OUR STORY SO FAR...
UNIFYING THE VISION
2020 was a year, unlike anything we ever expected. Though many of the events were a surprise to us, they were not a surprise to the One we serve. Though we couldn't have known exactly what was needed, because of God's direction, we were prepared. This past year, we've seen exponential growth in the needs of our community, but God has created avenues for us to answer that need with love. Oasis Church has never been stronger! – We've relaunched and redefined the Lord's Gym City Center, now named the Oasis City Center. Which now houses a completely reimagined outreach arm known as Oasis Cares. Oasis Cares has distributed over a million pounds of food as well as resources to our community just in 2020. We are uniting the vision across our locations and preparing for continual growth!
EXPANDING THE VISION
The Steelman’s still felt strongly that they had even more to give. They knew that God was setting them up for even greater things and that the Church had even more to offer the community of Stockton. For years, Pastor Joey had driven past an abandoned building; untouched for more than a decade and prayed for God to open up an opportunity to expand the current gym into a place that would have a greater capacity to inspire even more people! The vision was to create a space that was more than a gym, a place that would become a beacon of hope for everyone and anyone. In 2017, this vision would become a reality as the building he had passed so many times was finally acquired, and more steps of faith were needed to see the City Center become a reality.
The Beginning
In January of 2010, Pastor Joey & Jennifer Steelman officially stepped in as Senior Pastors. It was in the same month that "The Lord's Gym" was dedicated to the community and began to welcome hundreds of people daily! The vision was to create a space that offered opportunities to connect with people and on a deeper level, build lasting relationships, and share the love of Jesus in relational ways.
The Vision
Prior to officially taking the Senior Position, Pastor Joey stepped in as the Associate Pastor of the Church while continuing to impact thousands through an evangelistic traveling ministry (Donnie Moore Ministries), that he had been a part of since his salvation in 1997. During this time, Pastor Joey continued to feel a push to impact the community of Stockton and its surrounding area and began to do so by opening a small gym. The gym was similar to the one where he first met Donnie Moore, who impacted his life by seeing a gift in Joey that he did not see in himself. It was through Donnie’s investment of time in Joey’s life that God began to set in motion the events that would lead to the birth of Oasis Church.
The ASK
Oasis Church was birthed in the heart of Senior Pastor Joey Steelman, long before he ever actually pastored a church. Driven from a life experience as a young boy, the name Oasis stuck with him for a reason he had yet to know. In 2008 he was asked to lead a small church that was on the verge of foreclosure and had less than 50 people in regular attendance. Having no background or history in working on a Church staff or setting, Pastor Joey set out by faith to turn a once dying church into a life-giving hub of hope and inspiration; a place where people from all backgrounds were welcome and could experience Jesus in unconventional ways.
The CITY CENTER
As soon as the Steelman’s began Pastoring, they knew that feeding people on some level was definitely needed. Due to negative experiences, they both had as kids receiving food, clothing, and additional handouts, they wanted to ensure that nobody ever felt the way they did. It was in the vein of offering people a hand up and not a handout, that “Helping Hands” was born. The purpose of Helping Hands was to help those that were in need of additional resources such as food, clothing, and basic amenities to receive these much-needed products without fear of shame or judgment. Though Helping Hands was in many ways successful, visionary leader, Joey Steelman still desired to reach more people in more ways. By 2018, that desire was realized with the opening of "The Lord's Gym City Center" – A place where teens were welcomed with open arms, resources were made available to everyone, and the atmosphere was electrified with love and compassion
AN OASIS
Joey Steelman shares his life story of how Oasis wasn't built out of a lifetime of perfect upbringing and picturesque moments, but rather a series of obstacles and painful experiences. Those experiences, through the crimson lens of Jesus' love, are what led to the vision and values of Oasis Church – A place meant to embody relief in a barren land. In 2019, that place officially became a reality. Oasis Church moved to a new location in Stockton, California on Claremont Avenue. This location would serve as a temporary resting space for Oasis as God reveals the next move for the Church.
The FUTURE...
Oasis Church is a place of refuge and relief in an otherwise hectic environment. We ignite hope through the tangible love of Jesus, one life at a time. With a mission statement like that, the possibilities are endless! Our purpose is to provide an opportunity for everyone to experience Oasis. That may be in a church service, through the City Center, being blessed through our Food Distribution or through whatever adventure God takes Oasis Church on. However people experience Oasis, our desire is that it brings them closer to the One that started it all, Jesus.