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EHI introduces new Bible study to promote spiritual health

Eagles Health Initiative is encompassing all aspects of health for students.

Founded in 2015 by a group of Oklahoma Christian University, EHI recently began a new Bible study to focus on spirituality.

According to EHI president Jan Bian, the purpose of the Bible study is to encourage students on their spiritual journeys.

“We have three pillars of health we want our events to address: spiritual, physical and mental health,” Bian said. “We wanted to do more to address the spiritual. Last year we didn’t really do anything about spiritual health so we wanted to bring that back into focus since it’s one of our main pillars.”

Bian said her goal is for the Bible studies to lead more students to participate in service work.

“We want these Bible studies to promote spiritual health specifically for our students,” Bian said. “We want it to foster that attitude of servitude, and to show them how to love people who are different from you or who live in different circumstances than you.”

Nathaniel Giles, the EHI Bible studies leader, said he is currently focusing on the idea of love throughout the devotionals. According to Giles, students who attend the Bible study, ‘Love God, Love People,’ will investigate together what it truly means to not only love God, but love all people.

“Each week I’ve told the students that the reason it’s hard for me to love others is because I’m selfish,” Giles said. “But if all the laws and prophets hang upon the commands to love, then love is obviously at the heart of all things important.”

Giles said after spring break, EHI is going to move on to address how to take love into the mission field.

“Originally our plan for the study was to work with a book called ‘When Helping Hurts’ and to explore the application of love in missions because Eagles Health Initiative is founded upon working within our community,” Giles said. “The topics have since changed a little but we are excited to visit this topic and to host guest speakers with personal experience in the matter.”

The faculty sponsor for the EHI Bible studies, Tina Winn, said she thinks EHI offers positive opportunities to examine spiritual growth and encourage students to let faith have a deeper involvement in their lives.

“I think it’s good to integrate our faith with who we are so it’s not just something we do to check a box off,” Winn said. “It should be a part of our lives. I really like having the opportunity to have many different ways to think about spiritual life and spiritual development.”

Winn said she thinks the Bible studies appeal to anyone invested in service work and volunteering.

“It might show people how to engage more in helping others,” Winn said. “I think anyone who enjoys making a difference in other people’s lives is going to relate well to the speakers and to the topics that are at these Bible studies.”

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