By Lynda Blazina
The face of Oasis is changing! Regions are taking on the planning and organization of these times away for pastors and wives. Oasis events are designed for our pastoral couples to have time aside from the responsibilities and pressures of their ministries.
On November 15–17, Oasis West was held in Canmore and involved pastoral couples from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Keith and Beverly Evans travelled from Pullman, Washington, and spoke to the group around the theme “Remembering Who We Are” and encouraged us to live as children, friends and servants of God.
As well as being a time of retreat, this was also a time to celebrate with Dwight and Judy Huffman, since Dwight has officially retired from the CNBC as the national team leader for regional ministries.
The next weekend, from November 22–24, CNBC Ontario led their first ever Oasis Family Retreat at Blue Mountain Resort. It was a wonderful time for ministering families to retreat together and have some great fun. Charles Stone spoke to the adults in sessions based around his book Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain and the Mindful Space Between Moments. As well as having sessions for both the adults and kids, there was lots of fun to be had on the nearby mountain roller coaster and at the aquatic centre.
These were two of the three Oasis events held this year. CNBC WestCoast will hold their Oasis event in May. With the regions planning their own Oasis events, more pastors have been able to attend this year than ever before.
We are able to encourage and bless our pastors through these Oasis events because of CNBC churches’ faithful giving to the Cooperative Program.