2016-2017 Meeting Dates

We would like to announce the Oasis Fellowship meeting dates for the upcoming 2016-17 academic year.  We will meet at the War Memorial Chapel from 12:10pm to 12:50pm on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month starting on September 21st.

                Wednesday, September 21^st at 12:10pm

                Wednesday, October 19^th at 12:10pm

                Wednesday, November 16^th at 12:10pm

                Wednesday, February 15^th at 12:10pm

                Wednesday, March 15^th at 12:10pm

                Wednesday, April 19^th at 12:10pm

April 20, 2016 Speaker – David Vance

The speaker for the April 20^th meeting will be David Vance, Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Christiansburg, VA.  Please come out and join us for friends, fellowship and worship.

Oasis Fellowship is Back in April 2016.....

Greetings all:  The Oasis Fellowship Steering Committee would like to announce that we will have a Meeting on April 20, 2016 at 12:10pm in the War Memorial Chapel.

Also, here's a link to the August 21, 2013 WDBJ7 News Article and Video about Oasis Fellowship at Virginia Tech!

2015-16 Update

Dear Friends of Oasis Fellowship:

It is August and normally we would be announcing our August speaker to kick-off another year of Oasis Fellowship meetings.  With many of our volunteers in workplace transitions this year, we have chosen to suspend meetings for the 2015-16 academic year.  Please know that we are not ending Oasis fellowship.  Rather, the year will be used to review, renew and expand our volunteer group and to structure our efforts so that Oasis meetings can continue.  The first five years have been blessed by God and successful through the ad hoc service of our volunteer group.  To continue into the future, the volunteer group that makes Oasis happen needs to develop a more formal structure that allows it to be self-sustaining and to transcend a single group of people.  We want the Oasis Fellowship gatherings to continue to be a blessing to faculty, staff and students far into the future. 

So, we ask for your prayers and support over the coming year.  Specifically, please pray for wisdom for the current volunteers as we plan for the future.  Pray for the Lord to move in the hearts of additional faculty and staff to help continue this ministry into the future.  If you have found the Oasis gatherings to be a blessing, please consider taking a more active role in making the meeting happen into the future. 

The Oasis volunteers will continue to meet the first Wednesday of each month from 12 to 1 pm in room 330E Burruss.  If you would like to learn more about our plans and/or to join as a volunteer we invite you to join us.  If you have suggestions for ways that the Oasis gatherings might improve we would welcome your input.

Sincerely,

The Oasis Volunteers

April 15th Speaker - Minnis Ridenour

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the April 15th meeting will be Mr. Minnis Ridenour.  Mr. Ridenour’s career at Virginia Tech spans three decades, beginning in 1974 as the university’s Budget Director and Chief Business Officer, later serving as Vice President for Finance until his promotion in 1987 as Executive Vice President.  In 2001, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and served in this role until his retirement in 2005.  Minnis has remained affiliated with Virginia Tech as Senior Fellow for Resource Development and as an Affiliated Faculty member in SPIA.

Since his retirement, Minnis and his wife, Louise, have been involved as volunteers with mission projects in the local community as well as internationally where they are leading an effort to develop programs in theological education to prepare pastors and church leaders for the United Methodist Church in the post-communist countries of Europe and the Balkans.  In addition, Minnis and Louise have devoted time to programs which assist families at risk and street children in Kiev, Ukraine.

Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, worship, and message that will be based on our theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

March 18th Speaker - Shahn Wilburn

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the March 18^th meeting will be Dr. Shahn Wilburn, Pastor of Riverview Baptist Church.  He has been a faithful servant at Riverview Baptist in Ripplemead, VA since 1980.  A native of Giles County, he has obtained a well-rounded education by obtaining degrees from Ferrum Junior College (Ferrum, VA), East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN), Piedmont Bible College (Winston-Salem, NC), Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA), and Golden State School of Theology (Stockton, CA).  Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, worship, and message that will be based on our theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

