Oasis ministry reaches teens in Sinking Springs, PA
Through prayer and times of discernment, it became evident that there was a genuine need for a safe place for teenagers to hang out after school. It was clear that we needed to create a place outside of the church where students could meet and be real, and we could get to know them without all the drama of meeting them at the mall, or in a church, etc. So, I began to call the phone number for every vacant building along the main road in Sinking Spring, with no success; with no budget, renting or buying commercial real estate was out of the question. Finally, I contacted the Borough of Sinking Spring about their old town hall, which sat empty at a very bizarre intersection within the borough (it also has the most bizarre floor plan). After pitching it to both the Borough Council and the church's consistory, a lease was arranged ($1 per year and utilities-praise God!) and the youth began cleaning the inside of the building and prepping it for use. A few months, a lot of hard work, and dozens of donated couches later, the Oasis opened to the public at the start of the 2005 school year.
Now, every Tuesday, anywhere from 30-50+ students in grades 6-12 gather at The Oasis to hang out, get help with their homework, shoot pool, play ping pong, foosball, Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero, and other random games from the time school gets out until 8:30 in the evening. On any given Tuesday, roughly eighty percent of the students at The Oasis do not attend St. John's Reformed Church, and most do not attend church anywhere. Over the past few years, though, God has been creating a community within the context of The Oasis where students have asked questions, been helped in times of struggle, and some have even started coming to church or attending other youth events. One of the things that has really helped to bond the students together is the time spent together every Tuesday eating dinner. Every Tuesday at 6PM everyone gathers in one room to hear the menu, pray together and then chow down. Regardless of how chaotic the activities may get within the building, dinner is always a time to connect, relax, and share some laughs over some great meals. At first, every Tuesday was pizza night, but now various members of St. John's graciously donate home-cooked meals to feed the hungry masses at The Oasis. When the home-cooked meals first started, one student commented that it was the first "home-cooked" meal they had eaten in over a month. We often underestimate the power of a meal, but at The Oasis it is one of the many ways we show these kids that they are loved and valued by their Maker. My wife, Clare, and about 8 other awesome volunteers have joined with me in pouring into these students every Tuesday night. It is amazing to see so many of these kids flourish in the presence of positive attention. The building, the volunteers, and the ministry are key, but there are so many kids that make it happen too.
Teens hang-out after school at St. John's Reformed Church's Oasis ministry.
One of those students is Mike, although everyone refers to him as Gossboy. Mike has been one of several students from our church who has really taken the vision of The Oasis and run with it. He is there just about every week-I can probably count on one hand the number of times he's missed a Tuesday since we opened. He sets a great example for the other students and has become almost a permanent fixture at The Oasis. Another students who has been coming since almost the beginning and returns faithfully every week is Toby. He is one of the most easy-going people I have ever met and he always brings a sense of calm to The Oasis. Toby also invited his cousin, Alysa, and they both not only attend the Oasis regularly, but our church as well. They have encountered Jesus through coming to CreationFest with us and have responded with sincere devotion, and have even brought several members of their family into the fellowship of our church. I could tell you so many stories about The Oasis and our "family" there. I could tell you about our improv comedy sessions after dinner, or milkshake nights ($2 the second Tuesday of the month if you ever want to stop by), all the times kids come for the first time and think I live at The Oasis, all of the nicknames that have been given out ("Meatball" for example), and all of the nights when the kids just don't want to leave. All of those things and more keep us coming back on a Tuesday, working in the trenches serving students by helping them experience the blessing of authentic relationships, and living out the gospel in their midst. In closing, though, I will share with you one more huge affirmation we've received from a student regarding the impact The Oasis had made in their life. One night, we received a "Thank You" letter from a student who shared that, unknown to us, they had lost their mom early in their high school career and had since been angry at God and longing for a place to feel at home. Within the letter, they shared how the atmosphere at The Oasis, with no tension and sorrow, had become like a second home where they could hang out with their friends and eat a home cooked meal. They even commented on the brief time we spend every Tuesday praying before meals. "It felt so good to pray again before meals," they wrote, and later added, "there was something that brought me to The Oasis, and I do think it was God."
The Oasis is living proof of what God can do with a simple vision, an old building, and people willing to step out in faith to follow where God is leading. As for the future, who knows, it's God's ministry and we're excited to see where he takes it. We'd like to open up for another day during the week and also find a new location with a better floor plan, parking, kitchen, and even some outside area to hang out-but for now we are content where God has us and we rejoice over all the He has already done and all He'll continue to do. For more info, stay tuned at www.stjohnsss.org and click the "Oasis" link.
