More than 140 online students from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies are preparing for a week-long spiritual encounter via the Internet. The online week of prayer, set for March 9 – 14, will be hosted through the course management system and will be accessible for students around the world.
“We want our online students to know that Adventist education brings them closer to God and to each other,” says AIIAS Online Director, Leni Casimiro. “We need to be concerned with their spiritual life, but how can that happen when our students are distant from us?”
While regular week of prayers impact the lives of on-campus students, the online students have yet to participate in these programs. Considering the various faith groups that AIIAS Online students represent, the chosen theme of the week of prayer is Abraham: The Faith Journey. “We want to be inclusive in choosing our message; we want to touch as many lives as possible,” continues Casimiro.
Speakers come from USA, Egypt, Mexico, Germany, India, and the Philippines. Every day, new pre-recorded sermons will be added and conveniently accessible to students according to their time-zones. Students can also reflect on the messages and interact with one another through the discussion forum that is available with every sermon.
An interactive part of the week of prayer will be a prayer and meditation garden, which will allow participants to send in prayer requests. A list of carefully selected evangelists has been chosen to lead out in the prayer sessions, including Amazing Facts speaker, Doug Batchelor.
A testimonial session will be available to give opportunity for students to share their life experiences. Taking one step further, a counseling nook is available for individual students who want to talk to a counselor in real time.
According to AIIAS Online information technology staff, Aldwin Tapeceria, “by using our current course system, Moodle, we are able to deliver content similar to how we deliver online content and interaction between participants.”
AIIAS is a pioneer in online education among Adventist institutions around the world. It is again at the forefront in opening avenues to integrate faith and learning by hosting this first virtual week of prayer. “It is a big task on our part, but I believe it is worth it,” Casimiro concludes.
