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Oasis Community–New Church Plant in Byron
by Robin Booker
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By definition an oasis is a place of peace and safety, a
retreat or refuge in the midst of trouble or difficulty, and
Byron’s newest church, Oasis Community, seeks to be just
that for any and everyone who may walk through their doors.
With only two services under their belts, the charter
members of Oasis Community are still in the formative stages
of casting the vision and establishing the groundwork for
what kind of church the Oasis Community will be. Their first
service was held in the backyard of Nick Adams, one of its
original members, back in November. When more than 60 people
showed up that night, those with a heart to plant this new
church knew they were on to something.
Oasis worship leader Chris Hildreth explained how the idea
to start a church took root and led to that first service
several weeks ago.
“When I was let go a little over a year ago from a job I
loved, in one fell swoop I found my life in chaos,” Hildreth
shared. “I didn’t know where to turn or who to trust any
longer. In the midst of wondering where to go for support
and who to look to for guidance, my family looked in many
places - all very good places. Middle Georgia is blessed to
have so many places to both worship and interact with people
of similar faiths. In our search, however, we did not find a
place that “fit” us, or that we “fit” into. Interestingly
enough, during this time our connection with others who had
found they were experiencing the same spectrum of emotions
increased, and after a while, it dawned on us that what we
were doing was exactly what the early church, found in Acts,
had done. It was a short jump to all of the official stuff
required to begin a church.”
Oasis seeks to be a haven for not only those who already
call themselves Christ-followers, but also those who are
still seeking to know how to have a relationship with the
One True God. At its core, Oasis is a place for people who
have been hurt, harmed, bypassed or ignored.
“In a recent service we compared Oasis to the Island of
Misfit Toys from the Rudolf Christmas story – a place where
those who don’t fit do fit,” said Hildreth. “The combination
of great music, warm people, counseling for people needing
refreshing and restoring, and experiences that let people
know they belong, make Oasis a place of calm. You see, when
we make the decision to love like Christ asked us to love,
the feeling will be unique to each individual, but the
result will always be the same – total and complete
acceptance. Just the way Christ accepts each one of us!”
Although the setting for that first service was intimate and
worshipful, it was apparent that such a large group - that
would hopefully grow even larger - could not realistically
continue to meet in someone’s yard. After a great deal of
prayer and discussion, the search began for a meeting
location that would fit the vision of the church’s founders
and enable Oasis to become a viable part of the Byron area.
The result of that search led church planters to a building
at 105 Industrial Way, putting Oasis right in the middle of
the very community it hopes to reach.
“Our non-traditional approach to ‘doing church’ will allow
us to fulfill our desire to use the facility for anything we
can to meet the needs of people who come through our
doors,”said Adams. “From day one we will also be home to
Hope Ministries, a marriage and family therapy counseling
ministry headed by licensed counselor Robert Adams, and we
are also going to be innovative in scheduling our service
times. For now and the foreseeable future, we will meet on
Friday or Saturday nights instead of Sunday mornings, and we
hope that will allow Guitar and Bass Lessons All Styles of
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Bill 478-954-5665 us to reach those who won’t come to church
on Sunday but just might be willing to try it out on a
Friday or Saturday night.”
While the delivery of the message may be non-traditional,
Adams stressed that the message itself will never change.
“The methods we use to deliver the message may be new and
non-traditional,” he said, “but the message itself is based
upon the word of God, and that must remain a constant, not
only in our personal lives but in the life of our church.
Our mission statement says that we will seek to be a
community of belonging that follows Christ’s example in
loving and living, and we will strive to be a conduit to
connect others with Christ and create environments conducive
to spiritual growth.”
Oasis will meet again January 9 at 7:00. The church is
located at 105 Industrial Way (off James Williams Drive) in
Byron.
For a schedule of services or more information, become an
Oasis Facebook fan at Oasis Community.
(Editor’s Note: Send in your church’s news for
publication in His Voice.) |
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