We are reminded again of the verse in Proverbs that is written “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
As many of you know, The Oaks Ministry Board, has been taking steps of faith believing that God wanted us to pursue the possibility of purchasing a local church building to be transformed into transitional housing for women. As of my last writing we were going through a variance hearing with the township in which the building is located. When the process was over, the township denied our request, therefore like we stated in our last blog, we believe that God has something better!

God gave us an opportunity that we would not have had at the four meetings that took place to share the heart of our ministry and talk about our awesome God. We cannot answer questions about this ministry without giving God the glory for all he has done, after all He is the reason we do what we do. He gives vision, He provides and we follow His leading even if things don’t turn out the way we think they are going to. (lean not unto our own understanding) Our prayer all along has been “thy will be done” and we trust that God has answered that prayer. We thank him for the opportunity he gave and the peace in our hearts as we went through the process, when we trust in Him with all our hearts the result is a peace that one cannot explain except it comes from God.
Please keep our ministry in prayer as we seek another single-family dwelling to be used for our purposes or a building that can be used for transitional housing so we do not have to turn women away for lack of space. (He will direct our path) as we pray. If you hear of anything that might work for us please contact us at 484-368-7268.
As always THANK YOU for the many ways you support this ministry. TOGETHER we can make a difference in the lives of hurting women. We Thank GOD FOR YOU!!

Recently I read a book called “JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING”.  I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.  I sense God saying this is a message that our ladies need to hear, but not only our ladies but the church as well. Our enemy puts in our minds that we are not good enough, that we will never measure up, but scripture reminds us that we are saved  by faith not by works lest anyone boast. Having said that, truly understanding the gift we have been given, in Jesus Christ, will result in a changed heart and a changed life.

I am so thankful for the opportunity that The Oaks Ministry gives to hurting women who have lost hope and need to know and understand the love of Jesus.  We believe that a relationship with Jesus will radically change ones life, it did mine.  The Oaks Ministry is one tool that God uses to show others His unconditional love.

As many of you know we lost one of our residents suddenly. We believe that Jennifer is now in heaven with Jesus. We are honored that God led her to The Oaks Ministry and the last three months of her life she was in a safe, Christian home surrounded by people she loved.  Through The Oaks Ministry program she was able to find FT employment, purchase a vehicle and become financially stable but most importantly she gained a deeper understanding of Jesus and was learning to trust Him in all things. We had hopes that Jennifer would live a long life and shine the light and love of Jesus here on earth but God had other plans and called her to her eternal home. We do not always understand the why’s of life but we know that He always knows best.  Jennifer may not have had a lot of material things, but she had Jesus and JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING.  She is no longer struggling in this world, for she is free and we know that when “Jesus sets you free you are free indeed!”

The Oaks Ministry asks you to continue to pray for God’s will for us as we take steps forward for the possible purchase of a local church that will be for sale to be converted into transitional housing for women.  We are in the process of a “variance” hearing with the township to get approval to use the church for housing for up to 8 women.  We have 3 hearings before we will have an answer from the township.  The first hearing was March 22nd and we passed (PTL), our next hearing will be on May 14th and our final hearing on June 4th.  We are taking small steps of faith trusting that God will either leave the door open or will shut it.  Even if we get permission from the township on the 4th, we still have other “hoops” to jump through and at any time God may shut the door. The exciting thing about this process is seeing God at work.  If we end up with this building, it will be another miracle.  To God Be the Glory and if we do not, To God Be the Glory cause He has something better in store for us.

Remember JESUS + NOTHING = EVERYTHING…….and we have JESUS!!

God Bless You an Thank You for your support. We couldn’t do what we do without the physical, financial and spiritual support of all of you.

