This fall, we're celebrating TEN years of our first campus retreat - the Oaks Retreat in Auburn, Alabama.
We can't believe how God has used this retreat to build His kingdom at Auburn over the last decade. We've seen a generation of leaders come through the Oaks and are so encouraged by the stories they have about how being a part of the Oaks Retreat has impacted them beyond their college years.
Did you attend the Oaks? Learn more about our Oaks Reunion on Sept. 24th and RSVP!
Chris Gluckman - Oaks Director in 2012
"That first year, it really felt like we had front row seats to watch God start something incredible.
It was unbelievable - a chain reaction of God answering one prayer after another and blowing up our expectations to make room for something even more impactful than we could imagine.
2012 Oaks Retreat Leadership Team
It was unbelievable - a chain reaction of God answering one prayer after another and blowing up our expectations to make room for something even more impactful than we could imagine.
I'm so thankful and so humbled to see how the Oaks has endured and grown over the past 10 years, and I can't wait to see what will happen in the next 10."
Did you attend the Oaks retreat? We're hosting an Oaks family reunion at Auburn this September! Join us for a celebration of what God has done through the Oaks over the last decade.
Nichole Richburg - Oaks Director in 2016
"The Oaks was the launching pad for seeing what it could look like to really walk with God. I attended as a student the first year of the Oaks in 2012 and prior to that my relationship with God was very 'I believe in Jesus and I'm a good girl, but God doesn't have much daily impact or interaction in my life.'
I didn't know what it could look like to daily walk with Jesus until I saw other counselors, just a year or two older than me, talking to God, reading His word, and obeying it every day. This didn't mean their lives looked perfect by any means, but it looked joyful and peaceful and abundant like Jesus talks about in John 10:10. I wanted that!!
At the Oaks, I saw what a relationship with the Lord could look like and I began seeking that and trying to walk in that alongside community. It was great being a part of the leadership team in later years for something I believe in so much!
"At the Oaks, I saw what a relationship with the Lord could look like and I began seeking that and trying to walk in that alongside community."
My 20 year old self wouldn't believe the freedom and joy that comes through walking in obedience and saying 'yes' to the Lord and what He has for my life. This was always scary to me and even still is. What would he ask of me if I put my yes on the table? Would it be hard and feel impossible? The answer is yes to that, while at the same time has brought more peace and joy and stability in giving Him my yes, rather than my own choosing of how I want my life to go.
I'm excited to reunite at the Oaks Reunion to hear and see the impact the Oaks has had on generations of incoming freshmen and to celebrate all that God has done through this incredible, life-changing ministry!"
Oaks Retreat 2016
Savannah Tanksley - Oaks Director in 2018
"The Oaks is actually where I came to truly know the Lord.
I remember praying during the 'quiet time' of the retreat (even though I wasn’t sure what that was) that I wanted to have whatever it was that was making those around me so full of joy and light.
"I wanted to have whatever it was that was making those around me so full of joy and light."
The Lord stripped me of everything I had put my identity in during my freshman year and gave me the sure and steady gift of identity in Him! So, the Oaks means the world to me and I’m so grateful for every friendship and memory that came out of it.
I'm still best friends with the people I built deep community with at Auburn. We live all over the country, but we have a reunion trip every year. They still know my heart the best. It pays off so much to plant roots and find your best friends during your time in college."
The Oaks will always be a special place where we began our ministry to college students.
We are unbelievably thankful for the growth and impact we've seen over the last ten years of the Oaks. Would you join us in praying that that impact would spread onto every campus we serve across the southeast?