Wow, what a year!  Since summer of 2009 through March 2010, Oasis has been busy singing at various churches in the Kitsap county area.  During the Christmas holidays we had fun singing for the public on the WSF Bainbridge Island- Seattle ferry run.  Another enjoyable event was singing at the Yates house warming and Christmas gathering.

Oasis and their families brought in the 2010 New Year with a New Year’s Party at the Yates’  new  home.  We secretly used this occasion to throw a surprise birthday party for Karen Waddell.

Soon, the vocal group was back in gear, leading worship for different churches. This was a great opportunity to announce the new Northwest Women of Hope Conference on March 19-20, 2010.  Oasis had the honor of leading worship at this new conference held at Sylvan Way Baptist Church.  How exciting it was to gather with women from the greater Kitsap and Olympic peninsula area to worship our Lord and hear the message from Karen Kennedy.

After the conference, Oasis was back in gear singing at local churches and events. In the month of  May,  several of our teenagers are getting ready  for their proms.  Also, we have several graduating this year from high school.  Our children grow up so fast and we pray as Christian parents that our children keep the Lord first and foremost in their minds and hearts.

Oasis plans to take a six week break from mid July through the end of August.  Then back on the road again to spread the Good News through music and testimonies.  We pray that hearts are uplifted when the doors are open for us to share about our wonderful Lord.

Blessings to all our friends and families,

Shelli Shelton

Please join the ladies of Oasis for a very special evening of uplifting music and yummy desserts! We will be presenting a FREE concert on August 29 at 7pm at North Kitsap Baptist Church and all are invited. You’ll get to hear some of the new songs we’ve been learning this summer as well as a few of our favorites from the past. A dessert fellowship will immediately follow the music… and if Lisa’s bringing a dessert you KNOW you want to be there!

The purpose of this event is to help us raise funds to purchase our own sound equipment for our music ministry travels. Many of the smaller venues we sing at (churches, retreat centers) don’t have enough microphones for each of us, let alone our instruments. We need to start building our own sound system, from microphones and stands on up to a sound board and midsized speakers. A freewill offering will be taken during the concert for those who feel led to give.

Meanwhile we’ve completed our first recording session, conducted with great professionalism and encouragement by James Newman (thankyou, James!) We recorded five songs in different styles for a demo CD so we actually have something we can send people when they want to hear what we sound like. UPDATE:  two demos are now posted here: look under “Music Samples” on the right!

Hello sisters, family, friends, & fans. Summer is upon us. Yea! Oasis has had a slow start this year. The Yates family and the Siegethaler family have been under great distress dealing with the loss of precious loved ones. We share in their mourning. As I search God’s word on ‘mourning’, I have been reading the scripture verses in Isaiah 61. The chapter refers to proclaiming God’s word and comforting all who mourn. The verses tell us “v.2…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty…the oil of gladness…and a garment of praise instead of spirit of dispair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
As I reread and reread this entire chapter, I felt God pointing out a path for Oasis to take. Often our Lord forces us to STOP what we are doing & focus and assess our direction. The last several months we have been thinking about our testimony as a group and as individuals. Through these difficult times growth occurs.
Isaiah 61:6 “And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God…” I know that we as a group do not see ourselves as “Priests”; we are vocalists and musicians! But I interpret this as sharing the gospel to the poor in spirit. And we can truely feel the pain of the brokenhearted. I have felt an urgency to share the gospel for all who are lost. My prayer is that we are never afraid to speak about what the Lord has done for us and what He can do for you. May our hearts be BOLD and speak truth, yet continuously be humble, reaching out to those who are in pain and mourn.
After over 3 years together,this Memorial Day weekend will be our first entire Oasis Ladies Ensemble Family gathering and 1st Board of Directors meeting. I pray that this weekend will bring a thread of blessed communion and shared wisdom of the Lord’s direction for our future.
For all who support our ministry, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
Shelli Shelton

Sometimes there are no words. Karen, our hearts ache with you at the loss of your beloved daughter. We know she is sitting at Jesus’ feet; running through the fields of heaven with no shortness of breath; laughing with the angels and turning her beautiful smile to the Father’s face. What a precious place heaven will always hold in your hearts now as your true home, with Sirena. We are privileged to walk this valley with you, our sister in the Lord. Please know that we are always here for you.

