The Oasis Church: A Refreshing Approach
The land is sparse and the air is dry, but not as dry as the spiritual climate of Tucson, Arizona. In over 400 years, there has never been a movement of God. There are only 300 churches of any kind to serve a community of over one million people, and nearly 90% of the population does not attend church. Wicca and other occult practices permeate the culture, which is isolated by miles of desert in every direction. It is the reported home to famous leaders such as the author of the Satanic Bible and is a hotbed of spiritual activity, but very little of that activity is Christ-centered.
Parched and desolate, Tucson was desperately in need of a spiritual oasis, and ten years ago that is exactly what they got. In 1994, Mark and Debbie Harris moved their family from a secure consulting job with Merrill Lynch in Houston to Tucson in order to plant a church. With only 12 people meeting in a small home, they set their first goal: to have 1% of the Tucson population meeting in HOME groups every week. From the start, Mark has created a culture that passionately strives towards their goals.
The Oasis Church hopes to plant 50 new congregations throughout the city in the next ten years. In order to achieve this goal, they have decided to forego ever owning a building. Instead, their home is the same school cafeteria in which they have met for the past ten years. “It is not an accident that we are still meeting in a cafeteria,” explains Mark. “We do not intend to buy a building.” Mark and the Oasis Church would rather pour their resources into starting new churches to reach new areas so that the gospel will touch every subculture in Tucson. They have already helped plant 17 new congregations, and many of those pastors were raised out of the Oasis. Mark is currently mentoring three men from his congregation who will soon be sent out to start new churches. He has also initiated a side business which will help fund additional church planters. One of his goals is to help church planters become self-sufficient so that all tithes and offerings can be poured directly into the community.
When it comes to community service, Mark’s church is anything but distant. For ten years, the Oasis Church has empowered people to impact their community in real and tangible ways. They have invested over $600,000 in community service projects in Tucson. Oasis members have started multiple non-profit companies that include a transitional living and counseling program for inmates addicted to substance abuse, a ministry that gives scholarships to underprivileged families so their children can attend the private institution of their choice, and a group that builds and funds housing for citizens who otherwise could not afford to be homeowners.
In a community that does not trust evangelicals, Mark’s church has regained credibility through organic church planting and community transformation. His focus is not on how many people they pull in, but rather on how many people they send out into the world. “We believe our church must grow larger and smaller at the same time,” he explains. Perhaps John the Baptist is not the only “voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:23). Because of the obedience, sacrifice, and perseverance of Mark and the Oasis Church, streams of living water are now flowing in Tucson, Arizona.
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