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As we sit in the palm of your hand,
loving God,
May we continue to see your strength revealed
In the vulnerability…
The dying, the crying, the rising
Of your people.
May our seeing thus inspire our acting.
Amen.
Katherine
Hawker, 1997
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The
people of the Oasis Ministries’ community
who seek God
and are inspired to action are:
KEY PEOPLE
Rev. Cindy
Garis, M. Div., Director
for Oasis Ministries, serves Oasis as her primary call to ministry, encouraging all to a deepening spiritual life.
She is a graduate of Oasis' two-year program, Spiritual
Direction for Spiritual Guides, and has served
on the Board of Directors for over 3 years. She received
her M.Div. from Lancaster Theological Seminary (Lancaster,
Pa.), and is an ordained minister in the United Church
of Christ. Before her present position with Oasis, Cindy
served as a co-pastor for six years to a congregation in Lebanon, Pa.
She resides with her family in Dillsburg, Pa.
Rev. Glenn
Mitchell, M. Div., Director of Training and Program for Oasis Ministries, is
the lead presenter/facilitator for Spiritual
Direction for Spiritual Guides, Deepening Year
for Direction Ministries, and Returning
to the Well." Glenn
served as a Church of the Brethren pastor
for 23 years in Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania,
before transitioning his ministry to the area
of spiritual formation and direction in 2001,
and is a graduate of Shalem Institute. Glenn
has led a variety of retreats around the country
on themes of prayer, spirituality, spiritual
direction, nature and spirituality and the
interplay of art and spirituality. He has a
practice of spiritual direction and retreat
leadership based in State College, Pa.
Betsy Keller, (Administrative Assistant)
has served in the Camp Hill office for 2 years, providing day-to-day support for the programs of Oasis Ministries. She resides in Camp Hill with
her husband, Dennis, a United Methodist minister, in
Camp Hill, PA, and has two daughters, ages 19 and 24.
Rev. Dr. Kent
Ira Groff, D.Rel. (Founding Mentor)
is a spiritual companion for spiritual journeyers and leaders, a
retreat director and writer now living in Denver, Colorado. He
describes his work as “one beggar showing other beggars where to
find bread.” You can travel with Kent in Active Spirituality: A
Spiritual Guide for Seekers and Ministers, Journeymen: A Spiritual
Guide for Men and The Soul of Tomorrow's Church: Weaving
Spiritual Practices in Ministry Together. Share his passion to
communicate within and beyond ourselves in What Would I Believe
if I Didn't Believe Anything?: A Handbook for Spiritual Orphans,
and in Writing Tides: Finding Grace and Growth through Writing. Kent invites those with friends in
Colorado area to spread the word that he is available as a retreat
leader and spiritual companion. To
learn more about Dr. Groff, click here.
TEACHING STAFF
Nancy
L. Bieber, M.A., M.S., is a
psychologist, spiritual director
and retreat leader in Lancaster, PA.
A Shalem graduate and a Quaker, Nancy has also provided
leadership for the Quaker training
program, School of the Spirit, and
isa regular retreat leader at Pendle
Hill.
Bonita
Rose Collins-Hobbs, M.Div., is pastor of Mt. Zion Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Sharon Hill, Pa. She is a graduate of Lancaster
Theological Seminary,
a spiritual director, an ordained elder with the CME Church since 1988, and founder of "Uniqueness with Faith Ministries (501c3) ”
Marc
Oehler, M.Div., LCSW, is a graduate of
Princeton Theological Seminary,
University of Pennsylvania School
of Social Work, and Oasis Ministries'
Spiritual Direction for Spiritual
Guides program. Marc currently
serves as Associate Pastor of the
Presbyterian Church of Chatham
Township and as a spiritual director
and retreat leader in New Jersey.
Ruth Zeiders, MBA, CRM,
left a career in finance to follow her calling as a certified
spiritual director and reiki master. Married to a Lutheran
pastor, she has a ministry in Bloomsburg, PA, serving as
spiritual director and retreat leader, and offering reiki
treatments and training. Ruth completed the Spiritual
Direction for Spiritual Guides and Deepening Year for
Direction Ministries programs of Oasis ministries and serves
as staff for SDSG.
Additional Leadership and Support
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2007-2008 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jane
Bartholomew (President) is a member of St. Stephens Episcopal
Cathedral in Harrisburg. PA. Jane graduated from
the Oasis Spiritual Direction program and from the Group
Leaders program at Shalem Institute. Additionally,
she is a member of the Lay Cistercians of Holy Cross
Abbey. Jane
writes, "My experiences at Oasis and Shalem have
helped me to grow in faith and prayer and in recognizing
the movement of God within the soul. I don't practice
as a spiritual director, but I do try, with God's help,
to be a contemplative presence my communities. I
love gardening and working with animals -- things that
keep me close to the earth."
