“Discover the God who is and your place in his kingdom”
Occom Discovery Center is a discipleship center for Native American and First Nations Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The approach is different than traditional Bible colleges or ministry training centers. ODC is not a diploma/degree-granting institution. Learning, developing, and growing are essential for discipleship, letter grades are not.
Occom Discovery Center is named in honor of Rev. Samson Occom (Mohegan, 1723-1792). Rev. Occom was the first Native American ordained Presbyterian minister. One of his driving desires was to give the gospel to Native people and provide them with education that would enable them to live in and thrive in their rapidly changing world. He taught at the Moor’s Charity School for Native Americans in Lebonon, CT. Later the school was moved to New Hampshire and became Dartmouth College, which did — for a short time — provide higher education to Native people, only without Samson Occom. Although there are some very sad elements and disappointments in Occom’s story, we find great inspiration in his commitment to the kingdom and Native people.
Discovering the God Who Is . . .
As the name implies, ODC aims towards discovery. Above all, we seek to discover the glories of the Triune God who is as he has revealed himself in the Holy Scriptures. In light of that revelation, we seek to discover our place in his kingdom. God has gifted each and every believer. ODC seeks to help Native American/First Nations disciples of Christ discover their gifts and foster a vision to engage them in the kingdom. In this regard, ODC is a place to begin and/or continue to discover their calling in this world.
The means by which we seek to achieve those ends are multifaceted. Regarding our pursuit of God, we are firmly committed to the ordinary means of grace revealed in Scripture, e.g. reading Scripture, preaching, teaching, prayer, singing, and sacraments. Students will attend a healthy, Christ-centered church.
. . . and Your Place in His Kingdom
Life at ODC may seem monastic in style. That is, disciples are expected to work, follow daily routines, and participate in community life on the campus, as well as seek times of solitude for biblical meditation. The key difference between the historic monastic movement (or at least caricatures of it) and ODC is that we seek to prepare students to go and engage in the world around them. By virtue of that, ODC seeks to be merely a momentary — but life-changing — chapter in the student’s unfolding story.
A bedrock conviction at ODC is that we as creatures created in the image of our Creator were created to create. ODC is a community that dares God’s people to dream. We are seeking those who are visionaries, makers, thinkers, tinkerers doers, happen-makers, craftsmen, artists, builders, and anyone else who wants to dare to dream. All those who are timid, hurt, scared, curious, and most of all, willing to be shaped by the hands of the Potter, are encouraged to join us.
ODC seeks to cultivate a Christian worldview that is both taught and caught, recognizing that changed lives are more influenced by the latter in community. Using multiple methods, ODC seeks to foster twenty-four key areas (displayed below in complementary pairs) in which disciples of Christ are encouraged to continue and cultivate long after their time at ODC.
Occom Discovery Center is a place to discover:
- Kingdom/Culture
- Scripture/Tradition
- Redeeming Grace/Common Grace
- Work/Sabbath
- Word/Deed
- Community/Solitude
- Unity/Diversity
- Spiritual Gifts/Natural Talents
- Risk/Safety
- Giving/Receiving
- Listening/Expressing
- Personal Identity/Corporate Identity
- Increasing/Decreasing
- The God who is and your place in his Kingdom
Sounds Great! So where is it?
Right now ODC is still only a dream, but it has been dream that began many years ago. There is no campus, no students, and no staff yet, but the need is an ever-present reality. After serving with various churches and educational ministries, serving in various capacities in multiple locations in Native America for the last thirteen years, we believe that the Lord has prepared us for this very thing. We have presented our proposal to our overseers and peers and received a green light to move forward. This is our long-haul ministry focus.
We are in the dreaming-out-loud phase — trying to find others who can catch the vision and dream with us. Right now we are praying for a location. We have some essential criteria along with a list of preferences. We need land. The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills — and he owns the hills too! So we are asking the Lord to move upon someone with property to offer for use in the kingdom. Are you that someone, or do you know someone? Has the Lord blessed you with the means to purchase the property? We would love to talk with you. We have our vision document available upon request.
Take some action steps right now:
- Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He will bring this dream into reality.
- Forward this post to someone you know who may be interested in hearing more about the Occom Discovery Center.
- Tell your pastors or missions committee about ODC. Invite us to your church whether in person or via Skype or ZOOM or phone interview.
Never underestimate your influence and effect in the kingdom. Give us a call.
Occom Ministries 