It’s a Participation Sport

It’s rare to find Rey Diaz without a smile on his face.

“If I’m serving God, I’m happy,” he says.

Rey has dedicated most of his life to service. Having felt called to work with children in need, he has spent time as a missionary in Honduras and as a church pastor. Rey even focused his doctoral studies on how to meet the spiritual and practical needs in impoverished communities.

Now, Rey leads the Plano-based nonprofit and Chase Oaks partner Orphan Outreach, a Christian organization helping orphaned children around the world. This partnership supports two main projects: NiCo, which provides mentoring, meals, Bible study and more, and the Foster Care Initiative with the Honduran government.

Rey’s positive, happy-go-lucky disposition makes it easy for him to connect with young children. But it’s his focus and generous heart that drive his meaningful efforts forward. To Rey, this tangible, hands-on approach to caring for youth around the world is how Jesus calls His followers to live.

“Jesus didn’t call us to be on the sidelines or to be spectators,” says Rey. “Christianity is a participation sport.”

If you’re ready to move from the sidelines to service, there’s a place for you.

Join a local or global outreach group and see your talents, time and energy create real impact in your community.

Building Opportunities

The creativity and critical thinking required to be a civil engineer are two of the same skills Jay Volk uses to serve his Chase Oaks community.

When Jay first joined Chase Oaks, he got connected to the Chase Oaks Family Center through other volunteers. As a husband and father, serving in the center felt like a natural fit, but he never imagined how influential his gifts could be in providing practical assistance to others.

When the winter storm of February 2021 damaged a student’s kitchen, Jay rallied a few other volunteers from the Family Center to assist. What started as a simple repair turned into a full renovation, free of charge.

“I like doing woodwork, so we decided to get her a new kitchen and it was really fun,” Jay said.

In addition to serving at the Family Center, Jay and his wife led a Life Group together for nearly three years. Recently, though, they’ve shifted their focus to a new passion project: The Bridge, a nonprofit organization serving immigrant families through ESL classes, scholarships, driving courses, paperwork support and more.

“Prior to launching The Bridge, I had a very poor understanding of the immigration issues and challenges in our country,” said Jay. “It’s certainly made me far more compassionate.”

For Jay, being a party person is about maintaining an outward look.

“I feel like I experience more growth, personally, when I’m less focused on myself,” he said. “I’m pretty good at being a selfish person, so the less I’m focused on me the better it seems to be for both myself and others.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all to service. Learn more about the impact you can make in our community and jump into one of our many service projects.

The Universal Language of Love

Love is a language understood by all. April Pierdant uses love and patience to encourage other young adults in their relationship with God—just like her mentor did for her when she was a sophomore in high school.

Growing up in a traditionally Catholic household, April has always known about church and God, but never felt a connection beyond Sunday mornings. It wasn’t until she was invited to Chase Oaks that she discovered something deeper.

“I had a view of who God was, but I never knew what it meant to have a significant relationship with Jesus until I arrived at Chase Oaks,” she said.

While she’s only in her 20s, April has spent the last five years ministering to other young people through service at Chase Oaks En Español. From the worship team to KIDS CO. and teen-focused small groups, April always keeps her heart open to where she’s called to serve next.

As someone who enjoys leadership and connecting with others, April says these opportunities are both fulfilling and reaffirming. So much so, that her involvement at Chase Oaks has noticeably transformed her and helped to improve her closest relationships over the years.

“I was listening more and I was more respectful.”

At Chase Oaks, we believe that when we serve others, we experience personal transformation. And this experience is available to people of all ages, talents and backgrounds.

Learn more about the role you could play in impacting your community.

No Better Time Than Now

Seven years ago, Andy Post received a life-saving heart transplant after years of battling a heart condition. This second chance at life offered Andy and his family a new perspective on what’s important in life.

“We take advantage of the little things that we may not have thought about before,” he says. “We’ve reprioritized what really matters in our life: people, time and relationships rather than material things.”

