Who has heard of fifteen disciples from eight states starting a church together without ever meeting one another before? Until this year, we hadn’t either! You may know Eugene, OR as home of Nike, Track Town, Duck football, or “old hippies don’t die, they move to Eugene.” But now, due to the hand of God through the amazing vehicle of Disciples Today and the One Year Challenge, he started the University Church of Eugene in just that way!
Here’s how team members are describing their experience, along with advice for those considering a One Year Challenge:
“It’s challenged me. I’ve been put into a more church-building and kingdom-focused ministry than ever before… Bring your own coffee maker! Be prepared to serve and do what needs to be done everyday.” — Alex A., Gainesville, FL
“It’s been challenging. It’s an everyday decision. ‘I’m going to go share, I’m going to be diligent.’ God has used this to overcome fears and insecurities. It’s cool how different I’ve been since I left Boston and how God has molded my character…. Do it!” — Kris P., Austin, TX and Boston, MA
“…a time of growth. It took me out of my comfort zone and helped me get myself out there with sharing my faith and getting to know people… Just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? Just go for it! You’ll grow and you’ll be stretched. God will work and big things will happen.” — Stacey Z., Carmel, IN
“It has been very humbling! I have seen and learned what it is to rely on no one and nothing but God…Pray a lot of specific prayers!” — Jordan B., Phoenix, AZ
“…fulfilling. I’ve never been poorer, or more broke and I’ve needed for nothing… Move far away. Get as far away from your comfort zone as you can.” — Shawn M., Phoenix, AZ
“Oh my. It’s been full of life-altering lessons. I’ve had to learn to view life through the lens of the gospel… Be ready to learn.” — Isaiah H., San Diego, CA
“First, I’ve been out of my comfort-zone the whole time. It’s been faith-building and it’s been an opportunity for God to mold me… Pray about it, reflect on your walk with God, and look at yourself. Are too comfortable where you are? Is it time to step out on faith?” — Abigail C., Stanhope, NJ
“It’s been challenging, forcing myself to be vulnerable but it’s been a time of strengthening my weaknesses. The reason I’m doing this is to advance God’s kingdom and He is with me… If God has put it on your heart to serve and to move somewhere, get advice from people that you admire. Listen to God’s whispers and know there’s nothing to lose in it. Say ‘yes’ to God and go into it with your whole heart.” — Andrea H., Poway, CA
“It’s been challenging, fulfilling, and life-trajectory changing. Challenging because moving somewhere doesn’t change who you are. Building a church takes daily work. If you’re going on a one year challenge, you’re going to do work. Work is hard–daily prayer, daily meeting, daily reaching out. I came with the hopes of pursuing ministry. Being with like-minded people.. We’ve built a family. It’s hard to put into words. It’s been a family-building experience. Faith-building to practice daily evangelism and to see God work through that. You get to step back and see that God is the one moving… Pray daily before about where God wants you, where God wants to use you. Get much advice about whether you should stay or go. If a one year challenge is what you want, come prepared to grow, to stretch your mind about what it means to be in ministry, to study the Bible with a person, to share your faith with a person, to show somebody Jesus, what it means to share the gospel.” — Daniel L., Las Cruces, NM
“It has been answered prayers. God has been in the details of all we’ve done here on the microlevel, for each individual and to be part of that is truly a blessing. I feel grateful for all of the tools that God has given to us to find such a situation, especially the Disciples Today website. It’s an opportunity for my generation to have dreams. He started this church on prayer and will continue to work through that, for His glory. Having traveled over 3000 miles, I’m so grateful for the beautiful family that is here. I’m so grateful for the support…Don’t be afraid. Trust that God uses everything for the good. Whether or not you end up on a One Year Challenge, where you are is exactly where you need to be. If you don’t have peace about your decision, don’t go with it. Identify your main motivation for moving and deeply inspect it. Pray non-stop.” — Victoria W., Orlando, FL
“It’s certainly been challenging – leaving behind established relationships and habits always is – but it has also been a great opportunity to allow myself to be redefined…joining a mission team immediately required me to invest in evangelism as well as spending time studying the Bible with people. Even after just a few weeks of that kind of spiritual shock to the system, it’s suddenly so much easier to engage with strangers and remember that my life isn’t about me… Do it – but do it to give, not to get. It’s an amazing experience, but if you aren’t ready to be sacrificial of your time, resources, emotion, and talents, a mission team will immediately challenge you to repent – and we all know that while repentance brings refreshing, it’s also rarely easy.” — Ben S., Missoula, MT
At the inaugural service in October 2015, nearly 500 gathered to worship God in the University of Oregon campus and witness four baptisms. In 2016, we pray to launch a house church in Corvallis, home of Oregon State University, in a similar way. We write this article to thank God and the wonderful people of Disciples Today and ICOC HotNews, whose vision has made an eternal difference. Please pray for Disciples Today, Oregon, and the great Pacific Northwest, to continue to have “HotNews” for our Lord!
