Divinity interns use online platform to minister to troubled teens and young adults

Each year, graduate students in the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity’s internship program at Liberty University apply their learning to a real-world setting while serving in churches, ministries, and chaplaincy roles throughout the country.

This year, with the social distancing and travel restrictions of COVID-19, innovative approaches to internships have given rise to students participating in online and virtual ministry options.

John Armstrong, director of experiential learning for the School of Divinity, said graduate students are currently working as online coaches to mentor to Gen Z, Gen X and Millennials through an innovative online ministry called Groundwire.

“With this coronavirus situation, we’ve adapted and made Groundwire available for our students who couldn’t get an internship because of the restrictions of COVID-19,” Armstrong said.

Groundwire.net shares the love of Jesus Christ by inserting ads about the service into social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and inviting users to engage in spiritual conversations with a coach through a one-on-one chat function.

Dan Yeazel, director of coaching operations for Groundwire, said the platform is a great format for having real conversations with those who are struggling with issues like porn, self-harm, depression, etc. He said that while many users can’t talk to a parent or spouse about these struggles, they will talk to a stranger online.

“People who love us the most, who can help us the most, we hide from in shame, so this gives many an opportunity to get help they might not find elsewhere.”

Yeazel also said that Groundwire is a great fit for students and interns who want to do ministry while they are learning.

“As coaches, they are right in the middle of real issues. They are being the hands and feet of Jesus online,” he said.

Helen McCann (’09), who received her Master of Science in Accounting through Liberty University Online Programs and is currently pursuing her Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling online, did her internship with Groundwire last fall. McCann said she wanted to do her internship while working for God’s kingdom and that serving as an online coach gave her that opportunity.

As a coach, she spoke to people of all ages throughout the world, all in need and some in crisis.

“The experience really gave me a sense of the types of needs that are out there and how much people really do need Jesus,” said McCann.

“I think that this is an excellent opportunity for divinity students, especially candidates for the Pastoral Counseling degrees, to get their feet wet and really make a difference,” she added. “You do get some who don’t avail themselves to the conversation but most people are at least willing to listen.”

Yeazel said the COVID-19 pandemic has quadrupled the traffic to the website because many people are not going to school or work and are staying indoors, isolated and struggling with anxiety, depression, and other issues.

“Last month (April 2020) there were 44 million commercials watched, 308,000 visits to the website, and over 18,000 people made a first time or a recommitment to Christ,” he said. “We had 84,000 people come to Christ last year, so God is having conversations with people during this time that weren’t happening before.”

DeAnna Ellis is finishing her Master of Divinity in Global Studies online while working full time in customs for a global shipping company and hopes to graduate in August. Her intention was to intern with a local synagogue, but because of COVID-19 she was not able to serve in that role. So, seeking another path, she contacted John Armstrong at the School of Divinity who recommended Groundwire.

“I read up on the opportunity and since I had just finished my required counseling courses and found out that I really enjoyed it — and coaching is something that I do anyway — no one was surprised that I was pursuing something like this,” she said.

Ellis is in the midst of training and hopes to finish in the next couple of weeks and begin coaching. She has previously worked for a hospice company as a supervisor taking calls, so she learned how to deal with people in difficult situations who could not communicate in person. She believes the new experience will further prepare her for the ministry.

“Counseling and compassion are gifts that God has given me that I’m just starting to develop more intentionally, and I’m hoping to learn more through this internship at Groundwire.”

Gabriel Etzel, online dean at the School of Divinity, said that by combining courses with real-world experiences, the curriculum comes alive for students. “School of Divinity students are no longer just studying theories on a page, they are now able to put into practice what they are learning as they engage the world around them.”