THE MISSION OF OBC

Why does OBC exist?  It can be summed up in the following statement:

OBC exists to serve the mission of Jesus Christ in the Oban area and beyond.

This is lived out in many ways, both within the church family and out in the community.

Within the Church Family

The Bible paints an incredible picture of community.  Imperfect people of all generations, from all walks of life, living alongside each other with their hearts and minds fixed on emulating the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  We try to do this in many ways at OBC - partly through our Sunday morning services, house groups, prayer meetings, social gatherings and special events, but ultimately through the organic relationship building and self-sacrifice that God calls all His children to embrace.  There will always be room for improvement in this, but OBC is a community that lives very much with this goal at its heart. 

Within the Wider Community

Emulating the life of Christ also means reaching out beyond the church to those in the community, seeking to meet their physical and emotional needs in practical ways.  At OBC, we try to do this in organised and organic ways.

Noah's Ark Toddler Group

We run a toddler's group three mornings a week, where we seek to provide an open-door, warm welcome for parents/carers and little ones.  It's an initiative of hospitality, seeking to serve and love this demographic of the community of Oban, so that they know that there is a place they can always come and find friendship and encouragement as they seek to navigate such an exciting but challenging phase of life - never alone, always together.

- get in touch HERE if you want to know more!

School Uniform Recycling

Over the past few years, a team of volunteers at OBC has been faithfully sourcing, washing, organising and distributing school uniform free of charge to families across the Oban and Lorn area.  We're passionate about supporting families at a time when even the basics can put pressure on finances, and passionate about redistributing uniform that still has plenty of life left in it to those happy to receive it.  We've given out hundreds of items to hundreds of people, and we are so grateful to be able to love the community in this way.

- get in touch HERE if you want to know more!

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE, STARTING NOW

We're also conscious that, in keeping with our primary mission, there are many people who have not yet heard about the incredible hope found only in Jesus Christ.   That's why we're involved in, and seeking to pioneer, initiatives so that this can be realised.

Youth Initiatives

Our Pastor, Stuart, has been a Chaplain at the local High School since 2016.  He's served there in a range of capacities, from taking assemblies, contributing to Remembrance and Christmas services and leading memorial services for former students.

Recently, an opportunity arose for OBC to begin a Youth Alpha group in the High School, with Stuart and a small team welcoming young people curious to know more about the person and work of Jesus.  Young people are hungry to find answers to the biggest questions in life - what an opportunity to give them some answers!

This feeds into the greater vision that OBC has for the future - hosting a youth hub which will offer a warm welcome to the young people of Oban as they seek to know more about the meaning of life and the reason for their existence.  Our redeveloped premises will contain a dedicated youth hub, and the vision is to have a team of people equipped and ready to love and support them as they journey towards the cross of Christ and beyond it into new life.

A Church for the Generations

God cares about the generations - He instructed His people to share the truths of His character, nature and deeds to every generation, so that people would never forget the meaning of life and the value, purpose and calling they have in Christ.  At OBC, our heart is to provide spaces for the generations, so that they can find community, support and encouragement, and that they might come to know the love of God found in Jesus Christ.

This will, in most cases, take the form of Mini Missional Communities - small gathering spaces for people to congregate around a shared interest, leaving room for God's Spirit to work in every heart.  These communities can best be described as follows:

2025 is the pioneering year of this initiative, and we've already had some people expressing interest in creating such communities, so watch this space for more information!