Our Values

Vision

At Oak River Retreat, we are followers of Jesus who believe our purpose is to advance the Kingdom of God by embracing the work Jesus has given to His Church. Scripture declares the Church is to love God, love people, proclaim the gospel and make disciples. We desire to help the Church fulfill this mission by doing whatever it takes to help pastors, missionaries and Church leaders reconnect with God and develop a deeper and closer relationship with Jesus.

Mission

To provide an atmosphere conducive to spiritual reflection and renewal, allowing Christian leaders to renew, refresh and deepen their connection with God.

What We Believe

Scripture

We believe the Bible is God’s inerrant Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and written by chosen men of God. The Bible is without error and is completely sufficient for faith and daily living. (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; and 2 Peter 1:20-21).

The Trinity

We believe there is one living God, and that He has revealed Himself in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The three Persons are co-substantial, co-inherent, co-equal and co-eternal in the Godhead (Titus 3:4-6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 6:1-3, 9:6; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 1:1-13; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2; John 1:18; Philippians 2:11; Revelation 1:8, 4:8).

The Father

We believe the Creator-God is our heavenly Father, infinitely perfect and intimately acquainted with all our ways. As the first person of the Trinity, the Father is the source and ruler of all things and is fatherly in His relationship with creation in general and believers in particular. He is eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, just, loving, long suffering, true, and unchangeable. He is also merciful and saves all from sin and death that come to Him through Jesus Christ (Psalm 103:19 and 1 Peter 1:2).

Jesus Christ

We believe according to the Father’s plan, the eternal Son humbled Himself and became incarnate, inseparably uniting undiminished deity with true humanity, and fully revealing the Father to the world. As fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit to be born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross to pay, in full, the penalty for our sin, rose bodily and miraculously from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again to earth in His glory. We believe in His miracles and teachings; His perpetual intercession for His people; that He is the propitiation for our sins; and that His shed blood is fully atoning (John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 John 2:2, 5:11-12).

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the presence of God who is Himself co-equal with God and unique in his function. We believe He came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, seal, sanctify, and empower believers for ministry. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. (John 14:26; Acts 1:5, 8; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23).

Salvation

We believe all humans are born sinful and are unable to save themselves through any meritorious work. Salvation only occurs by the grace of God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Through a change of mind (metanoia) and believing the gospel that Jesus Christ died for his or her sins and then rose from the dead, a person will be forgiven of all sin, declared righteous by God, reborn into new life, and guaranteed eternal life with God (John 1:12; Romans 5:6-8, 10:9-10; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-5).

The Return of Jesus Christ

We believe in and anticipate our Lord’s promised, imminent return. According to the Father’s plan, Jesus Christ will one day return in power to bring the completion of salvation, and rewards to believers and judgment and wrath to unbelievers. The reality of His return is certain, and all believers are called to live faithfully in anticipation of His coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Hebrews 9:28; and Revelation 19:11-16).

Resurrection of Humanity

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; believers to everlasting communion with God and unbelievers to everlasting separation from God. (John 11:23-27; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; and Revelation 20:4-21:5).

The Church

We believe the Church exists to live and proclaim God’s truth, to stimulate growth toward maturity, and to bring glory to God. (Acts 2:41-47; Philippians 2:1-4; and Hebrews 10:24-25).

Marriage

We believe marriage, as instituted by God, is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of a man and a woman joined in an intimate community of life and love. (Genesis 1:27, 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-23)

Christian Identity, Character and Virtue

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity as affirmed in the Scriptures (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual in or outside of the church are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the Scriptures.

As a non-denominational ministry, we realize that there are a number of variant nuances of interpretation and denominational emphases that can polarize the body of Christ. Therefore, we affirm the general statement as originated in the early church by Augustine: “In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity.”