CULTURE GUIDE
PUTTING OUR PROMISES INTO ACTION
Culture is either created by default or
Root Promises
Our Root Promises are who we are. For us to authentically operate as a “we,” our values can’t just be known, they must be instinctual. These are non-negotiable for all staff.
LOVE
We love you
Our purpose is to share the unconditional love of Jesus and the hope that flows from it. We believe the best way to love is to say it often, give it freely and show it daily. We believe love is not only an emotion, but a person. We believe Love to be God Himself, and we are taught to love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind, and we are also told to love our neighbor as ourselves. Therefore, we choose to remember that it is Love who unites us. Love manifests itself through relationships so we foster an environment in which all people are respected and valued. We empathize with other’s pain because we are all formed in the image of the same Creator. We stand as warriors for Christ and we are willing to fight for others when they are not strong enough to fight for themselves. We maintain positive relationships even under difficult circumstances. People over policy, every time.
HONESTY
We will never lie to you
Honor is imperative in our calling. We recognize the critical need of a pure and honest heart in building effective relationships and impacting the lives of the broken. Therefore, we are courageous enough to speak truth out of love even when it hurts. We follow through on our commitments because those we serve have had trust taken from them. Therefore, we operate in the counter-cultural posture that trust is given and distrust is earned. We believe trust creates leaders and control creates followers, so we give trust freely and expect it to be honored.
PERSEVERANCE
We will stick with you
We recognize this race will be full of heartache as well as victory, burden as well as joy. Despite the circumstance, we run our race with endurance because we believe perseverance is a choice. The marathon of perseverance is best run by removing the temptation of quitting. Therefore, we don’t wish away the current season. We are grateful in the grind. We believe passion placed on top of Purpose produces a flame that at times may flicker but never wavers. We confront difficult issues despite personal risk or discomfort, and support others who do so. We learn from experience and believe failure is never final. We relentlessly pursue our unwavering goal of seeing the hurt receive Healing.
DISCIPLINE
There are boundaries
If we’re going to do it, it’s going to be to the glory of God who deserves our best effort, so we commit to continual spiritual growth. Discipline creates structure, balance and healthy order. We are willing to sacrifice what we want now for what we want most. We forgo the urgent for the important, every time. We take initiative to proactively address critical issues while choosing obedience over emotion because obedience, in the life of a believer, is the closest thing to perfection we will ever experience. Therefore, we exude fierce devotion to our Savior, our spouse, our children, this ministry and its mission.
We treat others as Jesus treats us.
John 13: 34-35
Staff Values
Our Staff Values are who we aspire to be. These are the attributes we are constantly pursuing as individuals and a whole.
BE BOLD
We pray first. Every discussion, every decision, every need. All day, every day. We believe prayer is our union with a relational Father. Through that communication we receive wisdom and revelation. We receive comfort and peace. We receive strength and conviction.
We are fighting spiritual battles in realms unseen. When we chose to fight on behalf of the broken, we chose knowing it’s a battle we can’t win alone. We acknowledge the gift given to us so we take our post in battle wearing the armor of God through our faith in Him. We don’t operate in fear. We take it to the Throne. We move with conviction knowing victory is already secured.
GROW
We implement disciplines that foster growth - spiritually, physically, relationally, mentally, emotionally, financially and professionally - because mere survival is not sustainable. No excuses. Nobody owes me anything, Jesus gave me everything. Our personal lives come to work with us, therefore I understand that I could make a personal decision that negatively impacts the organization, my coworkers, and ultimately, our children.
We chose to be here so we continually choose to be here. We are thankful for our community. We take ownership of our actions. We invest in our responsibilities. We operate at the highest standard. We believe work is a reward and the prize is in the process. We refrain from emphasizing structure to the point it removes the opportunity for a miracle. Just as we refrain from sitting back, waiting and dreaming, but not doing. We walk with the holy conviction that our decision was right, the humility that it could have been wrong, and the grace that covers both. A small thing repeated is not a small thing.
Mere survival is not sustainable.