One of those priorities is maintaining relationships with others. Andy and Chase Oaks San Antonio lead pastor Matt Snellings participated in band together in high school and stayed in touch off and on through the years. As Andy and his wife explored new churches virtually during the pandemic, they learned more about how they could get involved with the launch of Chase Oaks San Antonio.

Andy quickly jumped in, joining a life group and signing up for service initiatives that help him impact the community while introducing others to Chase Oaks.

For the last few months, he has served alongside Chase Oaks through the campus’s Thrive Outreach partnership. The team provides prayer, community and free food and water for those experiencing homelessness in San Antonio.

While it’s often easy to overlook those in need, Andy says his involvement with Thrive Outreach has opened his eyes beyond someone’s current situation to see a more complete picture of their life and heart.

It’s one of those things where you think you’re going to go minister and bless somebody and it always ends up being the opposite, where you’re touched,” he says. “These are just people. They are in need.”

No matter where you are on your faith journey, there’s a Chase Oaks campus and serve team for you. Come discover how this party can transform you from the inside out.

Called For Friendship

Beneath her shy demeanor, Avery May’s passion for connection and heart for leadership helps children of all ages create meaningful relationships in KIDS CO. at Chase Oaks Sloan Creek.

Having grown up attending church, Avery has always known the party isn’t all about her, but she wasn’t sure exactly what her role would be in the bigger picture. It wasn’t until her friend invited her to serve at KIDS CO. that Avery knew she had found her calling. Since then, she’s been a friendly and familiar face for the young people she helps lead every Sunday.

“The smallest things are making the biggest difference,” said Avery.

That’s what serving is all about for Avery—helping kids develop new friendships and a sense of belonging through church. Every Sunday, she remembers how special it feels to make just one friend in a sea of strangers. This motivates her to create environments where every child can connect with someone.

As she’s served in KIDS CO., Avery says she’s had an opportunity to use her natural leadership skills.

“I’ve always been someone that loves responsibility,” she said. “On Sunday mornings I’m doing what I love to do because I love to lead. I’m called to lead.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all model for those who are called to prepare God’s party.

Learn more about the different ways you can share your time and talents as a Chase Oaks Party Person.

The Meaning of Family

When mother and daughter duo Yulianna and Isabella Giron (Julie and Izzy for short) think about what determines family, their definition goes beyond DNA.

“Chase Oaks is our family now,” Izzy said. “They don’t want anyone to walk in it alone. I’ve felt excluded at other times in my life, so it was eye-opening to see people be so helpful and not judge.”

It wasn’t always that way. Julie and Izzy have been attending church for years, but they never felt truly connected to and seen by their church community until being invited to Chase Oaks. After attending their first Sunday service, the two knew there was something different here.

“We felt a connection that we didn’t feel at our Catholic church,” said Julie. “Nothing against that church, but this was different. And it hasn’t stopped.”

Along with feeling connected, Izzy and Julie also felt pulled to serve—together. Now, the two enjoy volunteering side-by-side on the Legacy FIT team, and Izzy is a student leader at Chase Oaks Sloan Creek.

“Serving together has been a great connection,” said Julie. “We’ve always been really close, but now we’re even closer.”

How do you define family? No matter what kind of support system you need, there's a place at our party for you.

Find a group or team at Chase Oaks and join the party!

Pursuing Hospitality

For Catherine Banks, it’s hard to imagine life without Chase Oaks Groups. Whether her community is helping each other navigate ever-changing life seasons or simply sharing a meal, their time together is invaluable.

“It’s been a big game changer...to be able to have a group of people that you can call for anything,” she said.

Catherine and her family have been Chase Oaks Party People for more than 20 years. They’ve served in a few different roles along the way, including KIDS CO. and Production. While her serve teams have evolved throughout the years, her family’s commitment to their community remains steadfast. When the leaders of their Group recently moved, she and her husband didn’t hesitate to pick up the baton.

“In fact, when we chose our house that was part of the criteria,” said Catherine. “It needed to be a layout where we could easily host our Group well.”

