Duke Chapel Begins Limited, In-Person Sunday Services

Update: Please find here the latest information for attending worship services.

Duke University Chapel will hold limited, in-person worship services beginning Sunday, May 23. Weekly services are held Sundays at 11:00 a.m. throughout the year.

Preregistration online will be required to attend a service. Those registering to attend a service must adhere to public health safety protocols for campus visitors—including masking when indoors, handwashing, maintaining physical distance, and staying home when sick—as well as protocols specific to the services, such as providing proof of registration and following foot traffic patterns inside the Chapel.

Preregistration will become available on the Chapel website each Tuesday at 12-noon for the following Sunday’s service. As such, registration for the first in-person service (May 23) will begin on May 18. Currently up to 100 people may register for each service; beginning with the service on June 27, up to 200 people can register.

Once registration for a service is full, other congregants will be invited to join in worship online. The Chapel will continue to livestream and broadcast services on its website, YouTube, Facebook, WDNC Radio 620 AM, and the Duke Hospital television network channel 12.

“This is a hopeful step to take on the day of Pentecost when the church celebrates the infusion of the Holy Spirit—to begin to see one another again in the flesh, to gather in a beloved building, and to continue a long and living tradition of glorifying God with music, preaching, and prayer,” said Chapel Dean Luke A. Powery. “It is also a season for our Chapel community to be especially gracious and vigilant as a way to care for one another during what will be a journey of, once again, adapting how we worship together.”

Members of the Duke community may also inquire about holding weddings or memorial services in the Chapel, which will follow protocols similar to those for worship services.

Also beginning the week of May 23, members of the public, in addition to Duke students and employees, may sign up to spend time in the Chapel for personal reflection, prayer, or meditation during available hours on weekdays.

Frequently asked questions about in-person services:

How do I register to attend a service in person?
Beginning May 18, online registration will be available each Tuesday at 12:00 noon for the upcoming Sunday service via a link on this webpage. Upon registering, you will receive an email with your registration code. All attendees must provide proof of registration to enter the Chapel.

Is there a limit to how many people I can register?
A household can register up to seven people. Please note: children younger than two years old do not need to be registered.

Do I need to bring proof of registration to the Chapel?
Yes. Ushers may not admit anyone who does not have proof of registration for that morning’s service.

What if the registration for a service fills up?
You are invited to participate in the service via livestream or broadcast. You are also welcome to sign up to spend time in the Chapel for personal reflection, prayer, or meditation during available hours on weekdays.

Where do I park?
Parking for the service is available at no charge in the Bryan Center Parking Garage with ADA parking in the Bryan Center Surface Lot.

When should I arrive?
Plan to allow for extra time for entering the Chapel. Doors to the Chapel will open at 10:30 a.m. Services begin at 11:00 a.m. with prelude music beginning approximately ten minutes before then.

Where do I enter the Chapel?
Enter through the main front doors or use the accessible entrance on the side of the Chapel facing the Divinity School.

Do I have to wear a mask the entire time?
Yes, you must wear your mask whenever you are in the Chapel and abide by university protocols for visitors throughout your time on campus. Children younger than five years old are not required to wear a mask.

Can I bring my children?
Yes. Children of all ages are welcome; children younger than two years old do not need to be registered.

Will there be childcare?
No, families should plan to keep their children with them throughout the service.

What about Christian education programs before the service?
All Christian education programs will continue to be held online. Check our calendar for a listing of programs.

Can I bring something to eat or drink?
We ask that you not bring food or drink into the Chapel.

Where do I sit?
An usher will guide you to a seat in the pews that will be at least six feet apart from others

Where are the bathrooms?
Ask an usher to be directed to a bathroom.

Can I sit with friends and family?
Only households that register together may sit together; households should plan to arrive together at the Chapel. All other groups and individuals will sit apart from one another.

How will I access the bulletin/worship guide for the service?
We invite you to view the worship guide on your phone or tablet via our website, or download and print it out to bring it with you.

How do I “pass the peace” during the service?
While remaining in place in your pew, you are invited to wave or otherwise greet people around you during the passing of the peace.

How do I make an offering during the service?
Ushers will bring around a collection plate on a pole for cash and check offerings. You also are invited to make an offering online at https://gifts.duke.edu/chapel.

Can I sing along with the hymns?
Yes, you are invited to sing the congregational hymns. Please keep your mask on throughout the service and at all times while inside the Chapel.

Will there be communion?
Not at first. However, we anticipate that services will eventually include communion and when they do, clear instructions will be provided in the worship guide and by the ministers.

What do I do when the service ends?
Please exit promptly according to the directional arrows on the floor. There will be no congregating inside the Chapel.

Besides Sunday morning services, are you holding other services, events, or concerts this summer?
The only services open to the campus community and general public, via preregistration, are Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Members of the Duke community may request to hold a private memorial service or sign up for a wedding date in 2022. Members of the public, in addition to Duke students and employees, may sign up to spend time in the Chapel for personal reflection, prayer, or meditation during available hours on weekdays.