BE
THE THERMOSTAT
Our attitude is something we can control. We have the ability to change the climate of every room we walk into. Happiness is circumstantial. Joy is a choice and we pursue it through being on time, embodying a strong work ethic, consistently putting forth effort and energy, being intentional about our body language, letting our passion be contagious and going the extra mile because we choose to. Passion is caught, not taught. Our attitude is not dictated by the weather. We carry our own weather.
DO AS I DO
Am I living a life worth repeating? If I encouraged our children, our community and those outside these walls, to watch me in order to learn who Christ is, would they receive an accurate depiction? We wouldn’t pet a grizzly bear so we don’t pet our sin. We define and declare what is keeping us from being salt and light and boldly deal with it so it can be defeated. We know it’s not just about getting the job done, it’s about the character in which we do it so we are intentional about walking out our faith in order to create, communicate and display a pathway of growth and purpose for others. We add value to the lives of those around us in order to earn the opportunity to share the Source of our freedom.
We refrain from sitting back, waiting and dreaming, but not doing.
Staff Values
BE ONE
Collaboration is expected in all aspects of this ministry. There are no oneman bands capable of fulfilling a “we” endeavor. We benefit from different perspectives. God is honored in our unity. Divisiveness is a tactic of the enemy, therefore we value life by listening first and responding second. We will not ask things of others we aren’t willing to ask of ourselves. We inspire others to do what inspires them.
We are professional, on time, respectful and always available. We build effective systems, policies and procedures which remove complex processes that stifle growth. We establish initiatives that manage themselves because of the excellence in which they have been created. We refrain from maintaining status quo, afraid to lose. We play to win, every day, every year, every heart — for Jesus.
IT MEANS MORE TO ME
How am I personally engaged in our mission and vision? How am I putting into practice that which I am encouraging others to participate in? We lead by how we participate. If you’re too big to serve then you’re too small to lead. We believe the greatest leadership is service to others. From the “home” to “beyond the tree,” everyone serves. Every role is different but they are all equally important. My role, no matter the job description, is to make the organization better. I realize the responsibility placed on our mission is to reach the goals before us, but even more, I focus on deep, personal accountability in closing the gap between where we are and those goals fulfilled. I choose to put my full weight down. I am the most prepared. I am a relentless pursuer of the answer. If I don’t know, I’ll find out.
I chose to step into this calling because it was personal to me, so I constantly recall my why, which fuels my passion. We cannot ask our children to be in love with a relational, joy-filled, loving Father without us representing those characteristics ourselves.
There are no one-man bands capable of fulfilling a “we” endeavor.
CELEBRATE CONSTANTLY
This is not an instant gratification job. There will be moments when the seed which will one day bear fruit is unseen to our human eyes. However, we will be intentional in celebrating the moments of victory. We will fight for joy. We will raise our hands in worshipful, hopeful anticipation of what’s to come and what a limitless God will do in spite of our limits.
We speak life, not lies, when there seems to be no life left. We see our children as anointed, beautiful, highly-favored, strong, sons and daughters, so we rejoice over birthdays and graduations and good grades and, most importantly, decisions to follow Christ. We refrain from getting so lost in the plan that we lose sight of the lives and the joy of the moment.
STRETCH
How do I manage the tension triggered by change? God gives us the “why” before He gives us the “what.” He gives us the “what” before He gives us the “how.” We are not intimidated by a big vision — we run toward this revelation of prayer, and put our faith into action. Everyone is up for change until something changes. Change brings tension. In order to be flexible we have to constantly stretch. We embrace the stretch and the tension that change brings. We solve problems at their source and lead our children and others in the organization to effectively see and solve them. We apply wisdom from past experiences when managing immediate tensions. When facing repetitive challenges, we develop fresh approaches and take appropriate risks. We are not defensive, protective or offended because we realize it leads to operating in a silo, which creates larger problems. We initiate instead of respond. We support in public and challenge in private. We bring the water to the fire, not the gasoline. We are committed to the big picture. We are willing to step out and champion new ideas because we trust the promise beyond the current problem. If we fail, it won’t be because we weren’t equipped. If our children choose not to make it, it can’t be because of us.
