“This last term for students at ETS has been… different. Some things have remained the same, for example, God’s word being opened up; studying his works displayed in history; the teaching of the excellencies of Christ and the raising of our affections to him. On the other hand, things have clearly been different – most obviously, the means in which the teaching has been done and the ways in which students have processed it.
I’m thankful to the Lord for the facilities that ETS have so that the teaching staff were able to easily deliver online classes but, as anyone who has spent a long time on Zoom can acknowledge, having four hours of classes followed by more screen time writing essays, etc. is very wearisome. The areas of stamina and processing information have been a big challenge. Simple things like downtime between classes, time chatting together during the break where students can process things and ask what one another thinks are times that are most missed. As is the opportunity to continue conversations with lecturers when class time is up and the banter we have during classes.
The ETS building is a wonderful resource. Right in the heart of the city, with wonderful views from the windows and with its narrow hallways and the tall open staircase it is a wonderful facilitator for creating conversations. But, unfortunately, these are things that we can’t make use of at this time.
Life at ETS is by nature collegiate, especially given the architecture of the building. This means that in the circumstances we are currently studying in, more effort is required. Daily Worship has now become Morning Worship, where students gather before class to read the Bible together and pray. There are Zoom quizzes hosted throughout the semester that have grown in popularity and are a great way to meet new people at the seminary. A number of students have organised Zoom calls together to catch up and pray. However, nothing beats just picking up the phone and seeing how someone is doing.
It has been wonderful to have our minds stretched and our affections raised over this past semester but it has also felt more intense than usual. Therefore, the students and staff at the Seminary would value prayer. Please pray that the Lord may continue to sustain us all as we seek to grow in love and knowledge of him during this intense period. Pray also that the students may continue to support one another and create bonds that last throughout a lifetime of serving our Lord.”
— Craig Anderson, SRC President
