Homebound college students start virtual Bible class for high schoolers
Bible study co-leaders Karoline Westerman (left) and Anna Herrington welcome high school students of any denomination to join them for a virtual study of First Corinthians. The class, which is 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, is conducted via Zoom, an app for smartphones, tablets, and computers. Courtesy photos
COVID-19 restrictions led two Marble Falls college students to answer Jesus’ call to “make disciples of all nations.”
Although that call to the Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20, Anna Herrington and Karoline Westerman have put together a Bible study group for high school students on the book of First Corinthians. Written by Paul, First Corinthians is a letter to the “people of God in Corinth” about what it means to be Christian.
“What better way to spend (the COVID-19 pandemic) than in the Word of God,” said Harrington, a Baylor University sophomore.
The two are members of First Baptist Church of Marble Falls. They came up with the idea for the virtual Bible study after returning home from college when campuses closed due to the pandemic. They meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays via Zoom, a digital app for computers, tablets, and smartphones that brings groups face to face via the internet.
“High school can be stressful,” said Westerman, a sophomore at Dallas Baptist University. “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.”
Finding one-on-one time with God can be a challenge for college students, the two said, another reason they started the study.
“We’re trying to build a foundation for Jesus and for the students as they are about to enter a new phase in their lives,” Herrington said. “I think it’s so important to study God’s Word, to gain insight into who He is and learn about His kingdom.”
Both pray that students will fall in love with reading their Bibles and take its teachings into their everyday lives. They also pray these same students will grow up to be leaders involved in different ministries and charities in their communities.
A third hope and prayer is that the Bible study will continue without them when they return to their respective campuses in August. With that in mind, they encourage each participant to lead discussions on different chapters of First Corinthians.
The study is open to any high school student, no matter their denomination. Email First Baptist Church Student Pastor Laine Melikian at laine@fbcmf.org to learn more.
“Seriously, anyone is welcome,” Herrington said.