Today, we decided to list our 10 favorites.

1. Location

Our location is perfect for a retreat! It is just off the interstate enough to make you feel like you got away, but close enough to drive without a problem. We are conveniently located 9.2 miles off Exit 6 on I-65.

2. Complete Audio/Video System

No need to haul your sensitive sound or video equipment. By hosting your event with Oasis, you get full use of our 16 channel sound system. Our projector system works off a laptop which can display songs or PowerPoint presentations with ease.

The best part is that you do not need to bring a dedicated person to work your event! We provide an Oasis staff member to operate everything for you.

We also provide a 60” big screen in our meeting/game room for you to use to show DVDs.

3. Professional Staff

You are not left alone in an empty building at Oasis. Our experienced and always friendly staff are with you every step of the way. We cater your meals, operate sound/video systems, keep the bathrooms stocked and a lot more!

We like to refer to it as hassle-free retreating. You don’t have to worry about a single thing while visiting Oasis.

4. Always Private Rentals

When you reserve a date with Oasis, it is reserved for your group alone. We do not double book events with other groups. You can truly “let your hair down” by knowing that no one else but your friends are here with you.

5. Best Food In Town

Our meals are one of the most complimented areas of Oasis. Each delicious meal is professionally prepared.

6. Beautifully Decorated

Another benefit with using our facilities is that you never have to decorate for an event again! You will not find boring white tables here! Our dining hall, sanctuary/chapel and meeting rooms are seasonally decorated. We also cycle through many different variations so each year you come it is different.

7. Flexible Itineraries

Since your group will be the only one on the property, there is no set schedule. We are completely flexible. We do not create a dining schedule for you to work around. You have full control on customizing a retreat agenda that works best for you, and we will adapt to it. Simply give us a copy of your schedule when you get here to let us know the times you want to eat, have services, etc.

8. Very Comfortable and Clean Lodging

Our facilities are new, and we make sure they stay that way for you. Our beds (bunks included) have great-quality mattresses.

9. Beautiful and Peaceful Surroundings

While retreating on the hill of Oasis you will be surrounded by 75 gorgeous acres of God’s great countryside. Whether you are watching the sunset in the open-air pavilion, reflecting in the prayer garden or taking a stroll around the pond, it’s hard not to stop and think about God’s amazing love and beauty.

10. Reasonable Rates

Lastly, if the previous 9 haven’t sold you. Our affordable rates will! You will not find another retreat facility as nice as Oasis with rates this fair.

Reserve Your Date Now

If you have booked with us before or want to try us out, there is no better time than now to reserve your date and book your “hassle-free” retreat.

This year we pledged another $500 to provide these local children with a good Christmas. Through your donations we were able to raise over $2,100 along with generous donations of food, clothing and hygiene products.

Upon receiving their wish/needs lists, our hearts were saddened by some of their requests for such things as bedding, hygiene products and undergarments.

One story that tugged at our hearts was of a 17 year old guy known as “Child 103.” His mother had recently passed away and his father chose to no longer be a father by walking out after her death. This resulted in him going into foster care until age 18. Even through all of this, he is doing well by staying positive and keeping his grades up in school.

It’s amazing to see how God uses each of us to help others. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for helping us provide a blessed Christmas for these children this year.

Thank you for the many personal donations and corporate donations from The Bridge Ministry and Creation Gardens.

Please share one of your favorite Christmas memories with us in the comments below.

Below you will find many videos of the night. The first video is the longest and features all of the Christmas carols led by Pastor L.H. Hardwick. The remaining videos are the fun karaoke style ones from the Christmas carol humming game. What a blast!

Thank you to everyone who made a donation to help the foster kids of Allen County. A detailed post of what you helped make possible will be coming after Christmas.

Pictures

All pictures from the Christmas Banquet can be found on our Facebook Fan Page. You can share, comment and download them there.

Christmas Carols with Pastor L.H. Hardwick

Humming Christmas Song Search (Winners at end of video)

Sonya Slaton, Bob Driver and Pastor L.H. Hardwick

Jimmy and Carlene Greer and Kim McGhee

Tina Medlock, Rhonda Medlock and Rhonda Nerren

Steven Medlock and Christy Courtney

Tim and Sonya Slaton and Mark Yeargen

Charles Wade and Mel Crosson

Rhonda Nerren, Carol Hardwick and Joyce Settles

Rhonda Medlock, Deborah Blanchard-Wade and Bill Elliott

Di Yeargen and Ira Wade

Betty Wade and Fred Settles

Cheryl Elliott and Sandra Glisper

Lana Shoulders, Lester McGhee and Dr. Adrian Jones

Robert McClung and Marcie Hendrick

If you had a great time we would love for you to leave a comment below then share this post by clicking the “like” button.

