New Member Orientation Testimonials
On Saturday, July 22nd, The Portland International Church of Christ held a New Member Orientation for all new disciples within the past year, or for those who hadn’t previously attended one. The purpose was for disciples to share about their conversions, build powerful relationships, and be reminded of their commitment to being a disciple.
The night was filled with incredible sharing, great food, encouraging fellowship, and inspiring words from Portland’s Evangelist, Kip McKean.
Below are testimonials of the Eugene disciples who attended with highlights of their experience:
Erica Pepiot (disciple for 2 years)
“The new member orientation was GREAT! My favorite part was hearing about the greatest thing that’s happened to people since they have been disciples. It just shows how amazing God is, because at times I think we tend to forget. Something that really convicted me was when Kip asked ‘Are you just squeezing God into your busy schedule where it fits instead of putting God first?’ Wow… I know that this is me, so now I am inspired to repent by reading and praying before I do anything else, because I know everything else can wait!”
Stephen Rydstedt (5 months)
“The new member orientation was a great way to feel welcomed. I felt loved by everyone and got to meet a lot of amazing people. It was a great experience filled with food, fun, and fellowship.”
Iyonna St. Gerard (2 years)“It was inspiring to see how God brings people together from all over the country, and even the world, to worship him in spirit and truth. It was encouraging to be challenged to give our hearts to all the same things that the first century church did in Acts 2 — the fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, and giving.”
Dan Upshaw (1 year, 7 months)“I wish I had known about the New Member Orientation a year ago! It is very hard to feel unwelcome among so many disciples whose baptism is still the chief motivation for their love and good deeds. I was so grateful to be able to hear so much good news in such a short time, and meet so many disciples from such a wide variety of backgrounds! It built my faith to see the Kingdom of God advancing so forcefully in Portland. I was also inspired by the young men and women having the same vision, and their leaders who share the same dream.”
Holly Whiting (8 months)
“I think my favorite part was getting to meet other disciples. I don’t know that many people, so getting to meet a bunch of new disciples was awesome. Just hearing about how God has transformed so many lives was very encouraging.”
Ties between the Eugene and Portland churches were definitely strengthened with the orientation’s powerful, encouraging fellowship. Every disciple that attended felt it was a worthwhile event.
The Eugene church plans on holding its own orientation sometime this fall. Check back soon for details to come!
