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When Church and Family Collide
When Church and Family Collide A few years ago, I read a book called ‘Think Orange’ by Reggie Joiner. It’s all about the church and the family partnering together to raise kids who love and follow God. The ‘orange’ concept comes from seeing the church represented by the colour yellow (bright lights) and the family as the colour red (warm hearts). And we all know what happens when we mix red and yellow. That’s right, we get orange. In his book, Reggie shares his dreams and passion for seeing the influence of church and family working together for greater impact. He also explores this idea further and gives some practical ways we can do this. The book has 261 pages, so I’m not going to attempt to share everything
Oasis Youth is here!
Oasis Youth is here! Term 1 2022 is here, which means that Oasis Youth is kicking off next Friday (11th)! I’m excited for what the year has in store as we head into this new season as Oasis, so I thought I’d share with you a bit about what is going on. Our Friday nights will look similar to what they have in the past, as a welcoming, engaging space for youth to connect in a Jesus-focused environment. Each Friday is different, but every week there will be games, activities, space to hang out with friends, and a simple gospel message. Some weeks we have big activities or themes, others we have time in growth groups chats or have a featured guest. Check out the term card for what
Reflecting on Our New Logo
Reflecting on Our New Logo This Sunday we officially change our name to Oasis Church after a long, prayerful process that began all the way back at the end of 2019. Of course, with a new name comes a new visual identity including a new logo. I would like to share with you the thinking and the meaning behind our new logo. As you know, we have a number of different ministries and programs through which we engage our church family and also the wider community, including Kids, Youth, Men, Women, Care Ministry, and more. To clearly and consistently communicate with such a diverse and multi-faceted audience can sometimes prove difficult. For this reason, our design philosophy was to keep our branding simple and understated, so that it can
Worship in Song
Worship in Song I don’t know if I have a favourite song… I mean, there are so many to pick from! There are definitely tunes which I instinctively turn up the volume for on the radio. Like U2’s ‘All I want is You’, because it was Troy and my first dance on our wedding day, or ‘You are my Sunshine’, which I sang to my children when they were babies. I also love worshiping to ‘How Great Thou Art’ because of the rich lyrics, the powerful story behind it! But a single favourite? Nope, I couldn’t pick just one. Do you have a favourite? Do you think God has a favourite song? I don’t. I do, however, believe he loves when we worship him in song. More than that,
Laughing at the Days to Come
Laughing at the Days to Come Imagine being a child on holidays. Camping in beautiful weather, visiting the beach every day, your parents ignoring their usual sugar limits. Then, imagine coming back home to find out you've got two extra weeks of holidays! You'd be laughing at the days to come! For some children though, who perhaps live remotely or have had to stay at home over the holidays, you're not so joy filled. Then there are us adults- when life happens, often laughing at the days to come is our least likely reaction. While my children celebrated an extra few weeks of holidays, I felt some dread about how I'd handle work with kids at home for another two weeks. At the same time, one of my dearest
Salt and Light
Salt and Light The early days of the Christian church were exciting, but at the same time dramatic and dangerous as Christ’s message went out into all the known world. The world was turned upside down (Acts 17:6). Attention was focused on the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for the gospel. They were the “influencers” of that era to use the modern jargon, unlike the “influencers” of today—the celebrities, the politicians, the media moguls. Two characteristics of the early church stood out: their unity of purpose and the love they had for one another. How does the ordinary person view the Christian church today? The media certainly plays a part in influencing the views of the average person in the street, and the
What Are You Feeling This Christmas?
What Are You Feeling This Christmas? As Christmas approaches this week, many people will be feeling many different emotions. There will a great deal of joy, a lot of laughter, and after a big Christmas meal, there will be contented sleepiness. There will be childish delight, and there will be the happy tears of families and friends being reunited. But there will also be many people with mixed emotions. There are those who are still separated from loved ones, and who miss them deeply. There are those who are lonely, and who longingly remember more ‘full’ Christmases gone by. There are those for whom the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas trigger memories of past hurt. There are those who wish time with the family was a cheery event,
My Year in Books
My Year in Books I must admit, one of my favourite things about this time of year is not simply the lights, the carols and the gatherings (as good as those things are), but also the year-end lists. Whether it’s music, movies, or books, I enjoy reflecting on the year that’s been and the content that stood out above the rest. With that in mind, here are a few books I read this year that I found stimulating, enjoyable, and helpful, which I commend to you. Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund A book that took the Christian world by storm, and for good reason! The heart of Christ is deep, wide and expansive, as Dane Ortlund so profoundly reveals. Drink