I didn’t say you’d never taste the bitter kiss of death
Or have to walk through chilly Jordan to enter into rest
But I did say I’d be waiting right on the other side
And I did say I’d dry ev’ry tear you cry.

‘Cause you know I made a promise that I’ve prepared a place,
And someday sooner than you think you’ll see Me face to face
And you’ll sing with the angels and a countless multitude;
This is the promise, this is the promise I’ve made to you.

So just keep on walking, don’t turn to the left or right,
And in the midst of darkness, oh, let this be your light:
That hell can’t separate us, you’re gonna make it through;
This is the promise I’ve made to you,
This is the promise that I made to you.

It’s Christmastime and our calendars are filling up! We’re making time to participate in North Kitsap Baptist Church’s Christmas Dessert Theatre on November 30 and December 1. Then we’re off to Haller Lake Baptist Church in Seattle on the 8th to bring some music to a ladies’ Christmas party… we heard there will be lutefisk involved so we’ve prepared a special song about it… maybe the only song about lutefisk to be sung anywhere, anytime this Christmas! We’ll also be singing at a ladies’ lunch in Port Ludlow on the 19th. We do get around! But this is a wonderful time of year to share God’s love through music. Lana’s tuned up her mouth harmonica (that’s no harmonica, just mouth) for “Mary Was The First One (To Carry The Gospel)” with Lisa on a cool LOW solo part! Hope to see you in our travels!
Merry Christmas,
Jane

Hello fellow singers, musicians and fans:
Welcome to our new blog page. For those who do not know about us, we are an ensemble of Christian female vocalists, who are busy mothers. We’re regular ‘ol all american gals over 40 who love praising the Lord. We lift others up in prayer, and “attempt” to be godly examples to our families and friends.
And when I say “attempt”, I am referring to those so often tough moments. Sometimes those moments become hours and days of stress. Though it’s tough going through the fire and lonely traveling through the dark valleys, we know that we have a GOD who is real and alive to hold us up and guides us.
As I always say, I am thankful for a group of gals who are dedicated to serving.
For a little biography of the beginning of Oasis (NKBC ladies ensemble), it began as a calling for me around 1999 back in Valdosta, GA. I had moved back home to my parents and rededicated my life to serving Christ. I felt that God was calling me to sing with a vocal group, however, it never transpired until around spring 2005 at a church all the way across the United States in a small town outside of Seattle. Rick and I began attending North Kitsap Baptist Church, Poulsbo, Wa in 2004. I took a severance from Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant and dove into the music program at church. After getting to know some cool gals at church, we all began chatting here and there about singing together as a group. After praying to God, “could this be what you want God”, we formed a ladies ensemble vocal group.
I was quite suprised at how excited and faithful the ladies were with our group and pracitices.
Our initial members were Denise Stocks, Lisa Hanson, Pam Whitt, Lana Peters, Karen Waddell, Kerri Siegenthaler and me, Shelli Shelton. Unfortunately, Denise and eventually Pam had to step off due to other obligations. We really miss those s. But God had exellent replacements around the corner. We invited Jane and Emma to join us the fall of 2006.
Never the less, when God has HIS hand in it, things just always turn out great!!!
I would say that a Key item that keeps us bonded is our joy and laughter. We love to laugh and share.
Anyways, we are entering our third year together and our repertoire is growing. God stretches us, and we discovered that many of our songs are culturally diverse. Even though we love the oldy goldy songs, we love many diverse contemporary songs too. And with our newest member, Karen Yates, we should be able to pull off some great new songs this next year.
We have great instrumentalists. Karen Waddell-keyboardist/pianist; Jane Melin-violin; Kerri Siegenthaler-guitar; Lana Peters-guitar.
Our next song will be presented July 29,2007 at both services at NKBC. It could shock the congregation (again) with its Afro-American sound. We also have a surprise this time. We have invited 4 teen percussionists as our musicians. The song is “Shut De Do”. I hope everyone with enjoy it.
Well, enough blogging. I have children to pick up at preschool/daycare.
God Bless all.
Shelli Shelton