4 Reasons I’m Glad I’m Taking Classes Online at Eternity

By John Hall, Student

A little over a year ago I began my college career (about 10 years after people typically start!). After looking around, I ended up applying to take classes online with Eternity Bible College. I live in Minnesota, and many people I interact with have never heard of Eternity, which is unfortunate because I’m convinced it’s one of the best options for an in-depth biblical education at the bachelor’s level.

Here are four reasons why I love studying at Eternity and think you would too!

1. The entire degree I am pursuing can be taken online. The last thing I wanted to do was leave my local church to receive training for church ministry. If you think about it, it’s really strange that the typical path that people take is to leave their home church when they feel called to pursue church leadership. With Eternity, I am able to stay connected in serving and working at the local church as I receive my theological education (in fact, it’s required by the school!). This is priceless. 

2. You connect with people from all different walks of life. I’ve taken classes with people who are serving in Japan as missionaries, pastors, business owners, moms who stay at home with their kids, and everything in between. I’ve had classes with 18-year-olds and 60-year-olds. I’m so thankful for this as I’m forced to get outside my own little bubble as I read various classmate’s responses to different topics. There really are no words to describe how beneficial and thought provoking it has been to wrestle through various topics with people from all around the world in radically different contexts. What an amazing gift this has been!

3. The program at Eternity is challenging. By “challenging,” I’m not speaking about the difficulty in passing classes necessarily, but the fact that I’m forced to check all my assumptions and things I think I know. When I was still inquiring about Eternity, someone said “At Eternity we don’t necessarily teach you what to think, but rather how to think.” This has been true in my experience. Since the school isn’t affiliated with any single denomination, you get a broader range of evangelical perspectives from both classmates and professors. I love this. I’ve learned to tear down some of my straw man arguments and appreciate the insight offered from different viewpoints. On the same note, many of my biblical convictions have been deepened and strengthened through this process.    

4. It’s all about Jesus. Honestly, this school has shown me Jesus over and over and over again. In the short time I’ve been at Eternity, I’ve read tons of things and been challenged time and again to keep Christ at the center. The staff and teachers at Eternity are committed to helping students not just learn about Jesus and the Bible, but actually walk with him and grow in our discipleship. I’ve had classes where I actually had to spend a semester working through specific sin issues in my own life and practice applying the gospel to my own heart. Without a doubt I can say that after a little over a year of studying at Eternity Bible College and serving in the local church I am more in love with Jesus today than I ever have been.

I could have written a lot more reasons why I love this school; it’s affordable, the professors are available, the emphasis is on everyday mission, and countless more. Even if you don’t feel like you need a degree (which many of you don’t) I would recommend taking a class or two at Eternity to every follower of Jesus. Almost all of their classes are available to audit online for a low cost. Seriously, go check it out. Be challenged.