Dear Oasis Extended Family and Friends;
Over $1 Million Dollars pledged to Love Cities, Love Pastors Missions Outreach last week. How can you put what happened into words? I’m not sure how I can but I’ll try to just give you some of the highlights. If you missed the Celebration Dinner on Wednesday night, words can’t really do justice. If you missed the weekend services when our pledges kept climbing in each service and “tears were flowing freely" like I’ve never seen before, then I am not sure I can really paint the picture. But here are some highlights.
"Love Cities, Love Pastors Celebration Dinner." Last Wednesday night after almost 600 adults, teens and children signed up for the dinner, most of them showed up to pack our auditorium and cafe. It was an amazing sight. Most were blown away by the beauty of the room and the decorations our staff and volunteers had prepared for such a special occasion (hopefully in the future we can figure out how to accommodate more of our Oasis family since we had to shut down registrations when we filled our building). The night began with a beautiful meal and a "jazz combo" playing as we ate, but that was just the beginning. After an incredible 15-minute video of all that God has done through you, Oasis, over the last 3 years as you have given to LCLP, we could have just gone home. Hundreds, if not thousands, have been touched and changed through your giving. Following the video Pastor Daryl Gaddy, our partner in Detroit, brought an inspiring challenge to us to continue the work that God has started. He also brought us up to date with the new Missions Center we are helping him to complete in Detroit. You can watch the video from last weekend here! It’s incredible.
The highlight of the night was when the pledges came in and they far surpassed the goal for the dinner of $500,000 for Love Cities, Love Pastors outreach over the next 3 years. Because of this we were able to present Pastor Tommy and Kristin Parke a check for $10,000 towards their new church plant, City Church, in Miami. We also presented Pastor Daryl with a $10,000 gift towards completing the Missions Center his church is establishing in inner city Detroit. Those were amazing moments.
The night ended with a reminder to keep praying and giving and a thank you gift "mug" to everyone in attendance. By the way, if you have your mug and you’re using it take a picture and post your “Mug Shot" on social media, hashtag it #lclpmugshot and we will share it. Love seeing them. Keep posting.
The LCLP Weekend was one of the highlights of our almost 26 years on this little corner. Service after service, as we shared the LCLP vision for the next 3 years with those who had not been at the dinner, we continued to add to the pledge totals for local and US missions and church planting over the next 3 years. During the 9am service we went over the $750, 000 pledge mark and we were able to present Lily Garcia, our Executive Director of Community and Leadership Development, another $10,000 check toward the NEW homeless single moms’ home called "Asia's House.” This was probably the most emotional moment of the entire weekend. You will hear more as we continue to give to LCLP and find the home to house homeless moms and their children.
More than $1 Million in pledges was reached at our last service of the day during our 1pm service. ONLY GOD! (The total continues to grow. If you missed last weekend we will have pledge cards available this weekend at all services so you can still be a part of this miraculous Missions outreach that has grown far beyond our original vision.)
"Tommy and Kristin Parke sent out!” The icing on the cake this past weekend was the ending of our LCLP weekend and service when we had an opportunity to pray over and officially send Pastor Tommy and Kristin out as our church planters to begin a new church next year in the heart of downtown Miami. City Church is now a reality. It was so emotional for me since I still remember so vividly how my home church, First Baptist Church of West Hollywood, sent Tonia and I out almost 26 years ago as Pastor Bud McCord spoke the words, "We give you away", the same words I spoke this past weekend. Pray for the Parkes as they spend the next 9 months preparing to birth this new baby church in Miami.
Next week I’ll share more about all that our Love Cities, Love Pastors will be supporting over the next 3 years. Your pledges do NOT have to be given all at once. You have 3 years. If you want to give online you can here, when you give the Lord’s tithes, and if you would like to pledge online you can also do that by just clicking HERE!
Pastor Jeremy Higdon will be speaking this weekend. We’ll be welcoming one of our former staff pastors and church planters back to Oasis this weekend. Don’t miss it. God has used Jeremy and Jeannine in a huge way in Jacksonville since we sent them out 7 years ago, and he will give us an update of all God is and has done there because of your faithfulness and giving to that new church 7 years ago.
Love you guys and see you this weekend.
Guy Melton
Senior and Founding Pastor
Oasis Church of South Florida
PS. When you give the Lord His tithes and your Bike for Haiti, Missions and Love Cities, Love Pastors offerings, you can always do it here ONLINE or bring it to the service you attend. Thanks Oasis for being so generous and giving to those who have far greater needs than we do.
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