No one cares how much we know or what we have, but they remember how we made them feel.
Supporting Our Why
Since 1974, the Ranch has been called to meet the needs of over 2,000 children by giving them a solid, Christian home and a chance to fulfill God’s plan for their lives.
From living in a farmhouse serving five boys to seven ministry teams dedicated to continually improving the standard of care for children who need a chance, Big Oak has been given an opportunity to advance the mission of loving, long-term, Christian homes nationwide.
Our Children are our WHY
BIG OAK BOYS’ RANCH
The Big Oak ministry grew out of the desire to give hurting children a chance. John and Tee Croyle founded Big Oak Boys’ Ranch in 1974 after John worked at a summer camp and met a little boy from the streets of New Orleans whose mother was a prostitute and the boy was banker and timekeeper for his mother. John shared with him how he could become a Christian, and the boy returned to the same camp the following summer and shared how Jesus had changed his life. This moment led to a clear calling to relieve the suffering of children.
Over the past 50 years, the Boys’ Ranch has grown from a farmhouse serving five boys into 474 acres, a gym and children’s center, 14 residential homes, two resource homes, two retreat homes, a food shed, a cattle facility, an equine center and Outfitters (a store where our boys can purchase items with points earned).
The Boys’ Ranch has remained rooted in Isaiah 61:3 which tells us, “They may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
BIG OAK GIRLS’ RANCH
The vision to start the Girls’ Ranch evolved from a court case involving “Shelley,” a 12-year-old girl who had been physically and sexually abused by her father. Big Oak pleaded with the judge to let Shelley live at the Boys’ Ranch, but the judge refused and placed Shelley back with her parents. Shelley was beaten to death by her parents three months later. The Girls’ Ranch was built in 1988 in Shelley’s memory and rests on the promise of Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
The Girls’ Ranch has now grown into 325 acres, a gym and children’s center, 11 residential homes, a chapel, two retreat homes, a food shed, an equine center and cattle facility, Boutique (a store where our girls can purchase items with points earned) and a space to serve our Planting Oaks partners.
Support Branches
EXTENDS our Why
There are still millions of children across the country who need intervention on their behalf – nearly 6,000 of these children are in the State of Alabama… and they need our help. We continue to scale toward 20 homes each at both the Boys’ Ranch in Gadsden and the Girls’ Ranch in Springville over the next decade while extending our mission of relieving the suffering of children through BIG OAK COMMUNITIES in Alabama.
Each Big Oak Foster Care Community will start with 5 homes which exist within an established and growing development. These Communities will provide housing, education, counseling, training, support, accountability, and placement opportunities for the families. Each of our Foster Families will live in a 4 to 5-bedroom home and will serve up to 5 children. A Community Hub will be in a convenient location for the families and will include space for education and counseling services, as well as community activities for our foster parents and children. Our 10-year vision is to span the State of Alabama, building Communities within Communities, while striving to retain the culture that we have created over the last 50+ years of serving children.
EDUCATES our Why
WESTBROOK CHRISTIAN SCHOOL , adopted as a Big Oak ministry partner in 1990, is a 3K-12th grade non-denominational Christian school accredited by Cognia, focused on learning aimed at excellence, maximizing potential, and training warriors for Christ. WCS is a unique place rich with diversity of students from all backgrounds, as it serves and partners alongside Big Oak Ranch for the educational needs of 160+ of our children at any one time and more than 550 kids from surrounding communities. WCS serves as an educational home where our children can find purpose and positive relationships, where they can realize and strive toward the plans God has for them. It is a place where so many of our children have broken through the confines of their past and realized their future can be filled with so much more.
FEEDS our Why
BIG OAK CATTLE , established in 2014, is designed to provide a self-sustaining, naturally-raised beef production system (no hormones, no added antibiotics) for feeding our Ranch families. Not only does BOC make way for us to be completely self-sufficient in red meat needs, but it allows for implementing a spiritual and character development program for our kids teaching invaluable principles such as work ethic, commitment, economics and more. It is an opportunity to rebuild trust by working together.
