By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
July 01, 2009 08:58 pm
—
When an addiction turns your soul into a desert, an oasis is just what you need.
Soon, there will be an oasis right here in Somerset for individuals seeking help with their addictions.
Plans are in the works to open the Oasis Care Center, an outreach ministry of Eagle Heights Church that will come to the aid of men and women dealing with various types of addictions.
The ministry will be officially introduced this weekend — appropriately, in the midst of the nation’s celebration of freedom — with a Summer Celebration at Eagle Heights Church, located on the Ky. 914 Bypass near Ky. 192.
The public is invited to celebrate Independence Day on Friday, July 3, beginning at 4 p.m. on the church grounds. Games, food, and a giant yard sale will be featured in the evening, and, as night falls, guests can stay and watch SomerBlast’s fireworks display from one of the best spots in town.
On Sunday, July 5, Eagle Heights will hold its church service from the porch of the new Oasis Center — a 8,000-square-foot-plus log cabin which used to house the Backwaters store — at 10 a.m. The service will feature Cecil Johnson, a recovered alcoholic who is currently having a movie made about his life.
A cookout will be held following the church service, and more activities will be available in the afternoon. The meal is free, but donations to the Oasis ministry will be accepted.
The Oasis will offer meeting space for various support groups and one-on-one counseling.
A thrift store will also be housed in the building. Proceeds will fund operation of the Oasis.
The facility will eventually offer two residential rehabilitation buildings for men and women who are facing long-term recoveries. A $200,000 anonymous donation was recently received to help fund the construction of the residential buildings, which should be completed by the end of this year.
Later, those involved in the Oasis ministry hope to offer free help to individuals who need help in other areas. A shelter for children and a pregnancy support center are just two of several options.
Eagle Heights Discipleship and Small Groups Pastor Joey Simmons said the Oasis is the realization of a longtime dream of Senior Pastor David Bullock.
“There is nothing like this in Somerset yet,” Simmons said.
“We expect this ministry to be huge, but we don’t expect to do it all ourselves. We think that when people start hearing about what it is, they’ll want to get involved.”
Simmons said short therapy sessions often aren’t enough to help addicts.
“We need to get these people out of our neighborhoods and into a full-time care facility,” he said.
Applications are currently being accepted for an Oasis director. The facility should be operational by the fall.
For more information about the Oasis, call Eagle Heights Church at (606) 677-9220.
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Photos
The Oasis logo