The best way to really feel part of the Oasis Community is to get involved. All of us are unique….and have something to contribute that will benefit and encourage others – so whilst there’s absolutely no pressure to get involved in anything at all, pitching in with some of the church’s various activities will give you an opportunity to get to know others, and get known yourself. Have a look at the “Giving” and “Serving” sub-pages and see what you think…
Giving
“Giving” can often be a word that most people associate with churches…they’re always after your money! Well this is absolutely not the case with Oasis! Yes, we do encourage a weekly offering in our church meetings on a Sunday, and yes, a number of members of the church do give financially month by month…but we never make any demands on anyone to give money! Indeed, we have become known for announcing whenever we take up an offering: “If you’re a guest, please do not feel under any obligation whatsoever to put any money in the offering baskets…we’re not after your money.” Come along and find out that this is true!
Giving of course doesn’t just mean money – it can also include time, energy, ideas. We are open to all and welcoming of all. The simple truth is that the more we voluntarily give into the work of the church, the more we feel part of everyting that goes on.
There are many ways to give time, energy and ideas – and some of them are as follows: Set Up teams on a Sunday; Tea and Coffee serving; Worship Bands; Kids & Youth Work; work with the poor; Student work (Momentum); Alpha Courses; admin support; etc. If any of these take your fancy, do come along and start ‘giving’…but importantly, please just come and be with us for a while too so that you can enjoy a bit of ‘receiving’ before explore how you might like to give.
Serving
Well if you’ve read the page about “Giving” then there’s not much more to add here under the heading of “Serving”! Serving is like giving – we serve others and give our time, energy, enthusiasm and support as we do!
But in Oasis, we also serve by being humble – and that includes encouraging all the various volunteer leaders that head up our various different ministries. We strive hard not to have a ‘hierarchical’ feel in the church – where the more responsibility you hold and the higher visibility you have, then the more important you are. No, we see leadership as the highest call to serve and subsequently having the right character as we look to serve is a vital ingredient for us.
