Oasis Church North Florida

This blog is being put on pause...

We have officially launched!! To stay up to date with Oasis Church North Florida, please go to www.jeremyhigdon.com ...and our official website for the church is www.oasisnfl.com.

Thanks for being part of launching a church...together! 

Today is a day to pray and fast...

I have asked our friends and team to be willing to pray and fast today on Tuesday, February 3...just 5 days before the official launch of Oasis Church North Florida! It is amazing to see what God has done and some of the doors that have opened... we are looking forward to what He will continue to do in our lives and the lives of others as this church is planted!

So, I am asking you to join me in prayer and fasting... we bring our requests before Him continuously, as kids approaching and asking our loving Father. I am asking you to fast, to give up something, to recognize that we need Jesus MORE than food, tv, whatever...that we are seeking Him with our whole heart. Jesus is the One Who builds churches, Jesus is the One who saves people, and Jesus is the One with ALL AUTHORITY and we are obeying Him through the building of His church...He gets the glory!

We are depending on Jesus... if it's about Jeremy, or any of our team or anything else, then let's kill it now before it even begins...

What do we need to pray for...

1. people...the church is people...people who love and worship God and will live as a community for the sake of seeing more people love and worship God...we are asking God to send us people that will be part of the church in North Florida!

2. I am studying today...speaking out of Eccles. 5 & 6...need to prepare the message God wants spoken not me...I need wisdom and understanding from the Holy Spirit

3. All the details leading up to this weekend...we have a Family Fun Day on Saturday and then the first official worship service is on Sunday. God is good and I am not! I need to work as hard as I can and then trust that God is in control...this helps me realize again, it's not about me!

4. Pray for Jonathan (Oasis Kids) and Justin (worship leader) as they prepare for their areas of leading.

I think that's it... thanks for joining me in this day of prayer and fasting... for more on this subject, check out this link...

21 Days Until The Grand Opening!

As I write this after midnight, making right now Sunday the 18th of January, we are 21 days (3 short weeks) from officially launching Oasis Church North Florida! Wow! It has been amazing to see what God is doing and exciting to think about what He is preparing for us in the coming weeks and months. 

But this also, comes with a heavy burden and responsibility...things that can't be taken lightly. Instead of working harder and trying to run faster, it is my desire to live personally and as church in an ever-growing understanding and dependence on Jesus. It is my job to lead and live in the example of Jesus, who constantly showed us the importance of prayer and spending time with God, even in the midst of heavy demands and responsibility. 

So, this is where I find myself...will I depend on me or will I turn to Him? Will our church jump in the race and try to make a name for ourselves or will we, from before day one, live in such a way that proves our foundation is on Jesus? It is no coincidence that I came across a website called Awake 21 and found several churches who are participating together and seeking the Lord in a focused way through prayer and fasting over the next three weeks. I have signed Oasis Church North Florida up to join in and participate, and even though we are a week behind the official 21 days, it works out to be a perfect ramp to our launch day on February 8! I love how God's timing is always perfect...

So, will you join me in prayer and fasting and being part of Awake 21? You can find tools and helps on their website and I will also be posting stuff here and at jeremyhigdon.com...

Thanks again for being part of launching a church... together. I look forward to seeing and hearing what God does in our lives as we seek His face over the next three weeks!

*this is also posted at jeremyhigdon.com.

Resource Wishlist for Oasis Church North Florida

One of the great statements I love to say as Oasis Church is being launched is the fact that we are "launching this church...together." First of all, we believe God has called us to this and is already at work...we are joining him! Secondly, we have hundreds of families and several church partners who have given money and prayer to be part of this launch. We even have several families who be coming up from Oasis South Florida to help with our final preview weekend and our official launch day, February 8.

But, we are still in need of several items which will position us to launch in the best way possible, in a portable setting depending on volunteers to set-up and tear-down each Sunday. We are asking people and churches to prayerfully consider the following list and either donate money toward these items or, if you already own them, donate these items to Oasis Church North Florida. 

- A Large Towable Storage Trailer

- Beat-em up truck to pull trailer

- Safe place to store trailer on Northside of Jacksonville
- Every Type of Children's Ministry   Equipment/Supplies Imaginable (Birth-5^th Grade)

- Portable Sound Equipment (speakers, subs, mobile cases, etc...)

- Video Projector (minimum 2500 lumens)

- Mics, cables, mic stands, music stands, stools, drum shield, drum mics, etc...

- Countryman over-the-ear mic

- Portable staging

- Portable lighting
- Communion Supplies
- Pipes & Drapes
- Office Space on Northside of Jacksonville
- Video Camera equipment to film our services
- Web design
- Videography and Film Editing

Please feel free to forward this list to anyone or organization that may be able to help us with these items. Email me at jeremyh@oasisnfl.com for more info or to schedule a time for items to be picked up. And of course, join us in prayer for these items as we launch a new church... together!

