Become a Church Partner
The body of Christ has a responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable in our communities. The prophet Micah lays out clearly our calling, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV). Where did Jesus walk? With those who were most in need of His transformational power and love.
Wild Oak Haven desires to partner with churches so that we can break the cycle of generational trauma and generational sin. We get our name from Isaiah 63 verses 1-4. “(1) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives… (3) to provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. (4) They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.” What an incredible opportunity for the church to be involved and participate in God’s redeeming work!! We aren’t just talking about one life either, we are talking about changed lives for generations to come. There is nothing more fulfilling than being in the space where God is moving and seeing the miraculous transformation enacted by the Holy Spirit!
Restorative Justice and Redemptive Connections
The Old and New Testaments are filled with examples of restorative justice; when someone is willing to sacrifice of themselves strictly for the benefit of someone else. This kind of love takes courage and it is often messy, but it is a beautiful way to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Foster care, adoption, and mentoring are not only examples of restorative justice, they are also ways to cultivate redemptive connections. Childhood trauma and chronic stress can leave lasting impacts on multiple generations. This is captured in the study of epigenetics, but was also written in scripture thousands of years ago. Exodus 34:6–7 [6] The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (ESV) . Forming redemptive connections is the most effective way to reverse the harmful effects of brokenness and generational sin.
