oasisCHURCHOFGOD

Inside Oasis May 2016

An Evening at Home I’m tired when I leave the office, and the thought of a quiet evening at home is tempting. But still I get on the bus, eating my sandwich on the way. There’s something about home group that I just can’t resist. I’m standing in the kitchen, warming my hands on a cup of tea and looking at the faces around me. I’ve been meeting some of them on Thursday evenings for years. Others are more recent acquaintances. Together, they are my church family. Our concept is generally the same: bible study, discussions and prayer – mixed with laughter and cake. We share our thoughts and questions, joined by our wish for a deeper and closer relationship with God. What always amazes me is how everyone has something unique to bring to the group. A rather quiet person turns out to be a flowing source of wisdom and intimate knowledge of God. Someone shares a testimony of miraculous healing, and another person brings a word of encouragement exactly where needed. Some people have the courage to share their struggles and difficulties, inspiring us all to be honest and real and let God minister to us as we really are. In difficult times, it has been invaluable to hear my home group friends praying for me with words I could not find myself. And God has touched me. We are just a group of ordinary Christians, but we don’t meet alone. Many times I have felt Him so strongly with us when we meet – Jesus, our friend, our Lord and our Saviour.

Lena Mårtensson Are you interested in being part of a home group? You are welcome to join the Care (Mondays), Connect (Wednesdays) or Inspiration (Thursdays) group to discover what we are doing. For more information on home groups see page 4 or contact info@oasis.lu for more information.

Small / Home groups

Small or home groups exist as a way to engage in biblical community and help people becoming more like Jesus in every area of their lives.

Biblical? God himself is in a community of three persons in one - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who exist in perfect unity. So it is not surprising that from the beginning, God created us to be in community with one another. When Jesus' ministry began, he called 12 disciples to be his primary relational and ministry community. Jesus chose to love them, teach them, and pour himself into relationships with them, thereby creating the first "small or home group.” The apostles continued Jesus' model and formed a community of believers who loved God and loved one another. Despite incredible persecution and against all odds, this rag tag group of Jesus-followers launched small communities (i.e. church) that proclaimed the gospel and changed the world forever.

Purpose of home groups? Looking at the early church, we get a picture of small communities of people who followed Jesus together. Believers engaged in life together through teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer, miracles, radical generosity, and corporate worship. They spent time together eating, learning, celebrating, proclaiming the Good News, and supporting each other. It was a place where people loved, forgave, served, bore burdens, encouraged, exhorted, prayed, equipped, spoke truth in love, confessed sins, and treated each other as precious members of one body.

God never intended for us to live the Christian life alone. God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face to face, life-on-life, transformative way, which is difficult and inevitably messy. A change of character, however, best happens in the context of community.

Coverage continued - church update

Daily devotions…download the app Since smartphones have become a constant companion in our lives today, let it serve as a blessing. How? Follow your daily devotions on an app, for example. The following two are highly recommendable: - Bible in one year by Nicky Gamble http://www.bibleinoneyear.org now even with audio commentary - Our Daily Bread by RBC ministries http://odb.org/mobile-resources/ The following link will guide you to more devotional apps and to download the Bible: http://installs.youversion.com/200million/index.html

Oasis Events – upcoming

Esperanza House is TeenChallenge’s arm in Luxembourg, whose mission is to support people in our society, who’ve experienced a stroke of fate in life, are less privileged or even suffer drug dependency. Esperanza House is open every Tuesday and Thursday evening and offers a warm meal, shares the good news and gives those disadvantaged groups the opportunity to share their stories. Oasis Church of God is involved in this ministry and prepares and serves a hot meal once a month. Our next turn is

5 May 2016 at 7.30pm

If you like to dedicate your time and help prepare or serve food, this is a perfect opportunity to join. On top, you’ll learn more about Teen Challenge and their work in Luxembourg. Please inform Janice & Marlon Libang at Janice_Bautista@ept.lu or Chris Kettle at diary@coglux.com.

Bible Study is taking place every Sunday morning before worship service starts. Given the diversity in the denominational background of members and regulars, this is a unique opportunity to establish a solid and sound understanding of key Bible truths.

The Bible Study is open to ALL:- New Christians and Old-timers alike and not a rehash of what is covered in the Home Groups.

Meeting times are

Sundays from 9.30 - 10.15 am

in the n-Counter room on the 1st floor of the church building in Bonnevoie.