Merry Christmas!

When you enter the main building for your Christmas banquet this year you will be greeted with a gorgeous red and white tree in the foyer.

This year we went with a purple and green theme in our dining room. We also decorated vases on the tables and in the corners of the room with live branches from our evergreen trees on the property.

The sanctuary is decorated with a beautiful nativity scene in front of the pulpit because we never want to forget the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The sanctuary also features a little Christmas town scene with a caroling family.

With two different type of Christmas trees and beautifully decorated tables, you will have many different photo opportunities for your Christmas banquet.

Feel free to share your Oasis Christmas photos on our Facebook Fan Page. We would love to see them!

Learn more about affordable Christmas banquet pricing here.

Feedback

Let us know what you think about the Christmas decorations this year in the comments below and by “liking” this post.

Last year, we pledged $500 to the Allen County Foster Program to help 20 foster kid’s in desperate need with essentials and a gift for Christmas. Little did we know how much these children need help. Some were going without everyday items that we take for granted like deodorant and shampoo. We quickly realized that $500 would not be enough.

God truly provided!

Through the donations from you and others we were able to raise over $2,000. This not only gave the 20 kids we pledged to take care of a great Christmas, but allowed us to help more desperate families with children that didn’t know where their next meal was coming from.

Helping this year

This year we made the same pledge to 20 foster children in Allen County, KY who are in desperate need. We hope to raise enough money to help even more foster children and families.

Looking for a place to help out this Christmas?

Please consider making a financial donation to this dire cause.

Our promise to you is that 100% (every single penny that comes in) will go towards helping the foster kids of Allen County, KY this Christmas.

Help us show a foster child we care about them by donating this Christmas season.

It would greatly help if you could share this article with your friends by using one of the social share buttons below.

Looking for a fun team activity for your next youth group or men’s retreat?

If so, we recommend Ntense Sports based out of Bowling Green, KY. Their paintball field combined with our retreat facility will be a guaranteed hit for your event!

These guys are great!

What Ntense Sports includes:

• A very large paintball field with obstacles.
• Plenty of paintballs for you to unleash on the opposing team.
• Paintball guns with refillable air canisters.
• Safety masks because you never know when you will get shot in the face! (Yep, that happens in the video above.)

The great thing about adding paintball to your event is that it promotes team play while bringing out the warrior in each of us!

How you can reserve Ntense Sports for your next event.

• Reserve by phone 270-796-4120
• Learn more on the Ntense Sports website

Be sure to tell them Andy from Oasis Christian Center and Retreat sent you! Who knows they may give you a discount.

Want more video?

If you would like to watch more videos of a youth group playing paintball, follow this link to see footage of a middle school youth retreat playing at Oasis Christian Center this Fall.

Do you have a paintball story? We would love to hear it in the comments below!

Flickr – Leo Reynolds

You’ve planned the most amazing retreat ever. The only problem is people aren’t communicating as much as you’d like.

The solution!

Organize an exciting game where attendees can introduce themselves in a fun way.

Using one (or both) of the games below will serve as the perfect icebreaker for your next ladies, mens or youth retreat.

1. Paper Ball Game (Snow Ball Game)

This fun and completely random way for everyone to introduce themselves combines the childhood eagerness of throwing paper balls while relieving the anticipation of having to think of something to say about yourself on the spot.

Here is the setup for everyone:

• Get a sheet of paper.
• Write down a completely random question (be creative).
• Wad the paper up into a little ball
• Throw it to a centralized location.
• Starting with the host/leader, pick up a paper ball then state your name.  After your name, read the question and answer it.
• Repeat until everyone has introduced themselves.

You may also add a general question that everyone would answer before answering the random one from the paper ball.

Random questions could include:

What is your favorite hobby?
Have you ever been outside of the country? If so, where?
What did you do two hours before coming to this retreat?

2. The Hot Seat Game

This active game is loads of fun, and you will learn more about the people playing than you ever thought possible. It can literally go on endlessly.