Greetings once again from The Oaks Ministry in Oxford. Its that time of year when we plan a Fundraiser and hope that people come out to show their support.  Without caring, generous people like you we could not do what we do, therefore I am sending out a reminder that we have a BUDS ‘N BLOSSOMS Drop-in Benefit Breakfast scheduled, Saturday, March 30th, at Wesley Church, 1104 Kirkwood Pike, Quarryville, Pa  17556, from 7-10 a.m.

We are excited to provide “Burnt Cabin Pancakes” courtesy of Dawn Lawrie Harnish/Owner and Operator of Burnt Cabins Grist Mill & Campground in Burnt Cabin, Pa.  Dawn grew up in the farm house now known as Oaks 1 on Waterway Road in Oxford.  The Oaks Ministry is close to her heart and this one of the ways she contributes to our cause.  We are looking forward to a great time of food and fellowship with Dawn, friends and family.

There is no cost for the meal but an opportunity will be provided for you to leave a donation to help with the expense of operating The Oaks Ministry.  The Oaks Ministry is a 501c3 Pa-non profit and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Please call or text 484-368-7268,  or e-mail info@oxfordoaksministry.com today to make your reservations. Please provide name and number of attendees. Reservations need to be make by March 23rd. 

If you cannot attend the Breakfast but would like to send in a donation to help us provide hope, healing and restoration in a Christ -centered residential environment for women in need, please send your donation to:  The Oaks Ministry, 290 Bethel Road, Oxford, Pa  19363.

The Oaks Ministry Team Thanks You in advance for your support!

In God we Trust!!

THE BIRTH OF AN OAK TREE
Jan Kamp

One of the positive aspects of the internet is that it can be a springboard for ideas, so that’s where I started looking for synonyms of spring, oak, growth, etc. to stimulate ideas for this issue of The Oak Leaves and also a theme for our upcoming Buds ‘n Blossoms Benefit Breakfast.
This video was one of the treasures that appeared; it made me think of our Oaks residents and the growth they experience during their stay with us. Please take a few minutes to enjoy this beautiful visual representation of new beginnings, and thank God with us for all those who contribute time, talent, and resources to give these women an opportunity start over in life through The Oaks Ministry.
Instead of falling to the wayside of life, the Oaks women are nestled securely in a loving Christ-centered environment where they are nourished by the Living Water and Bread of Life.
New life and hope begin to grow, pushing through the tough outer shell – not an easy task. Staff and volunteers help strengthen and encourage them as they learn new ways to overcome old difficulties, gaining strength with each spiritual, psychological and practical breakthrough.
As they tentatively thrust tiny roots into the One Who will never let them down they sense His strength being drawn up into their spirit in response to His Spirit.
Then tender shoots break through the darkness, bask in the Light and sprout new growth.
When the time is right, strong new saplings are ready to be planted – in new places, with new beginnings, a new future, and the understanding that by staying firmly rooted in Christ they will always have a strong anchor to keep them safe and secure in the winds of life and change.
And the cycle begins again.

The title of this blog came  from the challenging message I received in church this morning. Pastor Jesse’s message came from the scripture recorded in Matthew 6: 25-34.  This scripture is a reminder that we are not to worry.  God takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and we are much more valuable then they and he will take care of us. What God desires is for us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and he promises that everything else will be taken care of. 

Then he led us to Luke 14:25-34 which explains the cost of being a disciple of Christ followed by a few situations in which one should think before they act ending with “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple”.  We were challenged at the end of the service to take some time to Pray and to Think about our goals in life. Are we holding loosely the things of this world? Are we willing to give them up if  God wanted us to?  The Holy Spirit challenged me to check my calendar, my checkbook, my talents. Am I using them for God resulting in eternal blessings or for the things of this world. Where my treasures are, there will be my heart also.

As this year winds down and comes to a close I too want to challenge you to Pray and ask God for direction in how to fully live your life for Him.  I ask you to Think about what is really important to you and how you are to move forward in 2019. To have a Plan and to Relax in His Promises and His provision as we move forward.