Annual Car Boot sale

Saturday, 18 June 2016 at the Glacis parking in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg

As every year, Oasis Church of God will participate at the Car Boot sale organised by the British Ladies Club and be in charge of food and drinks. There is much to organise and we are still looking for people in the following areas:

•  Building up tents •  Preparation for stall holders (resp. Jessica Mills) •  Setting up stalls •  Prepare sandwiches (resp. Bethia Kert) •  Selling sandwiches (resp. Bethia Kert) •  Selling Cakes (resp. Lena Martensson) •  Selling Hot food (resp. Margie Gilles) •  Preparing & Selling Crêpes (resp. Giovanna Colaci) •  Selling soft drinks (resp. Stan Kert) •  Preparing and selling coffee & tea •  Selling lunch tickets If you would like to help with your gifts, please contact the persons in bracket or alternatively write to Chris Kettle at chrissylux@coglux.com

Oasis Church of God has been participating in the Car Boot sale over the past 20 years. The money raised in the past has gone to the soup kitchen project in the Ukraine and then to the training centre, Horizon of Hope, in the Romanian mountains. This year, John and Pauline England have suggested to donate the revenue to “Regen Foundation”, a non-profit organsiation run by Petry Groza, who works mainly with the underprivileged Roma population in the surrounding villages of Fagaras (Romania). Their vision is to cast and empower a team of young people to reach out and bring regeneration to underprivileged people.

5 May 2016 at 7.30pm

Esperanza House 70, rue Dernier Sol L-2543 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

Mission TeenChallenge

Do you like to dedicate your time and help prepare or serve food for the homeless in Luxembourg? This might be a perfect opportunity to join. On top, you’ll learn more about TeenChallenge and their work in Luxembourg.Please inform Janice & Marlon Libang at Janice_Bautista@ept.lu or Chris Kettle at diary@coglux.com.

6/ 20/ 29 May 2016 at 6.30pm 29 May 2016 – social

Esperanza House 70, rue Dernier Sol L-2543 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

Oasis Youth meeting

Anyone aged 12+, who would like to meet Christian young people to worship and spend time together with is welcome. Contact youth.fellowship.oasis@gmail.com to receive more information.

Saturday, 21 May 2016 at 10am Email for details of the exact venue

Inter-Church Prayer Meeting for Luxembourg

Prayer meeting, followed by optional street evangelism. Email address: murielle_lemvoka-raskin@hotmail.com

Every Saturday at 6pm

50, Rue de la Déportation L- 1415 Luxembourg-Gasperich

Iglesia de Dios Luxemburgo

Praise, prayer & preaching (in Spanish), plus patisserie Please spread the word about this and invite your Spanish friends. Contact: Pastor Pietro at pietro@coglux.com for more information.

3 – 5 June 2016

Christian Hope Centre 70, rue Dernier Sol L-2543 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

Dr. Carl Simpson at Oasis

Dr. Carl Simpson is Dean at the European Theological Seminary in Freudenstadt, Germany and will be our guest speaker at Oasis church during the first weekend of June.

Events coming up… Oasis Kids Corner

Do your kids ever see and hear you praying? Mine don’t. I do most of my praying when they’re not around or silently in my heart. Outside of our bedtime prayers together, my kids probably don’t even know that I pray at all. I haven’t done the best job modeling prayer for them. How then are they supposed to learn to have conversations with God?

God gave us prayer as a means of making Himself personal and accessible to us. Prayer brings us into close conversation with the Maker of Heaven and earth. What better gift can we give our kids than teach them to pray and develop an intimate relationship with the Lord? So I’m trying… trying to be more intentional about prayer, both for myself and for my kids. And not just for my kids but with my kids and in front of my kids. That’s how they will learn to pray.

So here are some tips I’ve compiled for myself, and I hope they will help you too: Pray more often. The Bible says pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The first thing we can do is to pray more often, in more situations, and all throughout the day.

Pray out loud. This is the # thing that I need to do differently. I pray when things aren’t going so well. But all this praying I do quietly, in my heart; no one hears me. We need to pray out loud.

Have your quiet time while they’re awake. I know there are lots of resources that say you should get up extra early before your kids and have your quiet time in the still solitude of the early morning. That just doesn’t work for me. My kids get up before me in the morning. I read my devotional, I journal in my Bible, and I pray. If I do my praying out loud, they will hear me, and that’s the goal.

Pray with them. Praying with our children teaches them that it’s part of the everyday. Let your kids thank Him for five or six of the good things in their lives and ask Him to intercede in a situation or two. Or six. Let it be up to them.

Grab a copy of I Can Learn to Pray and read it together. This book is a wonderful collection of 52 devotions meant to be read weekly. Holly Hawkins Shivers covers everything from learning to pray to Thank You prayers to I’m sorry prayers.

