Summer 2025 Edition

GLORY TO GOD - GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE

We thank God for His work through you to bring back camp.

It is with a touch of joy and sadness, really melancholy, that we send out this last newsletter for OMV. Our board and Executive Director (and you all!) were willing to step out in faith and see what God might do in the wake of the closure and sale of THE OAKS. What He did was nothing short of amazing. Through many open and closed doors God steered us to this point where we have four years of winter camp and two years of summer camps plus Outback trips behind us.

We did this using a new volunteer staffed, property lease based, and community led model. Christian camping continues to prove itself as the single best way to bring people into a real and growing relationship with each other and God. We are excited to see where Passion SoCal takes this camp ministry next. Che Canales, pictured above, recently married Cielo Arrioja, Pastor Bobby's daughter and our former program lead. Pray for this duo as they take on more at Passion SoCal.

OMV OUTCOMES TO DATE

• 1,909 Participants

• 386 Relationships with Jesus started

• 35 Urban leaders equipped for camp ministry

STEWARDSHIP STILL OUR TOP PRIORITY

Resources are going to partners for continued impact

Over our nearly five years of operation, we assembled quite an array of retreat and camping supplies, equipment, and gear including a great trailer. These resources were given to Passion SoCal to help them continue the camps we began as partners, and to Los Angeles Christian School, so they can continue to grow and expand their wilderness outback expeditions. Pastor Bobby thanked us in our Spring newsletter.

Principal Cynthia Layton (a former Oaks camper herself) shared,

"We are incredibly honored to receive the generous gift of camping gear from Oasis Ministry Ventures. As OMV brings its beautiful chapter to a close, we are deeply moved by the care and intentionality with which they have chosen to pass on their resources to like-minded ministries.

Remaining fund are being used to dissolve the organization in an orderly manner - making sure important records are archived and all appropriate filings are made with appropriate government organizations such as the IRS and State of CA. What remains after these administrative needs are complete will be used to provide a modest severance to our Executive Director to bless him as he transitions, and to Psalm 68five to support children without a father in their lives getting to camp.

Executive Director, Sean McFeely and Videographer, Elias Johnson working to get gear inventoried and given to our partners - Passion SoCal and LACS.

TRANSITION YOUR GIVING 

Passion SoCal and Others Can Use Your Support

Thank you for your faithful support through July 1st. All recurring giving through Simple Give has ended. If you give by Zelle or other automated means, please take appropriate steps to end these methods.

We want to set Passion SoCal and other urban youth serving camping organizations we have partnered with up for continued success. While Passion SoCal received two large grants in 2025 for camp, these will not be renewed as best we know.

You can get set up to partner with Passion SoCal by going here. They need prayer, volunteers, and financial help to keep camps going strong.

Our board would also like to share several other great options to consider: 

• Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree Camping Program - They support children of prisoners getting to camp and supported OMV's summer camp.

• Psalm68Five - They provide funds for children without fathers in their life to get to a Christian camp, and provided OMV grants last year.
• Star Rock Ministries - They have provided grants to Passion SoCal for winter camp, and support getting urban youth to Christian camp.

MINISTRY COMMUNICATION CONCLUDING

A final letter and year end giving statements are what you can expect from OMV, reach out to our ED otherwise.

We will be thanking you one last time towards the end of the year and providing you with the usual year end giving statement. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to our Executive Director, Sean McFeely. He will not be working on a paid basis past this issue of the newsletter, so please give him grace as he volunteers and responds in the margins of a full time job during peak summer camp season.

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS, BOARD MEMBERS, PRAYER TEAM, and ANGELS HERE ON EARTH...

Working with you all has been a great privilege and joy!

There are so many people to thank! Thank you Pastor Bobby and Passion SoCal, Pastor Curtis and Faith Community Church of Palmdale, CA, First Presbyterian Church of York, PA, CenterPoint Community Church of Milford, PA, nurses, speakers and faculty, worship teams, YAC members, UYWI, Psalm 68five, CCCA, Prison Fellowship, snack shop teams, AV and tech team folks, trailer parking placer, gear schleppers, prayer team, board, hosts for Sean on his monthly visits, former staff, consultants, and interns, spouses and kids of staff, and of course our campers - for allowing us the joy of being a part of your faith journey through the power of Christian camping.

~ Soli Deo Gloria ~