In order to create these environments, skilled group leaders who are willing to comfort, encourage, and sometimes confront are needed. Helping people in times of crisis is not for everyone. Oasis group leaders help people walk through very difficult situations. For this reason, it is important to take great care in enlisting, training, and developing leaders.

Role

Leaders are responsible for providing vision, direction, and support. Each week, the leaders facilitate conversation around a specific topic while offering help and encouragement. Leaders are successful when they are personally growing in their own relationship with Jesus Christ and encouraging the group members’ growth as well. This requires time spent in the group meetings and occasional one-on-one meetings with group members outside of regular meeting times. It is helpful to encourage leaders to decide before starting groups when they will make themselves available for these meetings—they must be same-gender only. Leaders are also required to participate in ongoing training and development opportunities provided by the church.

Oasis Leader Requirements:

  • You have a personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

  • You recognize the Bible as the authority for your life.

  • If leading a divorce group, you should be legally divorced for at least two years.

  • You must refrain from dating group members, although leaders dating other leaders is permitted.

  • You agree to a lifestyle of sexual purity if you are single.

  • You have the time, emotional capacity, and moral discernment to lead a group.

Process

Potential leaders begin by completing an application and interviewing with staff. Once they make it through those two steps, they attend initial training (comprised mostly of boundaries and general group leadership skills) and then apprentice with an experienced leader pair. It is important for the potential leaders to observe how experienced leaders deal with the challenges inherent in the groups, but also for the experienced leaders we trust to give us feedback on the potential leaders.

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