I wanted to take a moment to thank this church family for supporting me in going to Oasis in February. Oasis is the biennial retreat of the CBFYMN (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Youth Ministry Network), held every other year in February at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center, not far from Asheville, NC. It’s always one of my favorite events and this time (February 8-11) it was desperately needed.
Oasis began in 2014 as a time for CBF youth ministers to refresh and reconnect – with God, with ourselves, with each other. We worship together. We have topical breakout sessions where we share ideas. We also have time to hike, read, or just renew friendship with like-minded folks who share this strange calling to student ministry, and get both the joys and the struggles of it.
That was especially important this time. The pandemic has been hard on everyone, of course. It’s been a special challenge for youth ministry – which is all about relationships, spending time with students – during a pandemic where we’re trying to protect our students by having them literally isolate. It was hard and lonely and we all did the best we could and we all made mistakes.
The Youth Ministry Network was an actual godsend during the pandemic. We began doing monthly Zoom meetings to pray, laugh, grieve, and workshop pandemic youth ministry. We shared Zoom activities and games. I did a virtual pizza party with our youth, and a Zoom scavenger hunt, and a Zoom Jackbox game night, all ideas I got from friends in the Network. Those calls were one of my lifelines in 2020.
So it was a joy to finally be able to gather in-person again with the Network (and this year for the first time we included the Children’s and College Ministers’ Networks, as well). The last time we gathered was February 2020, and we had no idea what was in store. This time we gathered, masks worn and vaccination cards in hand, but we gathered, we worshipped, we grieved mistakes and blessed God for bringing us through. And we found encouragement, new ideas, and new strength.
I think – we ministers in the Network think – that just as the pandemic has changed so many things, it has changed church and Youth ministry. We’re all still trying to figure out what has changed, what can go back to normal, what lessons we learned, what normal could or should look like going forward. Oasis was a time to reflect and to lean into God’s presence for healing and direction.
Thank you, FBC Pendleton, for seeing the importance of these opportunities and for supporting me in taking that time away. And thank you, always, for your love of God, your care for your ministers, and your partnership in serving our students and our community with the love of Christ.
— Rev. Chris Cottingham
Minister of Music and Youth
March 15, 2022