Water City Church

The Journey: Trust

2012-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

Where are you setting out toward? We are all coming from somewhere. We have a backstory that has shaped who we are right now. And who we are right now is shaping who we will be. God is using the moments of our life to bring us to places of more trust.

Abraham of the Old Testament is said to be the "Father of Faith." In his story we see more and more what it means to trust and to follow (and to trip up).

"Abraham did not become our exemplar in faith by having it explained to him but by engaging in a lifetime of travel, life on the road, daily leaving something of himself behind (self-sovereignty) and entering something new (God-sovereignty)."

Eugene Peterson

"The Way of Jesus" (p. 51)

After the Resurrection

2011-04-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone.

Can I just take a minute to say we had an awesome Easter Sunday morning at Water City Church? Not just because it was a packed house (adding chairs is always fun) but because we threw ourselves into the messy and beautiful reality that "Christ is risen!" Everything changes in that little sentence. Sin has been declawed. Death has been swallowed up in life. And yet...

Everything has changed and yet things are not as they should be. Suffering exists all around us. Our podcast from the weekend is up. In this week's talk we wrestle with the question, "If is God is all good and all powerful, why is there still so much hurt?" It's not easy, but this conversation is so important.

And now on the other side of Easter, we say that the resurrection is not just about all those years ago. Resurrection continues to echo out and is changing things, here and now. Hurt to healing. Brokenness to wholeness. Death to Life. Sin to being set right.

Would you join us as we throw ourselves into the places of brokenness not as one more church program, but because "Christ has risen!" Jesus is alive and that changes everything.

We still have a blog?

2011-02-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just came back to this today and I can't believe we've neglected our friend the blog so much. Sorry little fella, but throwing 140 characters into our tweet stream has become just so easy. We'll try to share some thoughts over here too. No promises though.

The Four Loves

2010-02-20T06:28:00.001-08:00

Beginning this weekend we are jumping into a new series based off of C.S. Lewis's "Four Loves." Join us @ 210 Commerce St, up on the 3rd floor for a great conversation on love. Hope to see you there at 10am.

Water City Church Photowalk '09

2009-08-05T12:02:00.001-07:00

We've always said church is more than a Sunday morning service.

A few weeks back we took a break from our usual Sunday to see how that plays out. July 19th was our first Water City Photowalk. What's a photowalk? Essentially it is taking a walk and taking pictures. We thought it would be cool to spend some time around downtown and see things from a bit different angle.

It was great fun.

Check out these pics from the event. Even more can be found on our Facebook page (not on Facebook? Here's the link to the public album.)

Rob Bell this weekend.

2009-04-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we are finishing up our series Hope Again.
Who better to give the parting shot on this one that the one and only Mr. Rob Bell. Well, not actually in real life. But a very good digital reproduction of him.

We're going to be screening the latest installment in the Nooma series 023 Corner. And then we're going to discuss how the call to action plays out in our setting here in the Fox Valley.

You are welcome to join in the discussion as we process out how faith intersects a life of compassion...but not just compassion but movement out of actually caring for others.

This is looking to be a great Gathering. Hope you are able to make it.

Sunday (4/26)
10.00 am
210 Commerce St
3rd Floor Studio
Downtown Oshkosh
http://www.watercitychurch.com

Easter Sunday @ Water City Church

2009-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Water City Church would like to invite you to join us for our casual Easter Service (4/12) @ 10 am.

We are going to have a great Sunday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, not only as a historical event but as one that continues to happen in our lives.

If you've been burned by church, but haven't given up hope, we've got a spot for you.

Maybe you are looking for a place to start over. Perhaps you're ready to reengage faith. We would like to invite you to Water City this weekend (or any weekend for that matter). We're a new church made up of 20-30 somethings ready to explore Christianity through a fresh lens.

free breakfast
free childcare
communion served
casual
lively discussion

Water City Church
210 Commerce St (between high & pearl ave, near the bus depot)
3rd floor studio
downtown Oshkosh
10am
http://www.watercitychurch.com

Big News!