Here is the setup:

If 30 people are playing then 29 chairs are circled and the 30th person starts the game off with an introduction like this, “Hello my name is (Insert name), and (Insert Statement).”

Example: “Hello my name is Andy McClung, and I have a Twitter account.”

The people who relate to the statement have to jump up and claim a chair that isn’t their own.

In the case of the my example above, everyone with Twitter accounts (including me) would jump up and find a seat. The last person standing would then continue the cycle stating their name and a statement.

Introductory statements to use could include:

• … and I own a dog
• … and I attended the church retreat last year
• … and I have a birthday in May
• … and I wear pants (to make everyone get up and move)

My question for you

In the comments below, answer the following questions:

• What other fun introduction games have you played at a retreat?
• What would be your question for the Paper Ball Game?
• What would be your statement for the Hot Seat Game?

Wow! What an awesome ladies retreat we had this weekend!

I was blessed beyond measure, and I know that you were too. Divine connections were made this weekend. We all got to spend time together with old friends and make many new friends.

Below you can download audio messages from the services, send and view pictures and leave comments.

I would love to hear what God did for each of you this weekend.

Download Speaker Recordings

Monica Schmelter – Spiritual Awakening 1 – Friday Night: Download Message
Monica Schmelter – Spiritual Awakening 2 – Saturday Afternoon: Download Message
Deborah Baird – Awakening The Sleeping Giant In You: Download Message
Sonya Slayton – The State of The Mind: Download Message
Teresa Larkins – Anxious for Nothing, Easier Said Than Done: Download Message
Janet McClung – Love Installed: Download Message
View the post on how to get the Love Installed video.

Pictures

Did you take pictures at the Ladies Retreat?
If so, please email them to oasisretreat@posterous.com. (This email address is only used for gathering images.)
You can view all images taken by guests on our events page here: http://events.oasischristiancenter.com/

All our pictures have been uploaded to the Oasis Facebook Page: Visit Gallery

What did this retreat mean to you?

I look forward to seeing your comments!

Love Installed is a short Christian skit approaching love like it would be if installed on a computer. This is a great presentation to show the love installation process and teach someone how to love again.

The video above can be downloaded for you to use. All you have to do is leave a comment below stating that you want to use it, and I will send you an email with the download information.

I also included audio with the love installation video above.  This can serve as a guide if you decide to use it.  It can be muted for you to include your own voices live.

If you use the video above, I would love for you to leave a comment below letting me know what it was used for.  :)

Characters

1. Customer Service Representative (CS Rep)
2. Customer

*In the end we find out that the CS Rep is God.

Script

Customer Service (CS) Rep: Yes, Ma’am, how can I help you today?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me through the process?

CS Rep: Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready to install now. What do I do first?

CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma’am?

Customer: Yes I have, but there are several other programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

CS Rep: What programs are running ma’am?

Customer: Let’s see, I have PAST-HURT, LOW-ESTEEM, GRUDGE. and RESENTMENT running right now.

CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST-HURT from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOW-ESTEEM with a module of its own called HIGH-ESTEEM.. However, you have to completely turn off the programs called GRUDGE and RESENTMENT. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and type in FORGIVENESS. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE. and RESENTMENT have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

CS Rep: Yes. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEART’s in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops. I have an error message already. What should I do?

CS Rep: What does the message say?

Customer: It says ‘ERROR 412 – PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS.’ What does that mean?

CS Rep: Don’t worry ma’am, that’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to ‘LOVE’ your own machine before it can ‘LOVE’ others.

Customer: So what should I do?

CS Rep: Can you pull down the directory called ‘SELF-ACCEPTANCE’?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

CS Rep: Excellent. You’re getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

CS Rep: You’re welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the ‘MY HEART’ directory: FORGIVE-SELF, REALIZE-WORTH, and ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELF-CRITIC. from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new files. SMILE is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that PEACE, COMPASSION and CONTENTMENT are copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

CS Rep: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time. So, LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go.

Customer: Yes?

CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some similarly cool modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thanks for your help. By the way, what’s your name?

CS Rep: You can call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as The Great Physician, but most people call me God. Most people feel all they need is an annual check-up to stay heart-healthy, but the manufacturer (Me) suggests a schedule of daily maintenance for maximum efficiency. Put another way, keep in touch and keep praying!

What do you think of this skit?

Please comment below with a story about God’s love in your life. Also, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what you believe it takes to teach someone how to love again.