• Joined LCCS in 2025

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

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.

“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. 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.”