Our story

Oasis began with a loss.

In 2016, we experienced the loss of Dan's brother, Jon, to suicide. When Jon had moved away to pursue college, he left his deeply rooted community behind. We believe that it was the loss of this community that brought a sense of isolation and hopelessness. We believe that this was a large contributing factor in the choice Jon made. A big part of Jon's stress was also financial: he was fiercely independent and did not want to be a burden to his parents. Jon also struggled with compulsive sexual behavior. We continue to heal from that loss and gain understanding of the ripple effects it had on our lives and our ministry.

We tell Jon's story because no one should carry that kind of hopelessness alone. If you are fighting compulsive sexual behavior, Restored Life Counseling, a separate Christian counseling nonprofit, can help. If hopelessness is where you are today, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 if you are in danger right now.

The vision for Oasis was born in 2021, out of the recognition that in this world, Christ-centered community for people in transition is hard to find. That year Dan and Skylar completed YWAM (Youth With A Mission), where living in deep community met the need for connection God designed into every person. It also became clear that in our fractured and individualistic world, the need for authentic community is desperate. Many young adults cannot afford rent on their own, and many have never seen a Christ-centered marriage, parenting, or family life up close. Out of that came the desire to create a place where authentic, Christ-centered community is affordable and accessible. While we always had a heart for hospitality, we did not know what that experience and our experience in YWAM would lead to: the founding of Oasis Discipleship Homes.

After an extensive property search, God brought us to the Oasis on Orangewood in Glendale. Renovations to turn its barn into two apartments began in February 2022 and were finished in May 2024. It was a long and grueling process, and we saw the Lord's favor over and over again. Our first Community Members joined us in February 2024, staying in an RV until the renovations were done. As the vision grew, it became clear we needed a wider network, so in 2025 we incorporated Oasis as a nonprofit to deepen our partnership with local churches. In January 2026 the IRS recognized it as a 501(c)(3) public charity, effective August 2, 2025.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Our purpose

Oasis is a Christ-centered discipleship program for people in transitional seasons of life. It pairs Christian mentorship with an affordable place to live, inside a community that shares life together.

The world is full of conflict, pain, and distortion. But Jesus told his disciples to "be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, KJV). In him, we can overcome too. We believe each person can have a transformational story that helps others and gives them purpose, and that a Christ-centered identity is often best found in the right community. Oasis is a safe place to grow, to heal, and to move into the ministry you were created for.

What we believe

Oasis is anchored by this Statement of Faith, from our bylaws.

We are:

• Christian. We affirm the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
• Protestant. We affirm that the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon are alone inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative. We do not acknowledge the papacy or magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Unfinished. Though we find great beauty in traditional Protestantism, we realize that in some areas traditions may not be fully Scriptural. Where that is the case, we are eager to change as the Spirit convicts us through the Word.
• Integrative. We affirm that all truth is God's truth, wherever truth is found. In our work, we consider common grace insights from every field of study to the extent that they do not contradict the plain teaching of Scripture.
• Curious. We recognize that Christianity, Protestantism, Calvinism, and Evangelicalism are all diverse within themselves. No one is saved by their theology; they are saved by grace. We strive to respect and learn from our brothers and sisters in the faith, even when we draw different theological conclusions.
• Missional. We believe that all people are created in God's image, and those outside the faith are due equal love and respect from us as those inside the faith. They shall know we are Christians by our love. We pray that through our love they might experience the love of Christ, and that the Spirit would draw them to Him through our love. As Jesus made disciples and sent them out to make more, we open our homes and our lives to make disciples who will go and do likewise.
• Traditional toward Marriage and Gender. We affirm that Biblical marriage is between one biological man and one biological woman. We affirm that the true gender of any individual is that revealed by their anatomy at birth and possession of either XX or XY chromosomes.

Everyone who lives at Oasis agrees to live by the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40), as our Community Member Agreement sets out.

Our vision: grow and go

We want every person who becomes part of Oasis to grow, and then to go. Jesus made disciples, trained them in his ways, and sent them out to make more disciples. That is our mission too. We offer both one-on-one and community discipleship, and we meet people where they are.

In the first year, Community Members are poured into. In the second, they begin to pour into others. By the third, they are launching into their next chapter, though they remain part of the Oasis family for years to come.

"Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."

How Oasis grows

Each region begins with an anchor home: a house meant to remain a discipleship home for the long term, large enough to host gatherings for the wider Oasis family. Oasis on Orangewood is the anchor home in Arizona.

Our long-term hope is that Community Members who finish the program will one day host Oasis homes of their own, and disciple others the way they were discipled.

Founders and board

Oasis was started by the Stephens family and is governed by a board of directors.

Skylar Stephens, President. Founding director, and with Dan, the host family at Oasis on Orangewood. A mother, wife, and social worker turned homemaker and home educator, Skylar fuels the heart and soul of the community. She keeps the wheels on the bus, the coals burning, and holds down the fort, all through the grace and love of Christ. Community Members will see her the most.

Dan Stephens, Treasurer and acting Secretary. Founding director. Dan is Skylar's husband and the father of four, and may someday be a pastor. He works with Joe on keeping the property running smoothly and architecting the long-term vision.

Joe Stephens. Founding director. "Grandpa Joe" is Sheryl's husband and the father of six. A former Marine Engineer, salesman, and entrepreneur, he worked for more than a decade in elder care, including through COVID. In his own words a "jack of all trades, but master of none," Joe has contributed the most to building Oasis Discipleship Homes and keeps it running smoothly.

Sheryl Stephens. Founding director. "Grandma Sheryl" is Joe's wife and the mother of six. A former scrapbooking enthusiast, she still loves creating memories for everyone around her. She worked with Joe in elder care, developing the original vision for the adult family homes they operated, which ultimately led to the opportunity to establish Oasis Discipleship Homes.

David and Tiffany Grossmann. Directors. David and Tiffany are committed to making local community their mission field. They first joined the Oasis Discipleship Homes community in 2024 and continue to support its mission and events, especially through prayer. They believe that walking out Christ's words in daily life never happens by accident; it is essential to this community model and makes each day more meaningful. Although they attend a different church on Sundays, they are united in spirit with the Oasis Discipleship Homes family as brothers and sisters in the Lord. They have been blessed here and love to see how many others are being blessed as the discipleship continues.

Holly Pierce. Director. Holly has been on staff with International Students Inc. (ISI) since 2014, working with student clubs at Arizona State University West and Arizona Christian University. She and her husband, Travis, an Area Director with ISI, live in Glendale with their two young children. Together they welcome international students into their lives so that their family can be the students' family away from home, and they share the gospel that changed their own lives.

We are adding directors. If you would like to serve on the board, write to us at [email protected].