The unifying quality of their Group is what makes it “life-enhancing,” as Catherine puts it. Attending Sunday service is just one part of the equation. To be seen, known and supported, we turn to our community.

“On Sunday we sit in rows, but in Groups we sit in a circle,” she said. “Jump in, be vulnerable and I think that you’d be surprised at what a soft place to fall a Group would be.”

One of Catherine’s unique gifts is creating spaces for others. She does so at her job—where she helps people connect through travel—and at home, where she hosts “Second Tuesday Supper,” a casual meal shared between friends. No matter the space, we’re grateful for Party People like Catherine who pursue hospitality.

What kind of Party Person are you? No matter where you are on your faith journey, there’s a team, group, and community here for you.

Explore the ways you can get plugged in and join the party.

Getting to the Heart of Things

What draws us to other people? Sometimes it’s a shared background and common interests. Other times, it’s about creating a safe place where we can move past apparent differences to connect at the heart.

Matthew Babineaux is naturally drawn to other creative types. A musician by trade, Matthew has served on the worship team at Chase Oaks En Español, Woodbridge and Sloan Creek for the past five years. The band collectively shares a passion for music, but their connection goes deeper than instrument or talent.

“I love that we can talk about absolutely anything—we can even talk about our faith questions,” Matthew said. “There’s nothing that we’re ashamed to bring up and counsel each other about. It’s a freeing group to be a part of.”

As a Party Person, Matthew strives to replicate that inclusive environment for others by going back to the heart. “At Chase Oaks Español, where I’m one of the few people who can’t speak Spanish, and everyone around is a different ethnicity, from a different life and background, I do everything that I can to always see them as human beings,” Matthew said. “It’s been ingrained in me that nobody is as 2D as just their background and their race and where they came from. We are all individuals designed uniquely by God.”

No matter your background, there’s a place at God’s party for you.

Connect with a serve team today and join with other people who are also on a journey of transformation.

Caring Behind-the-Scenes

Throughout her life, Jimmie Burgess has learned that God always meets people where they are, exactly when they need Him.

Jimmie and her family have been active members of the Chase Oaks community since the 90s. Although she prefers serving behind the scenes, Jimmie’s warm personality and generous spirit are felt by many. For her, serving is about making heart-to-heart connections with others.

The pandemic didn’t change that calling. In fact, it confirmed one of Jimmie’s greatest gifts: comforting those in need. Throughout the year, most of her days were centered around taking her husband to multiple appointments each month. As she cared for him, she couldn’t help but think that there was a way to reach others during what was a desperate time.

Prayer with close friends inspired her to join the Chase Oaks Care Team. She connected with the Chase Oaks community to package and deliver Feel Better Boxes, full of comforting items like tea and a handwritten card, to people who needed a reminder of love and care.

“It was such an easy faith step to be willing to step out and help someone else,” said Jimmie.

For Jimmie, being a Party Person means finding ways to personally connect with your community outside of church walls. Whether you shine in front of a crowd or thrive behind the scenes, there’s a place at this party for you.

Discover a team that works with your schedule, interests and gifts—this party only gets better with you.

A Love That Connects

Husband and wife duo Wally and Martha Helton are as in sync as any two people could be. The couple, now in retirement, spend virtually all of their time with each other—and their community. From leading multiple life groups to serving on the First Impressions and Outreach teams, Wally and Martha find that in the midst of serving others, their own marriage is strengthened.

“We do everything together; that was part of the deal,” said Martha.

For the Heltons, opportunity for personal connection is everywhere. And, over the years, they’ve learned it doesn’t always look how you’d expect. When the couple first started attending Chase Oaks, they met a family with a special needs child. The boy’s unadulterated and overwhelming love for Jesus inspired them to start a small group for similar families—even though they don’t have a special needs child of their own.

Since then, their approach to service starts with flexibility. Whether it’s rescheduling a meeting time or subbing the curriculum for casual community conversation, Wally and Martha prepare the party by adjusting to others’ needs ahead of their own.

The party only gets better with you. Join us by jumping in and learning more about serving on a Team or connecting to Group.