February 18th Speaker - Bishop Anthony Tucker

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the February 18^th meeting will be Bishop Anthony Tucker, pastor of Greater Mount Zion United Holiness Church in Christiansburg.  If your schedule permits, feel free to come and join us for fellowship, worship, and a message that will be based on our 2014-15 theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”    

January 21st Speaker – Ken Smith

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the January 21st meeting will be Dr. Ken Smith.  He is the Vice Provost for Resource Management& Institutional Effectiveness at Virginia Tech and has been a faithful servant within the campus community since 1997.  Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, worship, and message that will be based on our theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

November 19th Speaker – Bret Gresham

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the November 19th meeting will be Bret Gresham, Director/Campus Minister for the Wesley Foundation at Virginia Tech.  Prior to his current ministry position, he served as the Senior Pastor at Enon UMC in Studley, VA and as the Associate Pastor at Asbury UMC in Harrisonburg, VA.  Bret is originally from Salem, VA.  Bret is also an active member and Ordained Elder at the Blacksburg United Methodist Church in Blacksburg, VA.  He earned his undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise Science at Virginia Tech and went onto earn Master of Divinity at Duke University in Durham, NC.  Bret and his wife Erin have 2 little girls, Clara and Lawson as well as an English Mastiff named Sophie.  He is a huge sports fan and his favorite teams are the VT Hokies and the NY Yankees -- he is also an Assistant Coach for the Blacksburg Bruins high school football team.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2014-15 theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

October 15th Speaker – Greg Harrell

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the October 15^th meeting will be Greg Harrell, Youth Minister at Blacksburg Baptist Church.  Greg is originally from Fayetteville, NC and has served as BBC’s Minister for Youth and Families since 2009.   He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  He also obtained his Master of Divinity at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA.  Prior to joining Blacksburg Baptist, Greg served with Passport Youth Camps as well as on the ministry staff at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, VA.  Greg’s wife, Melanie, is a public school teacher in Roanoke.  They have a 2 year old son named Oliver and they reside in Christiansburg, VA.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2014-15 theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

September 17th Speaker – Jim Krouskas

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the September 17th (at noon) meeting will be Jim Krouscas.  Jim is from Oakland, California, and began his career as a middle school teacher and baseball coach.  In 1996 Jim moved to Blacksburg to attend graduate school at Virginia Tech.  One year after completing his degree, Jim joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in the College of Education.  While teaching at Tech Jim was involved in ministry through his local church and on campus through "Athletes in Action."  In 2009 Jim and his family moved to Dallas so that he could get additional theological training at the Dallas Theological Seminary.  Currently Jim is serving as a pastor/elder at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship.  Jim is married to Jill, and they have three daughters...Sophia (9), Elaina (8), and Charis (5).  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2014-15 theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

Please feel free to share this information with other Christians.

August 20th Speaker – Chris Hutchison

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the August 20^th meeting will be Chris Hutchison, Pastor at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg, VA.  Chris is originally from Charleston, SC and has been faithfully serving at Grace Covenant since 2004.  Prior to his current ministry position, he served seven years as an Associate Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Statesboro, GA as well as in the US Army as a Medical Service Corps Officer.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Durham, NC in 1989.  He also obtained his Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA in 1995.  Chris is also active in the Blue Ridge Presbytery serving on its Leadership Development Committee and also serves on the Steering Committee for the Consortium for International Theological Education here in Blacksburg.  Chris and his wife Kirstan have 2 wonderful/creative daughters and his hobbies include soccer, reading history, and rooting for Duke basketball (unless they are playing VT).  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2014-15 theme, “His Hands, Our Hands.”

2014-2015 Theme and Meeting Dates

Greetings!  We would like to announce the Oasis Fellowship theme and meeting dates for the upcoming academic year.  The Theme for the year will be “His Hands, Our Hands.”  We will meet at the War Memorial Chapel from 12:10pm to 12:50pm on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month starting on August 20th.