On 225 acres of fenced, pasture land, the operation provides 25,000 pounds of red meat per year for the entire Ranch, providing substantial annual cost savings. Big Oak Cattle includes about 100 Black Angus cow/calf pairs at any one time. BOBR is home to most of our herd and a feeder calf operation while BOGR is home to the remaining cattle. BOC is committed to having the top bloodlines and genetic make-up in our livestock, producing calves with superior marbling, docility, ribeye, and low birth weight.
CONTINUES our Why
ASCEND, founded in August 2019, is a compass guiding potential-filled young adults with education, life-skills training and healthy community as they navigate challenging, pivotal and defining phases of discovery equipped to step successfully into purpose-filled adulthood. Through a combination of individualized guidance, practical application, spiritual development, financial independence, and invaluable real-world experience, ASCENDants will enter adulthood armed with the fundamental principles found throughout Scripture.
We present our ASCENDants with three pathways - a one year, two year or four year opportunity. Each pathway offers academic and curriculum advancements, living at ASCEND in Birmingham, opportunities for greater responsibility and an increasing financial return scaled according to what they invest.
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MULTIPLIES our Why
PLANTING OAKS is a multiplication effort of Big Oak Ranch that provides resources and equips like-minded ministries as they establish Christian homes for abused, neglected and abandoned children. Since 2018, many pioneering individuals, as well as established ministries, have reached out to Big Oak seeking guidance, bringing Planting Oaks to life.
Planting Oaks is offered at no cost and typically partners with individuals or groups working with young people in four major organizational categories: longterm residential care, long-term placement for children out of human trafficking, long-term foster care communities, and transitional living for those aging out of foster care. Through Planting Oaks, we share our insight and experience with those committed to providing loving, long-term, Christian homes to children in need. In 2024, more than 10,217 children were served through 120+ Planting Oaks partners across 30+ states.
Planting Oaks is now serving as a Child Placing Agency in the state of Alabama.
CONNECTS our Why
BRANCHES serves our past residents by providing opportunities to connect in fellowship within the Big Oak Family and resources that help them continue to thrive. This area of ministry continues our core promises to love our children and stick with them. Through Isaiah 61:4, “They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities; the devastations of many generations,” we implement specific relationship building initiatives which continue the breaking of negative generational cycles.
Big Oak is first and foremost a family, and it’s our hope that despite age or distance, the forged bonds thrive long after the days lived on the Ranch.
Big Oak Life
Spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, and physical strength are vital to running the race before us with endurance and passion. Big Oak Life provides the resources needed to sustain lasting impact.
COMMUNITY PRAYER
Every day, at 8:35 am on the dot, staff members at each location gather together in prayer for the healing of our children, for continued blessing over this ministry and, to once again, lay down our lives as a sacrifice for His use.
FIT
Our children, and others in our circle of influence, watch, evaluate and conclude if there is anything to replicate in their life from ours. FIT creates a conscious cycle of health and work ethic - a positive habit others can replicate. It not only promotes discipline, provides energy and increases focus, but it strengthens community as we do life together.
ONE
We are a diverse group, utilizing unique gifts all working as one body. ONE is a gathering that takes place once a month on a Tuesday morning, serving as a reminder of our unity and a time to be sharpened by worship and the Word.
RESOURCE LIBRARY
We realize the value of continually growing in knowledge and wisdom, both spiritually and in our trade. This online and physical bookshelf provides valuable resources on faith, parenting, leadership and more!
STAFF RETREAT
A one day getaway each January for the staff of Big Oak Ranch. The retreat is focused on unity, perspective, community, and growth. The purpose of the retreat is to rest, relate and receive.
Unreasonably Accommodating service to others develops the leader within us and guarding our servant heart in every season keeps our leadership genuine and effective.
Lifelines
Lifelines are resources offered and encouraged outside the realm of Big Oak, but at no charge to you. These are not led by Big Oak staff, but rather invaluable outside opportunities which offer perspective and specific help in your times of need. There is no shame in grabbing a lifeline. In fact, it’s expected!
