together, and share in a conversation centered around a theme.
Several times each semester, we also host Worship Talk Backs, post service conversations with chapel preachers to ask questions and share in discussion on the day’s sermon. Plus, free lunch!
Lunch with a Spiritual Director is a unique opportunity to learn more about spiritual direction – what it is and how it works – over free lunch with a certified spiritual director!
Sacred doodling is a form of meditative art that helps engage your spirituality creatively through creation, attention, and intention.
Through reading, writing, and listening to poetry, Poetry as Spiritual Practice is an opportunity for the community to seek wisdom and connection to God and one another.
We also venture outside for Painting on the Quad – a time to mindfully create, rest, and enjoy God in nature.
Every other Thursday, CC106 is open all day as the Breathing Space – a self-guided meditation space with a labyrinth, prayer stations, and more. Create a moment of peace in your day.
Centering Prayer is an opportunity for guided, communal prayer for self, community, and the world.
We also offer two retreats – one in the fall and one in the spring – to offer a break from the demands of school and support your formation outside the classroom.
Candler Singers and Voices of Imani are our two incredible student choirs at Candler. They lead our community in music and song as well as perform other events and concerts throughout the academic year.
For more information about Candler Singers, reach out to Director of Chapel Music, Dr. David Daniel.
For more information on Voices of Imani, reach out to Choir Director, Will Buthod.
Living intentionally, together
Focused on intentional living and spiritual formation, formation communities provide Candler students with a unique opportunity to live and grow in faith alongside their peers. Each formation community creates a distinct set of intentional community commitments and discerns a shared focus they want to live into throughout one full academic year.
Formation Communities
The Sacred Arts Collective
The Sacred Arts Collective focuses on deeply engaging congregations in the Atlanta area to imagine how to nurture and grow the faith of children through the integration of the arts in worship. We hope to fashion creative learning environments that inspire leaders and families to fully embrace the arts to engage in sensory-rich worship across generations.
Learn more
Meet the Office of Worship and Spiritual Formation Team
Khalia Williams
Associate Dean of Worship and Spiritual Formation; Associate Professor in the Practice of Worship; Co-Director of the Baptist Studies Program
Khalia earned her MA in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and her PhD in Liturgical Studies with a focus on theology and worship from Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and American Baptist Churches USA.
Natasha Burrowes
Assistant Director of Formation Communities
Natasha brings a wealth of experience and passion to our community, with over 20 years of experience combined in student development and spiritual formation programming. She is also a skilled spiritual director and retreat facilitator, committed to supporting the holistic development of students as they explore their faith and callings. Natasha is instrumental in fostering and nurturing our formation communities, guiding students as they deepen their spiritual lives and cultivate a sense of community here at Candler.
Will Buthod
Choir Director
Will is Candler’s Voices of Imani choir director, as well as pianist, organist, composer, and conductor at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur. He’s worked in churches for over 26 years and is known for employing a wide range of styles to fit any given situation, from gospel to salsa and bluegrass. He has served congregations in New York, Paris, Phoenix, and Atlanta, as well as throughout Oklahoma and New Jersey.
David Daniel
Director of Chapel Music
As director of chapel music, David oversees the musical life of Candler related to weekly worship—directing choirs, coordinating staff and student musicians, and guiding student worship planning teams in their choice of congregational song. He also prepares and directs the Candler Singers in leading worship outside of Candler, including the 2016 installation service for Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson to the North Georgia Conference, and worship services and concerts throughout the southeast.
Kristina Johnson
Assistant Director of The Sacred Arts Collective
An ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Kristina has more than 17 years of experience in youth ministry. She currently serves as the Family Ministry Pastor at The Breakthrough Fellowship in Smyrna, GA. Her ministry is marked by a commitment to intergenerational engagement, spiritual formation, and community outreach.
She holds a Master of Divinity from Candler, where she earned certificates in Religious Education and Black Church Studies, a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Georgia State University. Her work bridges the worlds of ministry, ethics, and the arts, with a passion for fostering connection, creativity, and transformation in faith communities.
EMAILkrjohn9@emory.edu
Rachal Little
Program Coordinator
Rachal helps shape the spiritual life of the community through worship leadership as well as creative, embodied practices. She curates and facilitates opportunities for the entire Candler community to explore their faith through poetry, doodling, painting, and other imaginative expressions, along with helping to oversee worship and working closely with students. She received her BA in Communications from Jacksonville State University and graduated from Candler with her MDiv in 2021. A recipient of the Hoyt L. Hickman Award for excellence in pastoral care and liturgical leadership, she brings over 12 years of ministry experience to her role at Candler. Rachal is a passionate teacher and group facilitator and is committed to cultivating spaces of welcome, creativity, and spiritual depth.
Social media that’s good for the spirit
In addition to regular worship services, the Candler community—and the wider world!—can engage in devotional moments via the Candler Worship social media channels. Weekly Monday Meditations and Friday Reflections are excellent reminders to attend to our spiritual health during our busy lives by pausing for moments of prayer, meditation and centering.
Candler Firsthand
Hear what these students and alums have to say about the power of Candler worship.
“One of the most impactful parts of Candler has been weekly worship services. The diversity of the worship services has been restorative, challenging, inspiring, and introspective.”
Taniecia McFarlane
MTS '23
“Candler worship services highlight the diverse body of Christ and the immeasurable ways humanity can worship the Divine! Attending chapel was a welcome respite from the stress of class and work, and a continual reminder that God is bigger than my limited experience.”
Kristen Curtis Wright
MDiv '19
“Working in the Office of Spiritual Life changed the way I understood ministry. I grew with people who supported, challenged, and encouraged me to go deeper into my faith and studies. Being a part of a team serving the Candler community was an incredibly meaningful and gratifying experience.”
Emily Elizabeth Castelloe
MDiv '23
