Kentucky students chalk entire Gospel of John across university in campus trend
Christian students at Western Kentucky University (WKU) shared their faith in an unconventional way during the final week before their spring break.
Around 70 students huddled over the campus sidewalk on the night of March 10 with the goal of writing out the entire Gospel of John — 879 verses — across their public university campus by morning, the student newspaper, the College Heights Herald, reported.
The project, spearheaded by the Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) and joined by other Christian student groups, Campus Crusade for Christ "Cru" and Hilltoppers for Christ (HFC), was completed in a few hours, BCM President Cameron Shaw told Fox News Digital.
Shaw, a senior at WKU and reporter for the campus paper, said that an alumnus got the idea after seeing other Christian university students doing the same thing on social media.
An account called "Gospel Chalk Movement" on TikTok shows similar events at several universities across North Carolina since late 2024.
"We hope to continue a chain that other colleges can [follow] as well," Shaw said.
The students first got permission from the university to write out the verses. Shaw admitted he was initially hesitant, fearing the group's actions could be taken negatively. But they ultimately decided to do it, believing it could be a unique way to present the Bible to their peers.
"The main reason for us doing this ultimately is to spread the good news, or the Gospel," Luke Alford, BCM vice president and senior at WKU, said.
"We live in a time when there is a lot of uncertainty and confusion in the world around us, especially in a college setting full of a bunch of people still figuring out how to be an adult. I firmly believe that the Bible has the answer to these questions, especially in the Gospel of John," he told Fox News Digital.
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Rachel Harwood, another student leader with BCM, said that some students left negative comments about their display on Yik Yak, a social media app for college students. But she wasn't disheartened by the response, saying that exposure to the Bible's message was their goal.
"Even though the responses were negative, students were still talking about the truths that are in the Bible. This is just as important as positive comments because it makes students think about where they stand when it comes to the most important decision in their lives," Harwood told Fox News Digital.
"This also did not discourage the students at the BCM to stop talking to students and faculty on campus. The next day the BCM had a table and chalkboard set up to talk to students and get their opinions. This was a great way to verbally share the Gospel with students," she continued.
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Shaw said their group acts to serve as a "community of grace" to the student population and ultimately desires to bring others to church and faith in Christ.
He's personally seen more openness over the past four years among college students to exploring their faith.
"I know at BCM, we have seen an uptick in students almost every single year, especially freshmen, that are just deeply involved and interested in the Gospel and in what faith is and who Jesus is," he said.
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Western Kentucky University, located in Bowling Green, is about a two-hour drive to Asbury University, where a spiritual revival took place in 2023 that garnered national attention.
"I personally definitely see an openness to Christianity," Shaw continued. "Maybe some others might feel differently in a different part of the country. But I do see more of an openness to faith in general. How we would put it, some seeds [are] being planted."