The Oaks Ministry Board of Directors have been praying for wisdom in the potential purchase of a building to expand this ministry.  We are thinking about and planning our next steps as God leads us and we will relax in His promises to supply all our needs according to His riches according to His will. He has never failed us yet and He never will…..

The Oaks Ministry Board of Directors thank God for each one of you for your continued support. Without supporters like you we could not do what we do.  We see each of you as a gift from God and we thank you for your financial support, your material donations, your acts of service, your prayers and your love for this ministry. Its an expression of your love for God. It motivates us to press on. . .To God be the glory!

Prayer Request:  Two of our residents are currently in rehab. One recovering from an amputation as a result of diabetes complications and one recovering from a stroke. It is our prayer that they will heal quickly and recover fully as they trust in Him.

May God richly bless each one of you and we pray that you will have a Peaceful New Year as you Pray, Think, Plan and Relax in HIM!!!

A donation button is available at www.oxfordoaksministry.com for your convenience.  All donations are tax exempt to the fullest extent allowed by law.

It is recorded in Acts 20:35, Paul is saying his farewell to the Ephesian Elders and he reminds them of this truth that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Paul worked hard to support himself and also that he could help the “weak” those in need and this is a reminder that we too are blessed when we do likewise.  Many of you are aware of the truth in those words as you have been faithfully supporting this ministry since you have become aware of it and for that we are thankful.

Would you please help us again by passing the word to your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends of the two following opportunities to help us help homeless women by supplying a Christ-centered home and a program to help them become financially stable and contributing members of our community.

1. On Saturday November 24th, Small Business Saturday, G&F Carpet, located at 322 S. Street in Oxford is donating !0% of their sales to The Oaks Ministry.  We are so very thankful to Gary the owner and operator of this business to bless us financially and help us with our mission to share the love of Jesus.  Gary has been serving our community for over 35 years and serving the church for even longer. Gary is a hard working, honest man in whom you can trust.  He has discounted prices on all in-stock flooring (carpet, vinyl, area rugs and Coretec LVP) available on this special day. Stop in and thank Gary for his support of The Oaks Ministry and while you are there you just might find flooring you like at a great price and will have it installed just in time for Christmas.

2.  November 27th, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as “Giving Tuesday.  It is a global day of giving back. On this day you will have a chance of joining people around the world and support a cause that is close to your heart.  Recently we  have installed a donation button on our website for your convenience.  You may make a donation of any amount and pay online.   If you are more comfortable you may send in a donation marked “Giving Tuesday” to our office address at 290 Bethel Road, Oxford, Pa  19363.  It will be fun to see how many people practice the joy of giving on this special day! Again please pass the word along…

The Oaks Ministry wishes you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving Season! May God continue to bless you as you have been a blessing to us!!

PAST: I am very excited about what God has done, in our past. Laying a vision on my heart (2012) to begin a transitional housing ministry for women in need, suppling everything we needed to get it up and running (2016) and continuing to equip us to do what we need to do to fulfill His purposes in this ministry. (2018) I realize that is a pretty broad statement, but we would be here all night if I gave specifics. Let me just say this.  We would not be doing what we are doing today if it wasn’t for God continually showing up to keep us motivated.

PRESENT: We have two wonderful ladies managing our homes.  Women of faith that are called by God to love,  help and encourage the women in our program.  We have three residents in our program with another resident moving in this week.  We have been working hard to implement the best policies we can to help our residents become financially stable and contributing members of our society.  We are networking with other organizations to do for the ladies what we are not equipped to do.  I’m excited that Lord willing, beginning in 2019, we will be providing our residents with professional mental health counseling at no personal cost to them.  This will mean an additional 5 to 10 thousand dollars in our 2019 budget to cover the expense but we are certain this is God’s will for us. We do what we can do and trust God to do what only He can do.

Last Saturday we had our “Harvest of Blessings Brunch” at Bethany School to raise funds for this ministry and also to give an update on what God has been doing to and through this ministry. We thank each one of you who were able to be there and for your generous donation to this ministry.  Those present heard about my vision for the possible next step in this ministry.

