Andreia and her husband Steve got married in 2019, and it was on their honeymoon that the conversation about God and faith really took hold. As Andreia describes it, Steve was already a Christian with a strong walk of faith and while she grew up Catholic and going to mass every Sunday, she didn’t have a relationship with God. Steve, she says, “opened up a whole new world!” After talking about what they wanted for their family, they decided to join Liquid Church. We are grateful to hear about Andreia’s journey with Jesus and her experience in our Starting Point Class.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE JOINING LIQUID?

I just loved the energy of the services. I knew right away that I was excited to go back to church every Sunday. I decided this was something I would make time for instead of saying ‘oh, I worked all week and I need a day to sleep in.’ As we kept going, they would talk about Small Groups and that became really overwhelming. I just started coming back to church and thought that’s enough for me! But, when Starting Point came around, the class description and schedule was perfect for me. 

WERE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT JOINING STARTING POINT?

Yes! It can be intimidating. So much so, that I can easily picture myself having made the opposite decision and saying ‘I just like going to church. I don’t need to join.’ But, without this class, I don’t know where I would be right now. I might have dropped off entirely and stopped going to church. Instead, I had this amazing group and community throughout the pandemic. 

WHAT DID YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE CLASS? 

The energy of the class was just so good. Every week I was excited about what new thing I was going to learn. Some people wanted to learn more about the Bible, others were just starting their faith journey like me. Even for Steve, it renewed and revived his faith. The class was so great that 8 weeks later when it ended, we decided to stay together as a small group. And today, over a year later, we’re still gathering and making time for each other. 

I also really appreciated that there was no point during this class that I felt out of place. I had never read the Bible before, and that was totally okay. Everyone in Starting Point was very accepting and open to hearing about people’s experiences and thoughts. It made people in the group feel comfortable to open up. Seeing others open up and be vulnerable about their experiences and questions allowed me to be vulnerable, too. 

DID YOU FORM ANY MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS IN YOUR CLASS?

Oh my goodness, yes! Absolutely. We keep in touch and we know what’s going on in each other’s lives. I messaged them all when I went into labor with Ava! We even hosted the group last summer in our backyard. I think back about the fact that I’d never even heard of a Small Group before, and now I’ve hosted one at my own house! It shows just how excited we are to continue being a part of this group.

WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND STARTING POINT TO OTHER NEW BELIEVERS?

This class truly was a Starting Point for me. In the beginning, I felt really overwhelmed. I felt like I was ready to give my life to Christ, but I didn’t know where to start. I knew I loved church and I loved Jesus, but I didn’t know what to do next. I got my first Bible based on a recommendation from my classmates. Now, I was like ‘okay, I have my Bible... what do I read? Where do I start?’ And the Starting Point class helped answer those questions for me and so much more. Plus, the relationships are incredible. You literally always have someone to go back to for advice and recommendations. 

WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR FAITH JOURNEY TODAY?

I took Starting Point because I had a desire to learn and I was excited about being back in church. In the midst of this class, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 

I’m now at the point where I’m asking myself the question: How do I know if it’s the right time for me to be baptized? What does that look like for me? I know that every day I’m working toward a better relationship with God. Now I’m ready for the outward expression of that. That’s how I feel about my relationship with Jesus. I’m ready to tell the world! 

If you want to begin your journey with Jesus like Andreia did, consider checking out our New Believer page on our Liquid Church website. We have a variety of resources to help jumpstart your faith, from Bible reading plans to RightNow Media devotionals to registering for one of our Starting Point classes. We hope you take advantage of these opportunities as you start your walk with Christ!