THE LOCAL CHURCH
It’s important to have a network of people who aren’t in the same fight as we are. They can offer wisdom and perspective in ways those close to the same fight cannot. We encourage involvement and relationship building through a local church that fits our individual family units, not just individuals. Forging those connections provides community outside of Big Oak, promotes unity within the home and empowers our children to realize and appreciate a diverse group of people and the contribution they make to their healing.
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
God created all of us with the need for authentic relationship. Oftentimes, it is through these relationships that He brings healing in our lives. There are also times when we need someone else to help us move forward from the pain we’ve experienced in our past. Our network of licensed counselors and pastors can step in and help when needed. The goal is not perpetual counseling, it is health and walking in the life God has called us to live. Our counselors and pastors can help us get there.
It’s not just about getting the job done, it’s about the character in which we do it.
MARRIAGE & FAMILY
Our ministry is built on the foundation of healthy family. Marriage is a central tool in showing our children the love of Jesus. It is beautiful, but it can also be challenging. There are times in our lives when we need outside perspective to help us navigate the challenges within marriage and family. We are committed to providing our houseparents and their children with the opportunity to receive this guidance, including Gospel-centered family counseling through trained therapists and pastors.
MARRIAGE RETREATS
When the marriage tank is empty, the family suffers. Many local churches and other organizations host retreats at various times throughout the year. Let us cover the cost of you and your spouse attending a retreat of your choosing.
FINANCIAL ADVICE & ESTATE PLANNING
We never want financial concerns to serve as a barrier within your family or in your work at Big Oak. We have a team of financial advisors who want to help you understand and navigate roadblocks, assist in building strong financial health and provide the confidence of a solid estate plan.
PERSONAL NUTRITIONIST
Feeling like you have forgotten your physical health along the way and not sure how to get it back? Unsure of how to meal prep? Needing advice on how to prepare meals that every child in your home can eat? There is a personal nutritionist available to help with individual assessments and counseling, recipes, and group nutrition training.
We stand as warriors for Christ and we are willing to fight for others when they are not strong enough to fight for themselves.
Speak Life
It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. At Big Oak, we’re intentional about the language we use, and we’re conscious of speaking life, not lies, into every person and every situation.
WE GET TO
Serving is a privilege. We serve willingly because family is full-time and we are investing, not supervising. We serve in the heart of get to, not have to. We work as we, us, and our, not I, me, my. We believe in home, not institution. We equip for time in, not time off. We speak to potential, not behaviors and shame. We are inclusive, not individualists. No one is forcing us to be here because we signed up to show up with the faith that as we further God’s Kingdom, miracles take place. No matter what this life may bring, our eternity is secure so we operate knowing the best is yet to come.
We know that when we gave our life to ministry, it was not a one-time event, but a daily choice, knowing that He is the God of the harvest and He will control when it comes.
IF YOU AIN’T HELPING, YOU AIN’T HELPING
If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you. The first step of leadership is a willingness to meet needs. We are in this to serve, not sit. Unreasonably Accommodating service to others develops the leader within us and guarding our servant heart in every season keeps our leadership genuine and effective. When we do what is expected, it’s minimum standard. When we do what is requested, it’s a service.
When we are Unreasonably Accommodating, it’s remembered. We can all play a part in what God is doing in the lives of hurting children no matter what our age or background. We can all be the change we want to see in the family structure. There is a place for everyone. We don’t complain about what we’re willing to accept.
TRAIN ‘EM UP
Jesus identified potential in the disciples He chose. He developed potential as He taught them. He empowered potential as He told them to “go make disciples of all nations.” Our job is to identify potential in others when they can’t see it themselves. We speak life into those who don’t believe they’re capable. We give opportunity to those who seek growth. An organization can never be what its people are not. The only way for us to grow well is to remember that no one cares how much we know or what we have, but they remember how we made them feel.
CHECK YOUR CIRCLE
We are a product of the people we spend the most time with. We surround ourselves with people who push us forward, focused on solutions rather than problems. We don’t gossip. Instead, we surround ourselves with those who are bringing, not taking, more of God out of us. We despise things not of Christ and refuse to surround ourselves with anything or anyone that will antagonize that circle.