Help them along. It might be hard for little ones to think of what to say in the beginning. Help them along by starting the prayer and letting them finish.

Confess. Confessing and repenting are important parts of prayer time. Teach your children to confess their sins by talking about it ahead of time. If you do it together, they will be more likely to do it on their own as they get older.

Pray together outside of bedtime. Pray at mealtimes. Pray in the morning. Pray when something good happens. Have your kids join you in prayer at all times of the day. The full article is available at: http://www.faithgateway.com/8-tips-teaching-kids-to-pray.

Oasis Kids Corner

•  Our brothers & sisters in the Oasis family who go through difficulties, need to take decisions or face challenging times

•  Luxembourg city and country – government, local authorities, our neighbourhoods

•  Missionaries we support – Piotr & Ana Ozana in Poznan (PL), Matt & Janet Dawson and their work for Wycliffe Bible Translation

•  European leaders – for God’s guidance and wisdom in taking decisions that are honouring him.

•  Christians & missionaries in the Middle East – for God’s protection, guidance and courage to stand firm as they face persecution

•  For people fleeing war and violent situations, especially at the moment from Syria and Iraq.

Regular Events, Important Prayer Requests & More Please pray for …

Opportunities to serve

Church address: 72 rue Dernier Sol, L- 2543 Luxembourg Church website: www.oasis.lu/ www.coglux.com

•  Singers, instrumentalists in the worship team. Practice sessions on Tuesdays at 7 pm.

• Newsletter editors – Interested? Write to newsletter@oasis.lu to let us know your interest.

• Volunteers in the Oasis Kids’ ministry. If you have a heart for kids, please write to kids@oasis.lu to find out how you can support them.

•  Volunteers for Esperanza House

• Volunteers to help with coffee & tea before & after Church. Please contact Brian or Grace at: info@oasis.lu

Worship Service Sundays: 10.30 am Worship Service 72 rue Dernier Sol, Bonnevoie, With a time for fellowship over tea & coffee, before and after the service

Worship Practice Tuesdays: 7pm Worship practice 72, rue Dernier Sol L-2543 Luxembourg

Oasis Kids Sundays during the service •Morning Stars (under 3s) •Kindergarten (3-5s) •Sparklers (6-8s) •N:Counter (9-11s) •S.M.A.S.H. (12-16+) For information, please email: kids@oasis.lu

Ladies’ Group Thursdays: 9.30 -11.30 am 72, rue Dernier Sol L-2543 Luxembourg

Home Groups Every 2nd Monday at 7.30 pm In Kayl – Contact: Fernand Gilles Every 2nd Wednesday at 8 pm In Itzig – Contact: John and Jessica Mills Every Thursday at 7.30 pm In Strassen – Contacts: Lena Martensson and Emmanuel Kabamba For information about all of the home groups, please contact info@oasis.lu

Youth Fellowship Every second Friday: 6.30 - 9 pm Social once a month Esperanza House Under 18s See Events’ Diary or contact youth@oasis.lu for more details of dates and events.

Leadership Senior Pastors: Pietro & Giovanna Colaci, 2656 8663 or 691 694 504 Email: pietro@coglux.com, giovanna@coglux.com Assistant Pastor: Emmanuel Kabamba Pastoral Board: Torugbene Adekolu, Mauricio Fulco, Justin Griffiths, Lena Martensson, Jaysen Sundrum, Richard Watts

Email: info@oasis.lu

Tithing and Offerings Bank account: Church of God Luxembourg (BGL BNP Paribas) IBAN: LU45 0030 6819 5781 0000 BIC: BGLLLULL

Newsletter Please send items for the Events’ Diary, Prayer Needs, news/articles - or requests to receive this newsletter by email – for the next monthly newsletter by Monday, 25 May 2016 to newsletter@oasis.lu

Listen again…. to recent sermons at: www.oasis.lu/welcome/messages/

Bible Study Sundays from 9.30 am to 10.15 am

Hope Centre – 1st floor

Intercessory Ministry Sundays from 9.30 am to 10.15 am

Intercessory Prayer for church needs, prayer requests & listening to God (Hope Centre - 2nd floor)

Contact: Leena Hoffmann

Special prayer request Anneke den Hoedt, who has been leading the Oasis ladies group for a long time and former member of the church, is asking the church family for prayer support. Her younger sister, Ineke, has been diagnosed with cancer and the forecast of the doctors aren’t very promising. Ineke and her husband are both Christians and believe in the power of prayer. Will you join in prayer for Ineke and her family and bring them before God? Please pray for God’s healing and his comfort for the whole family. May his presence be felt by everyone.