STAFF | The Oaks Retreat

STUDENT

DIRECTORS

SUTTON TYNER, DIRECTOR

The Lord has used the Oaks more than I could have ever imagined to teach me and mold me! I have never been a part of something where I have seen more tangibly the power of the Holy Spirit, prayer, and how He loves and care for His children!

MASON COOPER, DIRECTOR

Serving with the Oaks has helped me to clearly see God's provision in all situations. It's been a huge blessing to work with the Oaks and serve incoming freshmen!

COUNSELOR

TRAINERS

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PRAYER

CHET LOWMAN, COUNSELOR TRAINER

I came to the Oaks excited my freshman year, but I had no idea how much it would shape my college experience. It was one of my first experiences at Auburn and showed me what real Christian community looks like. Because of that, I knew I wanted to give back and invest in incoming freshmen. Being a counselor was such an awesome experience, and now as a counselor trainer, I’m excited to pour into this year’s counselors as they pour into new students. I can’t wait to see the impact that starts at the Oaks 2026!

LIZZY BROWN, COUNSELOR TRAINER

As a freshman going to the Oaks, I was presented with a statement that who you are in college is who you become for the rest of your life. Due to the Lord’s great grace, the Lord used the Oaks to gift me with discipleship and the community who proved the truth of that statement and displayed what it meant to “waste your life” for the sake of the Gospel. I was irreversibly changed through the Oaks retreat and trust that he will do immeasurably more than I could ask at the retreat this upcoming year.

COLBY AXELBERD, COUNSELOR TRAINER

I want to give back to others in the way people have given to me. The oaks has blessed so many and I am honored to be apart of it this year.

KATHRYN KIRKLAND, COUNSELOR TRAINER

The Oaks is a ministry that impacts every life in Auburn. It’s so sweet of the Lord to invite everyone in to see what He is doing through every ministry and church with students coming together to welcome in the Freshman classes. Like how cool is it that one of the first things they get to see before they start school is what life with the Lord is like in college.

EVAN CARSON, HEAD OF PRAYER

God really used it to minister to me as a freshman and to teach/grow me as a counselor. I want to keep coming back to it with open hands and to help create those moments for others!

SYDNEY CAMPBELL, HEAD OF PRAYER

I love The Oaks! It is such a cool opportunity to serve the incoming freshman and give them a glimpse of what it looks like to pursue the Lord in college! And it's SO much fun!!!

PUBLIC RELATIONS

TEAM

NATALEE NORWOOD, HEAD OF COMMUNICATION

The Oaks is simply a reminder of the kindness of the Lord in my story. As a freshman, He began to soften my heart to the reality of the weight of the sin and separation from Him I was living in. As a counselor, He used it to provide a community I prayed for and the opportunity to walk alongside freshmen in a year full of change and uncertainty!

ANNA RYAN SHARP, HEAD OF MEDIA

The Oaks

OPERATIONS

TEAM

NICK NELSON, HEAD OF FINANCE

The oaks is so special to me because of the deep rooted Christian community that is formed from the retreat. Coming into college I was seeking deep Christian community that I could grow and foster throughout my time at Auburn and the oaks was able to provide me with that and provide me some of my closest friends here at Auburn. I am serving the oaks to help provide the opportunity for incoming freshman to experience the same deep community that I was thankful to experience in my time at the oaks as a freshman!

EMILEE TURNER, OPERATIONS

I love the oaks because I see the Lord’s hand so clearly in every moving part of it. The Lord has used the oaks to continually bring me and others back to himself! The oaks is a special opportunity to get plugged in and find deep Christian community in Auburn - the biggest blessing of my college experience!

LANDON SANDERS, OPERATIONS

I chose the oaks because of its profound impact on not only my college experience but the experience of countless others. The oaks was able to show me the Christian community that I needed from before I ever stepped foot on campus. The oaks can really be life changing and I wanted to serve to give back to the retreat which gave me so much.

TAYLOR JO HAMITER, HEAD OF CREW

The Oaks is such a special ministry in the Auburn area! The Lord's love and mercy are so evident at The Oaks and continues to work all year round. Seeing the Lord work at The Oaks has continually taught me how incredible our God is and how much He pursues each and every one of us. It is such a gift to be able to serve and help freshmen find a place where they are loved.

HALEY NELSON, HEAD OF CREW

It’s a crazy feeling to be in a completely new place with completely new people. Oaks was a huge influence in helping me find my church and my people as a freshman. I want to encourage others the same ways that I was encouraged as a freshman!

HOSPITALITY

TEAM

KAILEY MCPIKE, HOSPITALITY

I serve with the Oaks because it has been such a wonderful opportunity to truly be a vessel for the Lord’s work. The Oaks is only able to work through prayer, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and it is such a joy to be a part of!

ABBY JACKSON, HOSPITALITY

TEAM

ADMINISTRATIVE

BAYLOR MARTIN, REGISTRATION

The Oaks means so much to me because it immediately surrounded me with accountability and community during one of the most transformative times of my life. I want to give back to a ministry that has provided me with so much during my time at Auburn. The Lord's hand at The Oaks was so evident to me during my time as a freshman and serving on staff the past few summers, and I’m so expectant for what He will do this summer!

ALECIA WALKER, REGISTRATION

The Oaks shaped my college experience in so many ways! Coming in as a freshman it showed me what the whole church body looked like and what great community could look like! Then getting to be a counselor I got to see that even more and I just couldn’t stay away from this awesome ministry! Getting the opportunity to get to give back to the ministry that has shaped my time at college is one of the biggest honors! So expectant and excited for what the Lord is going to do with Oaks this year!!!

LIVVY CHAMBERS, REGISTRATION

I love the Oaks because it is where I found out about my church & where I met some of my very best friends! I am so so thankful for the community that it brought me as a freshmen and has brought me since then during my counselor summers! I am so excited to see what the Lord does this year!

TAYLOR MCCLUNG, LOGISTICS

I love the Oaks because of how well the Oaks loves others! Being apart of this ministry has changed my life but witnessing how the Lord is changing others! I want to be able to give back in anyway I can and to love the incoming freshmen as well as I was loved.

MADDIE SHAW, LOGISTICS

I decided to serve with the Oaks in order to help freshman find Christian community! Coming into my freshman year that was something I longed for, and I want to be able to give back and help like-minded incoming freshman.