Oasis

Providing a permament encampment and hospitality for a nomadic community of people to trade travellers' tales about their spiritual journeys

So what is Oasis you ask? Let me share with you the metaphor for our ministry. Sit back close your eyes . . .

Ok, maybe you shouldn't close your eyes. Afterall it is hard to read what I write here if your eyes are closed. :)

Where was I? Oh, yeah the metaphor, thanks. This particular ministry is focused on the young adult community. Most of us in the group are not too keen on that name, but I need some sort of label to describe us, and that one is as good as any I have heard. In case you are unfamiliar with what a "young adult" is, we are those people that have graduated high school but have not yet started our own families. Some of us are in college, while others of us have finished school and are working on our careers. Wherever we are in our personal life journey, our community has unique spiritual needs. Needs that are not satisfied completely by the works of family ministry. Needs that have matured past the answers of youth ministry.

This young adult community is a nomadic community, both geographically and spiritually. Geographically moving from house to house, state to state in some cases. Floating from church to church, trying to find a connection somewhere. Where many people our age wander, never staying in one place for very long. Like the Bedouin societies of the desert. In the desert, these tribes survived on hospitality. There were permament encampments that would welcome the nomads into their community, feed them and give them a place to stay for as long as they wished. The community was ever changing, as more people would come and some would leave; however, the location of the encampment remained the same. The nomads always knew if they returned their, they would find a place to stay.

We hope to let this be a metaphor for this group. Let it become a permament encampment for the nomadic community of people our age. Let it be a place to trade travellers' tales about our spiritual journeys. With that in mind, a name for our group was offered: Oasis.

We all agreed that having a regular meeting time during the week would be a great idea. Sharing dinner seemed like a very appropriate and ideal time for getting together. The focus of these regular meetings is simply to get together and have fellowship. Talk, keep each other up on our lives, laugh. This will keep weekends open for special activities, like camping, road trips, concerts, etc. And that, my friend is the story of Oasis. Would you care to sit down with me and share a story of your own? All our welcome at our gatherings, please join us.

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