REBUILD
Isaiah 61 declares that God will raise up for Himself Oaks of Righteousness to display His splendor and as a result of what He has done, “They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”
What does it look like to rebuild our community that is so evidently marked by the ruins of devastating trauma? We know that our work must always hold a vision for the next generation, but we also know that it will require far more from us than simple children's programs. That's why we're planning with our neighbors about expanding our work at Oak Tree!
We can't wait to share more with you in the coming months about the dreams of rebuilding that are stirring within our community.
We are clinging to the hope that God has not abandoned His promises in Isaiah 61 and we are striving to be a preview of the Kingdom of God through all that we do at Oak Tree. Thank you for partnering with us in this important work.
What exactly do we do?
Unfortunately, much of our culture has been influenced by individualism resulting in a lack of communal support. At Oak Tree we are getting back to the basics of neighboring. It is too easy to forget that we are responsible for one another and that we are stronger together. That is why we are intentionally relationship focused. We want to know more than just names, we want to know one another’s stories, and write new stories together.
We acknowledge that we are in a community that has been historically marginalized and has suffered from a lack of attainable resources. Oak Tree serves as a bridge to connect our neighbors with partners around our city to meet a variety of needs that may arise. We know that we won’t have the skill or resources to meet every need in our community on our own, but when we work together, we can make a much greater impact.
The daily needs that arise from inequity can be overwhelming. While we aim to support our community in every way possible, we don’t want to always remain in response mode. We want to be proactive to create new resources within our community to get to the root of our issues. We aim to expand our capacity so that we can be a part of community development that will not only address areas of need, but will honor the skills, desires, culture, and leadership of our neighbors.
We look forward to introducing you to our Community Advisory Board and sharing more about what we're dreaming up soon! Because our complex issues didn't develop over night, we know the answers won't be quick or easy, but together, we can persevere to create complex solutions. It will take a Village!