Campus Ministries
From Sabbath afternoon walks in the creek to fall Week of Prayer, Campus Ministries is integral in setting the spiritual atmosphere on Ozark's campus. One of the goals of the Campus Ministries department is to encourage students to get involved in the spiritual programs on campus and in area churches.
On almost any given weekend visitors will find students taking a leadership role either on our campus or in a local church. Students help plan and organize meetings, speak for various worship services, vespers, and chapels, and are responsible for leading out in music and prayer.
Programming &Activities
Some of the activities the Campus Ministries Team planned for the 2025-2026 school year included: The ARKLA Teen Prayer Conference at CYB, horseback riding, Fall and Spring Week of Prayer, Prayer Glow, Vespers, Chapels, a Mission Trip to Belize, Sabbath afternoon creek walks, Power Pac weekends, kayaking, praise teams, and Sabbath afternoon outreach activities. We are excited to see what they have planned for 2025-2027!
- Led by Christian staff members and dedicated students
- Organize events like Week of Prayer, vespers, and mission trips that nurture spiritual growth.
- Plan activities like kayaking and horseback riding that offer students dynamic ways to connect with God and each other.
I love the spirituality of Ozark, and how I see Jesus is so many of the people around me.
Belize Mission Trip
In March of 2026, some of OAA's students used their spring break to serve in Belize, helping with construction on a new nursing building at Belize Adventist Junior College. The trip was a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting impact in the lives of others.
Students share some of the highlights from their mission trip to Belize.
Prayer Glow
For many of our students, Prayer Glow is their favorite time of the week. On Friday evening, after the the sun has set and vespers is over, Prayer Glow takes place somewhere on campus. Sometimes it's the music hall, the boys' dorm chapel, the auditorium, or on center campus beneath the flag poles. With only the soft glow of Christmas lights, students and staff members sit together, lifting their voices in worship and their hearts in prayer. It’s a time of peace, connection, and reflection so meaningful that students often recreate Prayer Glow when they're away from campus.
Prayer Conference
The Arkansas-Louisiana Conference Teen Prayer Conference brought OAA students and other Adventist teens together at Camp Yorktown Bay in October of 2025. OAA’s Campus Ministries team helped make it possible for our students to attend and participate in the weekend. Through worship, prayer, and fellowship, students were encouraged to deepen their faith and seek God together.
Students share some of the highlights from Teen Prayer Conference.
Frequently Asked Questions?
Can students not attending OAA come to spiritual programming?
There are often many Campus Ministries programs open to young people in the area who do not attend OAA. For more information, please contact us at 479.736,2221 or at [email protected].
Is there a mission trip?
OAA strives to provide students with a mission trip opportunity each year. Some trips are international, like last year’s trip to Belize, while others take place within the continental United States. Wherever they serve, students have the opportunity to meet practical needs, grow in faith, and make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.
Where do students attend Sabbath School and Church?
Students living in the dormitories attend the Gentry Seventh-day Adventist Church located across the street from the Academy.
What is the creek walk?
For the last five or six years, one of the Sabbath afternoon activities is a walk not next to Flint Creek but in Flint Creek. Students participating in the walk need to be prepared to get wet! Often 30 or 40 students choose to participate.
Do boys need to wear a tie for Friday evening and Sabbath services?
The dress code for boys is dress shoes, dress pants with a belt or suspenders, and a dress shirt with a tie or dress shirt with a sport coat/sweater.
How do I get involved with Campus Ministries?
There are so many ways students can get involved with campus ministries. Just reach out to Brad Simmons, OAA's Bible teacher, or Storie Giddings, OAA's history teacher.
I Samuel 17:42NKJVAnd when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth...
Jeremiah 1:7NKJVBut the Lord said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you..."
I Timothy 4:12Let no one despise your youth, but be an example ... in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
I Samuel 3:10NKJVThe Lord came... and called... "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears."