                Wednesday, August 20^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, September 17^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, October 15^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, November 19^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, January 21^st at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, February 18^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, March 18^th at 12:10pm
                Wednesday, April 15^th at 12:10pm

March 19th Speaker – David Vance

The speaker for the March 19^th meeting will be David Vance, Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Christiansburg, VA.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

** Please note that Oasis Fellowship will not have its regular meeting in April due to the April 16^th commemorative activities scheduled for War Memorial Chapel. 

February 19th Speaker – Doug Short

The speaker for the February 19^th meeting will be Doug Short, Pastor at Ekklesia Blacksburg which currently meets at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, VA.  The church is in the process of changing its name to “New River Valley Christian Fellowship.” 

Doug was raised near Columbia, Maryland and he received a B.S. in Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.  In 1997, Doug and his family moved to Middletown, Delaware to start their first church which was well-known for its community involvement.  In 2003, the Shorts relocated to Millsboro, Delaware to begin work on their second church where they had unique ministries to the beach and skateboarding crowds.  The Shorts relocated to the Blacksburg area in April 2007.  They actually moved on the 16th and spent their first week here volunteering on campus with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief program, feeding and counseling students, police and other service personnel.  Doug has been married to Michelle (who he met in a college Bible study) since 1990 and they have three great kids: Kailee, Nathaniel, and Benjamin.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

January 15th Speaker – Bryan Pruett

The speaker for the January 15^th meeting will be Bryan Pruett, Pastor at God's House in Pembroke, VA.  Bryan is originally from Narrows, VA (born in Blacksburg -- Go Hokies!).  He earned his undergraduate degree in Communications at Emory and Henry College (Emory, Va.) and obtained a Masters of Religion at Liberty University.  Bryan and his wife Kelly have 3 children and they are all next in line to Jesus as his primary joy in life.  Others include writing, public speaking, reading, admiring the beauty in old things, and studying scripture under the influence of good coffee.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

November 20th Speaker – Darrell Cook

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the November 20^th meeting will be Darrell Cook, Director for the Virginia Tech Baptist Campus Ministry.  Darrell is originally from Roanoke, VA and has served as the BCM Director since 1998.  Darrell is also an active member and leader at the Northstar Church in Blacksburg, VA.  He earned his undergraduate degree in Family and Child Development as well as a Master of Business Administration at Virginia Tech.  He also obtained his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.  Darrell and his wife Laura have 5 children and his hobbies include writing, public speaking, and reading to his kids.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

October 16th Speaker

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the October 16^th meeting will be Dr. Tommy McDearis, Senior Pastor for Blacksburg Baptist Church.  This is Tommy's second time speaking to our group.  Tommy is originally from Calhoun, Georgia.  He earned his undergraduate degree at Berry College in Mount Berry, GA and obtained his seminary training at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.  Tommy has been at Blacksburg Baptist since 1997 and also serves as the local Police Chaplin for the Blacksburg Police and Virginia Tech Police Departments.  Tommy and his wife Susan have three adult children who they cherish and adore.  Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, worship, and message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

September 18th Speaker

Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the September 18^th meeting will be Sandy Young, Pastor and Elder for Blacksburg Christian Fellowship (BCF) located on North Main Street in Blacksburg, VA.  Sandy had attended BCF as a student and new believer in the early 1970s, was appointed the first full-time elder of the Fellowship in December 2000.  Sandy’s interests are many including the Bible, theology, history, apologetics, fountain pens, Hokie football, and good coffee.  Please come out and join us for fellowship, worship, and the message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”

August 21st Speaker

There has been a change.  Oasis Fellowship would like to announce that the speaker for the August 21^st meeting will now be Rusty Mullins, Pastor for Northfork Blacksburg Baptist in Ellett Valley.  Rusty is originally from Wise, VA and now resides in Radford, VA.  He is also a chaplain with the New River Valley Hospice and has a student ministry to the New River Community College.  His wife, Jennifer, is the Baptist Campus Minister at Radford University.  Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, worship, and message that will be based on our 2013-14 theme, “Walk by Faith.”