2009-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Water City Church is going weekly! That's right. Beginning in April, we are going weekly with our Sunday Gatherings. We'll continue with our 10.00am start time. We'll still be serving great fair trade coffees. Bagels will still be fresh and free. Really it's just more of a good thing.

So this is your chance to push, pull or drag your friends and family to our new and improved, every Sunday extravaganza! Maybe that's a bit much. No pushing or pulling or even dragging is condoned at Water City Church. Just ask our nursery staff.

Please join us this spring as we continue to grow. These are exciting days at Water City. Help us share the hope.

Happy New Year! What? When?

2009-03-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year Oshkosh! March? Are you serious? Well, that went quick.

Good Stuff @ Water City.

- Meal/Bible Study on Thursday nights @ the Studio. We've been getting together on Thursday nights for a little while now. The idea is that this can be a weekly connection point for the church to catch up, share a meal and study the Bible. All things that are important, not to mention quite fun. This is open to everyone, so whether you just need a good meal or some time processing the Bible with others or a cheap (free) night out, we would love to have you join in.

- Our "new" Korg Electric Piano. Thank you Craigslist. Can't beat free. You say you play? Did we mention we've got an opening or two fro folks who want to help with worship?

- All the way to Matthew chapter 8 in our slow journey through the life and teachings of Jesus that are recorded in this first book of the New Testament. Meeting twice a month (1st & 3rd Sundays) for services may not be the quickest way through Matthew, but it's who we are.

- Our Children's Program is up and running for 2,3 and 4 year olds. Each session includes songs, stories and snacks... what more could you want? We even through in a project or two. Along with a clean, background screened nursery, Water City Church provides help with your young families spiritual formation.

Haven't been by in a while? That's alright. Swing up this weekend (3/15) to check out our new setup. We've got a fresh bagel just for you.

'tis the season

2008-12-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

Grace and peace.

Two words worth repeating as the Christmas season is in full swing. Partying. Shopping. Giving. Receiving. Dining. Decorating. Fighting. Wrapping. Celebrating. Hoping. Remembering. With so may "ing's" to be done between now and the 25th, may we all find time to rest in the Grace and Peace that has come through the life/death/resurrection of Jesus the son of God.

We invite you to join us if you are looking for a place to explore faith this season.

1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.
10am
3rd floor studio
210 Commerce St
downtown Oshkosh

www.watercitychurch.com

Interfaith Discussion on Current Financial Crisis

2008-11-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

Many economists are calling our current economic crisis the worst since the Great Depression. Does faith have anything to say in this very difficult time? Are the ancient teachings of Jesus relevant to the financial needs of our global community? Can people of faith really make a tangible difference

Jason Fiedler will be presenting some thoughts taken from our current discussion through Jesus' teachings from the gospel of Matthew. Theocapitalism. Empire of Materialism/Consumerism. Simplicity.

Come join the conversation.

Friday, November 21st

4.00 - 6.00pm

UW-Oshkosh
Reeve Memorial Union (Wisconsin Room)

Free

Warning: Money Talk Ahead

2008-10-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Unchecked greed has gotten us where we are today. Corporate. Personal. Cultural.

Turn on the news and it's either a political advertisement or some new bad news about the economy. This bank is going under... That mortgage house used predatory tactics toward that group of people... That factory is closing after 80 years of operation... These many new families are put out of their homes...

Too many voices are trying to simplify the complex cancer that has brought us to this place. Talk about credit rates, sub-prime something and golden parachutes are as common as the weather.

Some say that the church talks about money too much. Many use this as a reason for not going to those places anymore. But perhaps "the church" (whatever that means) really hasn't been talking about money all that much. Somewhere along the line we missed the Biblical message of simplicity. The American dream replaced the gospel message of giving to those in need, of warnings to the rich about the kingdom of heaven, calls to sell everything you've got before you follow Jesus.

Just how these and other difficult teachings play out in our empire of consumerism is up for some way overdue conversation.