FUTURE:  At our October Board Meeting  I shared with our Board a vision to purchase a property that would house 10-12 residents, this will be phase 1 of our program.  We will keep the two smaller residences that God has provided to be a phase 2 of our program.  After a resident successfully completes phase 1, we will be able to offer our residents a second phase in which they would continue to be discipled under the umbrella of The Oaks Ministry with  less oversight. We are trusting in God to reveal His plan to all of us as we seek His face and prayerfully discern His will. Meanwhile we will take small steps forward to see if the door is left open.  I ask all of our followers and supporters to please pray for wisdom and discernment for the Board.  That we will not worry about the expenses associated with this but trust in God to provide if indeed it is His will.

I’m excited about the many more women we can help with this potential expansion.  Like I stated last month, when both houses are full and we are turning women away, he will provide the next place wherever that may be. Meanwhile he is teaching us how to run a non-profit and how to implement the best program possible to help those who are hurting, hopeless and homeless.

Our God of the PAST, is God of the PRESENT and He is God of the FUTURE…for HE IS the GREAT I AM and always will be! HALLELUJAH!!!

In Him we Trust!

This Saturday, November 3rd at 10 AM there will be about 160 guests filling Bethany Christian School Gym to enjoy a delicious brunch catered by “Simply from Scratch” out of Lancaster.  We are excited about this opportunity to come together and share with you what God has been doing to and through the Oaks Ministry. You will hear about our Past, our Present and our Future.  We’ve named this Brunch “Harvest of Blessings” for God has blessed us in many ways and He continues to do so.

Currently we have 6  vacancies. So if you and a few friends want to join us, please contact us as soon as possible.  Tickets are free, but reservations are limited.  We will no longer be able to accept reservations after Tuesday, November 30th so call and make your reservation today. You’ll be glad you did!  484-368-7268

On another note, we thank you for all of your prayers for a manager.  If you haven’t heard, we now have a Residential House Manager in Oaks 1 and it soon will be filled with residents.  When both homes are filled and we have to turn women away for lack of space, I believe God will supply more homes.  We cannot do what we do without faithful supporters like you!  To God be the Glory!!

The summer is quickly flying by and we have been very busy at The Oaks Ministry.  We continue to thank God and follow His leading and trust that His timing is perfect in all things. We recognize that this ministry belongs to Him and we are His vessels doing the best we can with what we’ve been entrusted with.

We thank God for providing us with a young lady, Taja White, a 2018 graduate of West Virginia University with a major in Communication Studies  who has accepted the position of Marketing/Special Events Coordinator and Jan Kamp who has filled our position of Communications Specialist. Jan is educated in Liberal Arts, Public Relations and Journalism.  Part of Taja’s responsibility is to manage our social networking sites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram which we invite you to follow. Jan has been busy designing promotional items such as a tri-fold promotional flyer and a retractable banner to use at our special events and other items to help to promote this ministry. We are also in the process of organizing a telephone campaign to connect with churches to let them know who we are and our desire to network with them in their mission to help those in need.  We welcome both Taja and Jan to our Leadership Team. I think we will be keeping them busy!

We hope you have noticed our new website. We thank Debbie Kinney for the hours of work and her financial investment to get this site up and running.  We are still a work in progress and ask that you are patient with us as we put on our finishing touches including a donation button for your convenience.

