Lake Center Christian School has named Pastor Nolan Oakes its Spiritual Life Director. Dr. McAboy and other administrators and Bible teachers conducted a thorough and prayerful selection process, interviewing many qualified candidates through several rounds. The School Board’s Personnel Committee unanimously affirmed Pastor Oakes to help shape the school’s spiritual culture and guide students in living out a Christ-centered faith.

“I am thrilled to welcome Pastor Oakes as Lake Center’s new Spiritual Life Director. After he spoke in chapel this spring, I hoped he’d apply! Nolan is a lifelong learner with a deep heart for seeing students live out an authentic faith in Christ. His experience as a pastor at Summit Church, partnering with parents to help them raise their children to love and serve Christ, has prepared him well for this role,” said Dr. McAboy. “Nolan has a relational approach to ministry, and I’m especially excited about his passion for empowering students to lead their peers in worship. He’s just as comfortable being on the floor with kindergartners as he is meeting with a group of seniors. Our students and families are going to love Pastor Oakes!”

Pastor Oakes brings a rich background in ministry and discipleship to Lake Center Christian School. He currently serves as the Family and Discipleship Pastor at The Summit Church, where he leads with a heart for worship, family-centered ministry, and spiritual formation. He and his wife, Makala—high school sweethearts—live in Uniontown and are raising five children: Isaiah (11), Elijah (9), Arabella (5), Judah (4), and Asher (5 months). With a deep commitment to making disciples both at home and in the broader community, Pastor Oakes has had the joy of working with children of all ages—from birth through 12th grade—as well as adults, teaching how all of Scripture points to Jesus. It is an added joy for their family to join the Lake Center community as parents of LCCS students, too.

Before his time at Summit Church, Pastor Oakes interned as Worship Leader at Rivertree Canal Fulton, and served as both worship leader and youth director at Amherst Community Church. He is also a gifted communicator, having written Bible studies on the parables of Jesus and the life of David, and is currently working on a book. Additionally, he produces a podcast and regularly contributes to blogs that promote spiritual growth and equip families to follow Christ together. Pastor Oakes finds joy in reading, listening to podcasts, and reflecting in writing on what God is teaching him through His Word.

As Spiritual Life Director, Pastor Oakes will guide the overall direction of discipleship at Lake Center, helping students grow in attitudes, skills, and biblical understanding that form the foundation of a Christ-centered life. His role will include:

• Providing spiritual support and mentoring for students

• Offering relational and spiritual counseling for students and parents

• Leading chapels, mission trips, service opportunities, and discipleship groups

• Developing a comprehensive spiritual life curriculum

• Supporting the Bible faculty in delivering strong biblical instruction

• Coordinating faculty devotions and spiritual emphasis events

• Building relationships with local churches and Christian leaders

Campus Pastor Mr. Jeff Knori, who has faithfully served LCCS in ministry for decades, is now stepping forward in obedience to where God is leading him next. He does so with trust in Pastor Oakes’ spiritual leadership to guide and nurture the faith of our students and school community at Lake Center.

“I am so excited that the Lord is weaving Nolan and his family into the beautiful tapestry that is Lake Center. I am confident that he will maintain a focus on kids and the Kingdom, on passionate worship, and collaborate with this wonderful staff to raise up a generation that is after the Lord’s heart,” said Mr. Knori.

By leading students in prayer, equipping families to grow in faith, and organizing meaningful service opportunities, Pastor Oakes will play a vital role in continuing to nurture the Christ-centered environment at LCCS.

Sharing his heart for students and families, Pastor Oakes said:

“On average, a parent has 936 weeks with their children before they graduate high school. I have an app on my phone that literally counts down the weeks until my kids graduate. It serves as a daily reminder that each moment matters. As parents, we are called to show our children what it looks like to be imperfect people who limp along daily by the power and grace of our perfect Savior. The purpose of a partnership between home, church, and school is to work together over those 936 weeks to help our students find their way to the same nail-pierced hands that we hold—one moment at a time.”

He continues, “When I look back over my own journey, there was no one particular lesson, class, or Bible study that changed my life—it was the people who invested in me. I am who I am today because of a few imperfect people who cared about me and showed me what it looks like to walk, and sometimes crawl, along with Jesus. I am excited to have the opportunity to be that kind of influence for someone else: to walk alongside students, pointing them to Christ, who is both my companion and my destination on this journey.”

In their free time, the Oakes family enjoys building together with LEGO bricks. Pastor Oakes is also a fan of The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.

Join us in warmly welcoming Pastor Nolan Oakes and his family to Lake Center! We look forward to seeing how God will use him to faithfully share the truth of Scripture and uplift our students, families, teachers, and staff in the days to come.