Bethel Celebrates Sixth Annual Grandparents Day

It’s normal for Chapel to be packed on a Friday morning. But on April 20, the average age of audience members in Benson Great Hall skewed a few decades higher than other weeks.

Hundreds of grandparents—visiting for Bethel University’s 6th annual Grandparents Day—listened intently to speaker Luther E. Smith Jr, a world-renowned authority on theologian Howard Thurman and professor emeritus at Emory University.

After Chapel, Anna Swensen ’19 took a minute to snap a photo as her grandparents Julie and Roger Moberg squeezed her out of love. The Mobergs are both Bethel alumni who have been a part of Bethel since 1951 and have known many generations of Royals.

“Connecting with our granddaughter Anna is what I love most about this day, [as well as] seeing God at work amongst the students—and meeting old friends,” says Julie.

“The speaker at Chapel was out of sight,” Roger adds. “That's one of the things about Bethel: the relationships that you have over the years with people you’ve met and so on, and then you come back with your kids and you come back with your grandkids and there’s always continuing friendships.”

While on campus, grandparents were invited to take a tour or attend a “Class Without a Quiz,” which gave an overview of the Royals Investment Fund through the eyes of Bethel students. They could also meet professors, enjoy a meal in the Monson Dining Center, or spend time experiencing campus alongside their students.

Grandparents Day 2019 will be held April 12. Get added to the invitation list—or add a grandparent—by filling out this form.