HANNIBAL (HLGU) – Hannibal-LaGrange University is pleased to announce its annual Grow Week, a series of special chapel services and events designed to encourage spiritual growth in the campus community. This year’s featured speaker is Daniel Ritchie, evangelist and Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, who has shared the hope of Christ with audiences across the nation.
Ritchie was born without arms, yet God has used his life and testimony to impact thousands with the message of His grace. Speaking to more than 200,000 people each year, Ritchie points to God’s goodness through his personal story of faith, perseverance, and joy in Christ.
“God has shaped my perspective to pursue a full life because I am defined by Him and His grace, rather than the critical opinions of the world,” said Ritchie. “If God has brought me to a place of contentment and joy in my visible difference, then He is most able to do the same for anyone else.”
Grow Week at HLGU will take place Tuesday, September 2 through Thursday, September 4, 2025, with events open to students, faculty, staff, and the broader community:
Grow Week 2025 Schedule
Tuesday, September 2
• 11:00 AM – Chapel with Daniel Ritchie
Wednesday, September 3
• 11:00 AM – Chapel with Daniel Ritchie
• 6:30 PM – Night of Worship featuring the HLGU Chapel Band and Daniel Ritchie
HLGU invites the public to attend the Night of Worship on Wednesday evening, a powerful time of music and teaching led by the university’s Chapel Band alongside Daniel Ritchie.
Ritchie resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Heather, and their two children. Together, they enjoy family movie nights, traveling, football, and spending time outdoors.
For more information about Grow Week at HLGU, please contact the Student Life Office at Michael.Dixon@hlg.edu or call (573) 629-3026.