Let's find out as we process through the very hard teachings of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. Join us as we try to course correct.

Sunday October 19th

10am

210 Commerce St

Third floor studio

Oshkosh, WI

not in here

2008-08-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy (need) that cup of coffee in the morning?

It used to be that churches were famous in a bad way for their sub-par coffee. Huge coffee makers filed with the cheapest ground. Those days are coming to a close as our culture is more picky about what's in there cup. But some habits die hard...like "no food or drink allowed in the sanctuary" signs on the doors leading into big rooms where people have church. "Come enjoy a good cup of coffee with us... just don't bring it into our sanctuary because the carpet is new and so are the chairs" is what it really says.

Water City intentionally went in a slightly different direction with our gatherings. Cup of coffee during our service? You bet. Would you like to have another bagel during our study of the book of Matthew? Perfect. It could be because we've got cement floors and metal chairs (easy cleaning) in our gathering space. But it's more about providing a comfortable environment to talk through issues of faith and life and stuff.

The first Christians gathered around meals, a tradition that shifted to a different type of supper (the Lord's Supper or communion). We like the idea of having a drink or a bite to eat as we get together.

Have breakfast. Connect with others. Connect with God. Sounds right to us. Join us as we rethink what it means to be church.

1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.
10am
3rd floor studio
210 Commerce St
downtown Oshkosh

Tiger Tuesday Again

2008-06-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

So last month we had to "postpone" our tee time for Tiger Woods... having a baby can make things slightly more complicated... But now one month in we've got the whole baby thing figured out so Tiger's back!

That's right, Tiger Woods '08 for the Wii on a huge big screen. All the fun of real golf minus the bugs, lost balls and expensive green fees. Did we mention it's free? That's right no cost, unless you want to "chip in" for pizza.

Tuesday April 8th @ 7:00pm
210 Commerce St
3rd floor Studio
Water City Church

Open to all ages.

And yes... this was slightly cut and pasted from the other month... maybe we don't have it as figured out as we'd like to think.

podcasting 2.0

2008-05-28T07:04:00.001-07:00

The other day we blogged about our new podcasting service... and then decided to pull it because the podcast hosting service was to glitchy. So now it's on to version 2.0.

Our hope is that this will be a way to connect more folks with what's going on at Water City. Whereas most church podcasts are simply the weekend's message... we are planning to use this as a chance to connect even on the off weeks. We'll do this by offering short thoughts that will continue the faith discussion that is taking place at our gatherings.

Who knows, maybe we'll even grow a real life discussion/coffee group from this little project. This would make for a very interesting and unique way to check out Christian faith in a new way.

I'm guessing that we'll have a laugh or two along the way. We even made it on iTunes! First a listing on Oxfam. Now iTunes. We may be beginning to tip the "cool" scale back from all those awkward high school years.

More being church...less having church

2008-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. Growing up, my family was one that was at church every time the doors were open. Sunday mornings were Sunday school, followed by the regular morning service. After heading home for a meal and usually a short nap, the family would pack up and head back for the evening service. While my friends were playing one last game of wiffleball, my brothers and I were trying to behave quietly in the pews (not an easy task). Midweek, we always headed back for the Wednesday night family service with activities for all ages, while the adults had a Bible study.

Lots of going to church. That's just the way things went.

Being a part of a new church is a fantastic chance to work through faith stuff that just seems to be a given... such as having services every week. Did you know many of the reasons for having a gathering every Sunday morning are cultural? Good reasons, but cultural. It goes without saying that culture has changed quite a bit since the 1800's (among other reasons, Sunday mornings were chosen to best accommodate a rural farming culture... nice, but somewhat outdated for most of the Western world).

We've decided (for the time being) to gather twice a month (new model) on Sunday mornings (old model) because we don't want to overload "doing" church and not have time/energy for the "being". This means we encourage folks who call Water City home to go out and be in the community on our off Sundays or to simply rest. In our crazy fast culture, the most God-honoring thing to do may simply be to stop and enjoy a morning without responsibilities. It used to be called taking a sabbath.