Save the date for Saturday, November 3rd, 10 AM-1 PM. Taja and Jan are planning a “Harvest of Blessings Brunch”.  We will be offering individuals, organizations and businesses an opportunity to support this ministry by sponsoring a table and inviting friends to join them. This promises to be a fun time of fellowship with people who care about this ministry and want to partner with us.  Both men and women are invited. (more details to follow)

Oaks House 2 is at full capacity at this time. All women are employed and working toward financial stability and independence. We still do not have a Manager for Oaks 1  on Waterway Road. This week I will be sending out notices to churches and other organizations with flyers to inform their people that we have a wonderful opportunity available for the right person. Please contact us if you or anyone you know would be interested in learning more about this opportunity. A job description is available. I trust that God will soon provide as He hasn’t let us down yet. We know that HIS timing is always perfect meanwhile we are using Oaks 1 for our weekly bible study and sewing classes. We have also been using it as a meeting place for our Board and other Oaks Ministry related meetings. We thank God for Brenda Moore who is doing an excellent job as House Manager at Oaks 2. Brenda brings vast knowledge and experience in relating to women in need.

Please remember to keep our Board and Ministry in your prayers. We are a “baby” ministry and with God’s help have accomplished much in the past 2 years, but we are still very much a work in progress.  God is busy teaching us the things we need to know in order to run this ministry with integrity in such a way to honor Him, and how to implement policies to best serve the women He sends our way. It takes many hands.  Currently we would like to have more Mentors, and Day Time Volunteers to work directly with our residents.  If interested in hearing more about what is required to fill these positions, please contact Robin at 484-368-7268.

And as always In God we trust!!!

We believe that every woman can be changed by the knowledge of and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The Oaks Ministry strives to show the love of Christ to women who are facing difficult times and are in a transitional state of life.  Through sharing Christ’s love, we support women through Christian counseling, guidance, and support services so they can become financially stable and responsible members of the community.

The Oaks Ministry is surviving and thriving because so many of you have responded to God’s prompts to share your time, talents, prayers, donated items and financial support.  And we are so grateful!

But life gets busy, and we all find ourselves swamped with things to do and causes to support.  Sometimes it feels more like a roller coaster ride than a smooth sail doesn’t it?  For a ministry, it can mean stretching and stressing people to organize fundraisers, do double duty, and help in areas outside their natural talents and abilities.

With that in mind we want to be the best stewards we can of all our resources, and we believe that is best done by giving top priority to the work of the Ministry itself.  Roller coasters are fun for some folks, but this kind of roller coaster can drain our volunteers, staff and board members of time and energy better spent on our priority of directly meeting the needs of the women we serve.

Will you consider becoming a Resource Partner thorough regular support in one or more of the categories listed in paragraph one above?  You benefit by being able to schedule your time, talent and financial help.  We benefit by knowing when and where we can count on having people and resources to help meet those needs.

Here is a “quick list” of ways you can help:

• Pray regularly for The Oaks Ministry
• Arrange for a representative of  The Oaks Ministry to speak to your church or group
• Perform maintenance or repairs
• Provide transportation for our residents
• Help with fundraising event
• Be a Respite House Manager
• Organize/host a fundraising event
• Co-Host a Tea Party (a fun way to support the ministry as well as enjoying a fun afternoon with friends) See our Tea Party page on website for more information.
• Donate Household Cleaners or Paper Products
• Help with financial support monthly, quarterly, annually, or one-time (no amount is insignificant)

As a ministry we would like to have more monthly donors from individuals as well as companies and organizations.  Receiving a monthly check from a donor is income we can depend on and helps us to meet our needs without having to spend as much time with fund raising events.

If so led, you may send your donation to:  290 Bethel Road, Oxford, Pa  19363.  All donations are tax exempt to the full extent allowed by law.

If you are willing to help in any of the above ways, please contact us a 484-368-7268 to answer any questions you may have or you may contact us through email at info@oxfordoaksministry.com or visit our FB page “Oxford Oaks Ministry” and send a message.

The Oaks Ministry is thankful for Alger Oil in Oxford, Southern Chester County Electric, and Oxford’s ACE organization for their donation of AC in Oaks 2.  With the heat wave we are experiencing it is very much appreciated!   God has blessed us with many caring individuals to help us do what we do which motivates us to press on!  May God continue to bless each of  you as you have blessed us!!!

Together we can make a difference……