When we do what is expected, we are nothing more than a minimum standard. When we do what is requested, we are a service. When we are Unreasonably Accommodating, we are remembered.
Speak Life
WE, NOT ME
We depend on each other, and our strength is interconnected. The synergy we enjoy and others benefit from is based on our own individual responsibility to steward our lives. We don’t do life or ministry alone. Therefore, we are Unreasonably Accommodating through being available and present, not busy and bothered; through being unreasonably accountable and attentive, not comfortable and passive. We do so not because it’s practical but because it relieves the burdens of others, exceeds what is required, is always memorable and elevates our collective impact. We are Unreasonably Accommodating, not for show, to keep score or to check a box, but because we are ambassadors whose commitment to our King’s reputation is deeper than our own interests. When we live it, we please the heart of God. When we live it, “we” go far. When we live it, our children witness image-bearers of Christ.
PUT YOUR NAME ON IT
People are looking for leaders who walk what they talk. Witnessing faith and leadership in action is the most effective teaching. We live life understanding that others are watching what we do, not just what we say, and they are following suit. How we’re perceived reflects how we lead and determines how people will follow. Therefore, we not only put our name on how we operate this mission but how we receive blessing from the Lord, from partners and from each other. We refuse to become entitled to the comfort of blessing. Rather, we choose proactive gratitude toward what a limitless God always provides in spite of our limits.
ADJUST, DON’T OVERREACT
Everybody enjoys change until change happens. Everybody enjoys vision until process takes place. Everybody enjoys progress until it affects you. We remain close to the Holy Spirit, constantly seeking His direction over this ministry. From that, we receive, cast and pursue vision. We plan and work together diligently so vision comes to life. We focus on God’s clear direction and remain flexible enough to change should He ask us to do so. We live unafraid of what that change might require of us.
WE ARE THEY
There are no prima donnas at Big Oak. Job title does not yield entitlement nor equal our worth. Job descriptions are not lines that limit our service when service is needed nor do they get in the way of doing the right thing. Position is not the point. We refuse to let satan play that game. We are a part of the global, capital “C” church, not just in the present but throughout many generations past and to come. What we accomplish when united together is what pleases the heart of God.
OVERCOMMUNICATE
Lack of communication leads to dissension and bitterness. The valley of speculation is the enemy’s terrain, and speculation leads to inaccurate interpretations. Clarity without trust creates fear without action. And trust without clarity produces work without direction. Communication leads to action instead of assumption, therefore we speak and write with transparency and authenticity. We take away the debate and leave room for discussion. We use and teach “yes ma’am, no ma’am,” “yes sir, no sir,” “please and thank you” because respect is a virtue that sets our children up for a life of honor. We are intentional to initiate, not respond. When we think we have communicated on an issue, we do it one more time. We’re called to serve, not change. Only Jesus can bring change. His love and grace will do a work we could never do. We know that when we gave our life to ministry, it was not a one-time event, but a daily choice, knowing that He is the God of the harvest and He will control when it comes. We have been invited to be a vessel in the story God is telling at Big Oak. Accept the invitation, and KEEP PLANTING!
KEEP PLANTING
We refuse to become entitled to the comfort of blessing. Rather, we choose proactive gratitude toward what a limitless God always provides in spite of our limits.
NOTES
BIG OAK PLEDGE
I commit to demonstrate that I am a follower of Jesus by the love and respect I show for others, as well as the life-giving relationships I seek to establish.
I commit to follow through on my word, to operate in honesty and to trust those fighting alongside me.
I commit to run the race I am called to, within my role at Big Oak, despite hardships or challenges.
I commit to obedience and excellence over emotion, choosing to focus on God’s promise over my current problem.
By signing, I choose to do my part in strengthening the culture of Big Oak Ranch and living out my calling within the body of Christ.
Signature Date
The purpose of Big Oak Ranch is to live out the hope of Jesus. Our heart is for abused, neglected and abandoned children.