Mike Mumma, (Vice President) is
President of Cell-Con, manufacturers of high technology battery
chargers and battery assemblies.
Mike resides in Lancaster, Pa, and is a graduate of the University
of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio with a degree in Psychology and
Business. He is completing the training in spiritual direction
through Oasis Ministries, hoping to one day teach contemplative
prayer and lead retreats.
Margaret
Hardy,
(Treasurer) is a recent graduate of Oasis' Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides program.
She has been a member of the Baltimore Presbytery's "Quenching
Your Thirst," a monthly gathering for contemplative prayer
practice and small group spiritual direction. She has
led "quiet days" and classes on Taize worship and music.
Margaret also has had several years of study in spirituality
at the Ecumenical Institute at St. Mary's Seminary in
Baltimore.
Diane
Pyles (Secretary) serves as a spiritual companion and has a love for
spirituality and the arts. She uses her gifts of creativity to
honor sacred space and provide leadership and direction for
environmental art in worship. Diane completed the Spiritual Direction for Spiritual
Guides program through Oasis Ministries in 2002, and
Deepening Year for Direction Ministries in 2006.
Rev. Richard
C. Gordon (Past President and Executive Team Member) received
his theological education at Andover Newton Theological
School, Yale Divinity School,
and San Francisco Theological Seminary, is an ordained
minister in the United Church of Christ (since 1969).
Rev. Dr. Robert
S. Burns is ordained by the
Presbyterian
Church USA, and is Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Joy. Bob
is a Spiritual Director, and a graduate of Oasis Ministries'
Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides program.
Bob received a D.Min. from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond,
VA.
Rev. Paul W. Gennett, Jr. graduated
from Grove City College, B.A in Psychology & Communications, in 1971. Paul has worked
for major corporations and consulting firms, principally in
the areas of human resources & training/development disciplines.
In 1992, Paul graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary
with a Masters of Divinity. Paul has served as a priest in
the Episcopal Church in parishes in the Pittsburgh area, and
for the past 5 years at St. David's Episcopal Church in Wayne,
PA, where his ministry supports Pastoral Care needs and a growing
Spiritual Life. He completed the Oasis Ministries Spiritual
Direction for Spiritual Guides program in 2003, and is a spiritual
companion for a number of friends. He enjoys reading, writing
poetry, growing interest in art, and silence. He is married
for 34 years to wife Marilyn, with two adult children, son
Colin and daughter Adrienne. Paul looks forward to serving
the growing blessings in programs Oasis Ministries may offer
to spiritual seekers now and in the future.
Vicki Kensinger,
a 2003 graduate of Oasis' Spiritual Direction for Spiritual
Guides, has a small spiritual direction practice in her home in
Palmyra, Pa, as well as an online offering of
Sacred Correspondence.
Vicki has a particular passion for exploring a deeply healing and
whole-making spirituality for women and men, which includes
reclaiming the sacred feminine and creation-honoring spiritualities.
She has received training in domestic violence and sexual assault
counseling, and offers her gifts as a spiritual companion to a local
sexual assault center.
Lorelei
Oelschlager is a graduate of William Paterson University (BS in nursing) and Oasis Ministries’ Spiritual Direction for Spiritual Guides program. She lives with her family at the Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center in Johnsonburg, NJ where she works as a summer chaplain, spiritual director and alumni coordinator.
Randy
Schaffer serves as Lay Minister of Spirituality
and Nurture on the staff of Elam United Methodist Church,
practices Spiritual Direction, serves as a member on
the Board of Oasis Ministries as well as the Advisory
Board of the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Ashton, PA.
She facilitates retreats, workshops and seminars as well
as small group Spiritual Formation sessions. Randy strives
to encourage the use of contemplative prayer practices
in the lives of those she encounters.
Wayne R. Walker, Esq.
is an attorney licensed by the State Bar of Georgia and is the
Principal of Walker Nell Consultants, Inc. (“WNC”), a business
consulting firm. For three years, Mr. Walker served as Chairman of
the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity International, a then
$400 million plus global non-profit housing organization spanning
sixty countries. Mr. Walker led the twenty-seven - member Board,
governed 650 employees and turned the organization’s losses into a
reserve. Mr. Walker also held positions of corporate secretary and
chairman of the Executive and Human Resource Committees of the Board
during his eight year tenure. Mr. Walker has a Doctor of
Jurisprudence from Catholic University (Washington, DC) and a
Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University (New Orleans). Mr.
Walker studied Finance for Non-Financial Manager at the University
of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.
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