Our first preview service set-up...

Want to give you a little peek at our first set-up this past weekend...we have a great group of people on our launch team but I especially want you to see all the stuff that is being used to plant a church in a theather in Jacksonville. Everything you see in this video is stuff that you purchased for us by giving and praying and supporting as part of The 600! Thank you so much...we are off to a good start and the funds that you continue to give will be used for resources, rent, and planting a church...which impacts our lives and the lives of people who will be connected with a church who loves God and loves people...thanks for helping us plant this church...together!

Set-up Prep for first preview service from Jeremy Higdon on Vimeo.

Introducing our Oasis Kids Pastor

 

It is my privilege to introduce my brother, Jonathan Higdon, as our Oasis Kids Pastor! We have been talking about different things over the past few months but last week, we officially nailed down what he will be doing as part of our launch team.

Jonathan has the task of getting our ministry to kids and families off the ground. From getting the needed resources to training leaders to providing ministry direction and delegation, he will be overseeing all this as part of the larger Oasis NFL team. Some of the questions and issues will include what does kids ministry look like in a theater and what items are needed for a fun, safe, clean and secure environment. He will use his past experiences of working in both the KidsWorld and Surge ministries at Oasis Church in South Florida.

I am excited that he is on-board and I am pumped to see what God will do as we get closer to launching Oasis Church North Florida!

The Proposal To Plant Oasis Church NFL - Part 1

I wanted to share a little of the dream that God has given us and what we are praying and seeking to live as a church...the next few posts are from our proposal packet and are what we are committing our lives to...

Our Purpose…To Be and Make Disciple Makers of Jesus Christ

Oasis Church vision…

-to go after those far from God and lead them to follow Him and teach them to do the same for others far from God
- we want to “target” people who are very far from God, people who don’t like church, people who other churches cannot or will not reach
-this will affect budget, programs, music, calendar…everything that Oasis Church will do!

If we don’t launch Oasis Church, there will be people in North Florida who…
-will go to hell
-will not honor God
-won’t experience Jesus as Savior and Lord
-will not experience living in community with other disciples of Jesus
-will not know how to serve like Jesus
-will not lead others to become followers of Jesus

Simply put, Oasis Church will be a place where…

-people will be pointed to Jesus as the only hope and salvation
-people will learn to love God and love others
-people will join in and serve as one team to make a difference in our world
-people will be taught and given tools to make disciples

Planting Update

-the home office and the Panera office are up and running

-our first launch team meeting is this Sunday at 6pm at our house... we will be meeting four times over the next month to prepare for our first preview service on December 14th!

-we have sent out about 35 letters to family and friends as we continue to prayerfully raise the financial and prayer support for our church

-over 370 people have joined the 600 so far...wow! I am blown away!

-I have turned everything in needed for our assessment and interviews to join Acts 29, a church planting network of churches...I am looking forward to the next step!

-I have sent a follow-up email to about 15 churches as we are forming a partnership of churches to give life and support to Oasis Church NFL...will be following up with these over the next few weeks...

-marketing and promotion begins being prepared this week...it's coming soon...

- I have tabbed our Kids Leader...will announce him soon...

-still need a worship leader but we have some good leads...still trusting in God for this crucial team member!

- some big requests are coming soon...stay tuned!

Planting Update

-we are now living in Jacksonville! We moved up to the Northside last week and are renting a house about 5 minutes away from where we will be holding services... we are getting used to the area and are nearly done unpacking the essentials for life to be "normal"...

-our fundraising is going well...we are still going after the funds and resources needed to launch and get the word out in a BIG way...have you joined The 600??? We need your help to launch this church together!

-The home office should be up and fully functional tomorrow...finally have a place set aside to work on all the details leading up to the launch...

-I can't believe our first preview service is December 14...that is less then two months away! I can't wait to get things rolling in a BIG way!

-It has been amazing to step out and trust God...I am learning it is a daily stepping out and not a one time thing...yet, God has shown Himself is so many ways...who know what else He has in store??

A Good Soldier - Part 2

In 2 Timothy 2, we read that Paul is writing to Timothy, a young man he has mentored, discipled and sent out to lead in ministry, and challenges him live life as a good soldier (he also uses word pictures like athlete and farmer). I recently heard Mark Driscoll, of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, talk for a few moments of this passage and the importance of what it means to the pastor/ church planter.

The Mission

-Don't get sidetracked by trauma and drama...need to gather men who are willing to be trained, willing to repent, and willing to learn....both doctrine and practice..."watch life and teaching"

-"By God's grace" force ment outside of Christ to follow Him...to be led by Him so that they can be the husbands and fathers they need to be so that the church will endure

-key thought...win the men, win the war in our city...by focusing ministry/ church on men following Jesus, a church will see women and children follow Him as well...and the city will be reached!