BROWNWOOD—Cierra Culpepper felt a little nervous as DiscipleNow weekend approached.
She and fellow Howard Payne University student Amanda Burley were slated to work with the junior high and high school girls for the weekend of worship, Bible study and activities sponsored by the HPU Baptist Student Ministry.
Cierra Culpepper (right), a student at Howard Payne University, strengthened her connection to Anise (left), her “little sister” through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, during a DiscipleNow weekend sponsored by the HPU Baptist Student Ministry. (PHOTO/Courtesy of Howard Payne University)
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As students from area churches started arriving, Culpepper realized there was only one high school girl in attendance—a freshman named Anise who was not too thrilled about being the oldest girl in the group for the weekend. As Anise entered the first session, she struggled with why God wanted her to be at the event, surrounded by junior high girls.
But Culpepper had an advantage in terms of putting her at ease. Anise was her “little sister” through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program in Brownwood.
Throughout the weekend, HPU senior Trevor Brown led the students through four sessions focused on a single Greek word, sozo, meaning “to save, heal, deliver and restore.”
“Trevor did a great job with the curriculum,” Culpepper said. “Everything correlated really well, and we were able to use what we learned in the sessions to talk with the girls and answer their questions.”
During the final session, the students reflected on what God had shown them throughout the weekend. Later that night, Culpepper received a text message from Anise. Tears filled her eyes as she read what Anise said God had been teaching her.
“God showed her that she could be an example to the girls. She had been where they were, and she could use that experience to help them grow,” she said.
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Culpepper and her “little sister” continue to meet together once a week.
“It has been neat to see how Anise has grown,” Culpepper said. “A lot of her conversations are God-based. It is amazing to see that as a freshman in high school, she is so in tune with God. She is growing in her relationship with Christ, and that is a really big deal.”
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