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College Students Stuck at Home Organize Online Bible Study
When Anna Herrington and Karoline Westerman had to return home from college due to the world-wide outbreak of COVID-19, they knew they wanted to make the most of their time.
Both members of First Baptist Church of Marble Falls (TX), the two homebound college students came up with an idea to spread peace and stay sane during lockdown. As Harrington, a sophomore at Baylor University, put it, “What better way to spend [quarantine] than in the Word of God.”
So they took to Zoom, an app similar to Skype or FaceTime that allows users to make group video calls. They set a time to meet every Tuesday for a virtual Bible study to discuss what they’d been reading in the New Testament, specifically 1 Corinthians. But they didn’t limit their meetings to just the two of them. They also took it upon themselves to invite local high school students to participate.
Westerman, who’s a sophomore at Dallas Baptist University, said they chose to serve younger students because “High school can be stressful. We want to help prepare them for the next years of high school and then help prepare them for college. We also want to give them confidence.”
Even though both Harrington and Westerman are busy college students—whose schedules only seemed to get more hectic when classes moved online—they realized the importance of making time for God.
“We’re trying to build a foundation for Jesus,” said Harrington. “And for the students as they are about to enter a new phase in their lives. I think it’s so important to study God’s Word, to gain insight into who He is and learn about His kingdom.”
In creating the virtual Bible study, Harrington and Westerman both hope that the students they study with will gain a new appreciation for reading the Word of God. Of course, they also hope that increased faith and prayers will help put an end to the pandemic and ease the problems coronavirus has caused.
While it remains uncertain whether the two college students will be able to return to their respective campuses come Fall, they can be proud of the difference they’re making in their community. Their story is just one of many examples that demonstrate how people are overcoming the pandemic and finding simple yet powerful ways to serve others and follow Christ.
