Have you ever shopped for a new car? It’s one thing to explore your options and do your research online; it’s a totally different experience when you visit the car dealership in person. By giving your time to go to the car lot, you’ve made an investment. You get to sit in the driver’s seat, put your hands on the steering wheel, and take the car for a test drive. You can begin to imagine what it would be like to own this car, and once you envision it, you want to buy it. It no longer has to live in your imagination – your dreams can become reality. 

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In our VOUS College of Ministry, we want to allow potential students to sit in the driver’s seat of their educational journey – this is why we offer Preview Day. Preview Day allows potential students to experience a day in the life of a VOUS College student. It gives interested students the opportunity to see the value of VOUS College, explore our different programs, and understand our VOUS College of Ministry pillars:

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Academic Advancement

Spiritual Formation

Rest

Leadership Development

Ministry & Vocational Training

Community Engagement

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Our goal is to champion the calling of students for ministry and the marketplace. Students can continue their educational journey by being fully immersed in the culture of VOUS Church while gaining practical ministry experience. Preview Day allows potential students to envision themselves as an active participant in our program.

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With every Preview Day, we give weight to three categories. 

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REACH

There would be no Preview Day without interested students! There are a few different ways we expand our reach to inform and invite people to Preview Day. One of the largest networks we utilize is VOUS High, our youth ministry. Our VOUS High leaders and staff are continually building relationships with local students and schools. 

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When Preview Day is coming up in our calendar, we begin to leverage in-house programming. We spread the word through team nights, team rallies, and Culture Room, our online pre-service experience. Email marketing and social media are used to reach any and all students who have inquired about VOUS College, including those who are not local. 

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We also give weight to alumni testimonies – who better to share about the value of Preview Day than those who have experienced it? We ask current and former students to share their experiences, then will utilize their stories across social media platforms and during Preview Day. 

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Our goal is to continually drive home the value of our VOUS College programs, making sure potential students are aware of the leadership skills, learning opportunities, and community they will gain if they choose VOUS College as their next step. 

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EXPERIENCE

We want all Preview Day attendees to experience a day in the life of a VOUS College student. We cater the day to them, following this schedule:

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Breakfast

We provide breakfast and lunch to give potential students the opportunity to connect with other potential students. 

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VOUS College of Ministry Overview

We set aside this time to talk through our three different programs: Degree-Seeking, VOUS Leadership, and VOUSternship. Interested students can ask questions as they gain a broad understanding of how their educational experience can be tailored to fit their goals. 

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The Tension with Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson

All enrolled VOUS College students attend a weekly class called The Tension, led by Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson. During Preview Day, prospective students get to sit in on this class to get a glimpse of how we develop leaders who last. 

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Lunch

Again, we intentionally leverage this time to allow students to begin building community.

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Chapel

Finally, Preview Day ends with chapel. All enrolled VOUS College students start their week with chapel. This is an opportunity to start their week in strength as they worship and receive a word specifically geared toward ministry leaders. From production to worship and everything in between, VOUS College chapels are run entirely by students. Sitting in chapel gives Preview Day attendees the opportunity to experience chapel and envision themselves participating every week. 

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ACTION

At the end of the day, we want to drive students to an action step. Our hope is that they would take the leap and apply for the VOUS College program that best fits their needs and goals. We encourage Preview Day attendees to apply by lifting the application fee and offering same-day interviews. We believe that our programs are valuable, and we want to create space for all who are interested to become a part.

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If your ministry doesn’t offer any educational programs, we hope you can take these principles and apply them in a way that works for your organizations, teams, and staff. If you are a student, or you know someone who is a student who might be interested in attending a VOUS College Preview Day, visit vouscollege.com to learn more.