INTRODUCTION - The Oaks Ministry

Introducing Gary and Carla - How they wound up here and where they came from.

In 1988, Gary and Carla Heese felt impressed to work in missions and joined Youth With a Mission (YWAM). They began working in discipleship schools in Kona, Hawaii. During that time, Gary noticed the need for healing in some of the young people attending the schools. They felt called to minister to those who were struggling with the wounds of their past. They later took additional training in the Biblical Counseling School through YWAM and worked in the counseling ministry with YWAM for 3 more years, providing pastoral care and training others.

They returned to Kansas City in May of 1993. A year later, their pastor asked them if they had ever done any ministry for people suffering from the effects of sexual abuse. The pastor said a woman had contacted him recently. She had been abused in her past and even though she had searched, she couldn't find the help she needed. She told him she had been a Christian for 17 years. She had responded to numerous altar calls, she had sought counseling, and she said "Isn't there any help for me?" The pastor asked if there was anything Gary and Carla could do to help. They began seeking the Lord and after three months of prayer, they presented their church's leadership with a course outline. They wanted to offer a course that was more general in nature and might benefit anyone. The course was based on a culmination of select teachings from the counseling programs in YWAM.

In the fall of 1994, they started the first Oaks of Righteousness Class. The class brought significant relief for those who had struggled with wounds of the past. The participants received a revelation of the Father through the ministry of Gary, Carla and their team. The safe atmosphere that was fostered there gave the participants the ability to allow their walls to come down so they could receive healing.

Soon after their initial class, they found themselves with more people than they could facilitate in their group. They began to pray about how the class could be multiplied so others could find this same relief. They began training others how to do this ministry. Since then, Gary and Carla have started other Oaks of Righteousness teams around the Greater Kansas City Area and they continue to mentor and train the leaders of those teams.