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"Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert. Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain."

Is. 35:6-7, The Message

Oasis supports and strengthens your congregation through spiritual education, nurture and growth offered to both the clergy and laity.  We are developing relationships with congregations in the Mid-Atlantic region, specifically to host us for our single day retreats. We see this partnership as a mutually beneficial endeavor.

Oasis offers Day Events anchored in the ancient contemplative tradition of the church.  We explore fresh ways to deepen the spiritual life of the individual, but our ministry is rooted in and aligns with centuries-old tradition.

Frequently asked questions

Congregations that have partnered with us in the past:

Camp Hill United Methodist Church, Camp Hill, PA

Capital Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, PA

Catonsville United Methodist Church, Catonsville, MD

Christ Presbyterian Church, Camp Hill, PA

Church of the Apostles (UCC), Lancaster, PA

Covenant Presbyterian Church, Trenton, NJ

Derry Presbyterian Church, Hershey, PA

Elam United Methodist Church, Glen Mills, PA

Ewing Presbyterian Church, Ewing, NJ

First Church of the Brethren, Carlisle, PA

First Presbyterian Church, Lancaster, PA

Grace United Church of Christ, Lancaster, PA

Hagerstown Church of the Brethren, Hagerstown, MD

Highland Presbyterian Church, Lancaster, PA

Hosanna Christian Fellowship, Lititz, PA

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, State College. PA

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Lebanon, PA

St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Trexlertown, PA

St. David’s Episcopal Church, Wayne PA

St. Edwards Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA

St. James Lutheran Church, Gettysburg, PA

St. Johns Episcopal Church, Lancaster, PA

St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, York, PA

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Bloomsburg, PA

State College Presbyterian Church, State College, PA

Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene, York, PA

Trinity United Church of Christ, East Petersburg, PA

Towson Presbyterian Church, Towson, MD

As you can see, Oasis, as an ecumenical agency, has partnered with a variety of denominations. We have stretched throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

Is your congregation on the list?

Questions:

As we explore our partnership in mutual ministry, some questions might arise:

What will it cost our congregation?   

Nothing. We do not charge the congregation anything to host a retreat. A fee is charged to the individuals who choose to participate in the retreat. The fee is typically on a floating scale that allows some to pay less and others to pay more based on their need and ability to pay. (For our 2008-09 year our fee range for day retreats averaged $65-$95, with a day typically running from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm)  We ask a congregation to consider providing our meeting space for free as a part of your mission, but we are certainly willing to pay a usage fee for the space.

What space do we need?

Our groups are typically in the range of 6-18 persons. A meeting room (Sunday school room, library, board room) with chairs and a few work-tables is sufficient. It helps if the room is in a quiet area of the church. For a number of the events we offer some “retreat time” for participants where they are encouraged to move out from the room and find a quiet space for prayer and reflection. During this time—typically not more than an hour—people will need to find some quiet place in the sanctuary or church building or, if the weather is nice, move outside to sit or walk. We also ask people to bag a lunch and we share our meal in our assigned room or in another space if you prefer.

What is in it for our congregation?

You receive, right in your church, an offering of spiritual deepening that is presented by persons trained in contemplative spirituality and spiritual direction. With no outlay of funds you can make available to your people additional spiritual teaching and experience in your own setting. It would be a great opportunity to expand the depth of key leaders or to meet the spiritual hunger of others. It is a safe and simple way to test some spiritual programming to see the fit for your people and to determine further program needs for your congregation in the area of spiritual formation.

Members of a hosting congregation who attend a retreat hosted by their church receive a $25 gift coupon to use on a future Oasis program.

What kind of programs do you offer in the day events?

We offer a variety of programs that fall loosely under the headings of contemplative spirituality, prayer practices, and spiritual direction. Several times a year, we offer a program that explores what spiritual direction is and how it fits into a person’s spiritual life or ministry call. We have offered programs that focus on key persons in the contemplative tradition like Julian of Norwich or Thomas Merton. We have offered programs that explore the intersection of spirituality and the arts. Some events address the contributions of various instruments for understanding persons and their spiritual paths, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Enneagram. Other programs have featured the role of dreams in our spiritual awareness, the use of a spiritual journal, the connection between our bodies and Spirit, and a host of other topics designed to deepen our awareness and connection to the presence of God. (Refer to our current Program Guide for this year’s single day retreats.)

We ask of you that you promote the event in the life of your congregation and call out or encourage persons in your midst you think could benefit from the program.

Please do not hesitate to contact Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development for more information.

Glenn Mitchell, Director of Training and Programs, Oasis Ministries

phone:  814-422-8843

e-mail, glenn@likeafeather.com