The challenge then is what does spiritual development look like on the "off" weeks? Hopefully, it looks the same as it does on a Monday or the third Thursday of the month - a person spending some time with God, talking about stuff (prayer), processing through the Bible, and connecting with friends. We're playing around with some type of e-connection for those weeks as well (maybe a podcast or something). But for now, it's just a chance to take a deep breath and be. Something that can take a bit of practice in a culture driven to do.

This is just one way Water City is reworking being a community that takes seriously the life and teachings of Jesus. We invite you to join us as we continue this journey.

Just make sure its a first or third Sunday before you come down to the studio...

Tiger Tuesday!

2008-04-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Alright it's been quite awhile... sorry. To make up for it, we thought we would invite you to Tiger Tuesday. That's right, Tiger Woods '08 for the Wii on a huge big screen. All the fun of real golf minus the bugs, lost balls and expensive green fees. Did we mention it's free? That's right no cost, unless you want to "chip in" for pizza.

Tuesday April 8th @ 7:00pm
210 Commerce St
3rd floor Studio
Water City Church

Open to all ages.

Funny pants not required but very appreciated. Hope to see you there.

Snow (Ice) Day

2008-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Seeing "Water City Church - Oshkosh all services canceled" on the news ticker this morning was a bit strange. Yes, we called off the gathering for this weekend. But then so did most all of Oshkosh (the Fox Valley really). Snow storms on Sundays were the worst when we were kids in school... waste of a perfectly good snow day.

They still are. See you in a few weeks.

p.s. We were going to walk through the temptation of Jesus passage from Matthew 4. Now you've got two weeks to study... not that there will be a test. Or will there?

free coffee?

2008-02-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

What do single digit temperatures, a presidential primary campaign stop and Oshkosh have in common? A great setting to give away free fair trade coffee, of course.

This afternoon the Scottberg's (hilarious to say, since they were first just some kids in our youth group... now they are a for real life married couple) and I dropped by the UW-Oshkosh's sports arena where one of the Democratic presidential candidates was holding a rally, to pass out four air pots worth of Peace Coffee fair trade coffee for free. It was crazy cold, which meant the coffee went fast. Sixty or seventy cups in less than twenty minutes... just to say, "Hey we thought you might like a cup of coffee on us." Not exactly huge outreach, but a very fun way to let people know that our church is out there and that we're about serving others.

We've got another coffee related service project coming up in the next few weeks. If you are looking for place to belong, that has room for you to serve check us out. Maybe this weekend even.

first impression video

2008-02-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

just a little video that we are using as a first impression for the church. hopefully it will give you a mental picture of where we gather and stuff like that. enjoy.

nursery - almost as good as the batcave

2008-01-04T14:14:00.001-08:00

Who knew putting together space for children would be so much fun? We are proud to say that we now have real life space for infants and toddlers... a clean, safe, secure nursery.

Got little ones in your life? Our hope is that they will have a blast while you are enjoying our gathering.

We'll even keep them away from the red dye number 5.

(early) Christmas in Oshkosh

2007-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

December 23rd (10 - 11am) will be our first ever Christmas gathering. We're thinking about making it an annual event... we'll have to see how it goes. Since Water City is not planning a Christmas Eve Service, we thought it would be nice to make this one our candle light gathering.

Who says you can't have one before noon? It will be a nice informal, new style, traditional gathering.

We'll have full fledged Nursery for infants/toddlers (minus the candles).

Looking to start a new holiday tradition? We've got an open seat and fresh cup of fair trade coffee for you.

Why do I believe that?

2007-11-13T09:07:00.001-08:00

"Why do I believe that?"

I spent the greater part of this decade working with students as a youth pastor. One of my greatest pleasures was having a teenager ask me this question. One of my greatest frustrations was having a young person toss this out. I loved it because it meant they were beginning to process through the important stuff of life. How much of this God stuff do I really believe and how much of it do I believe because of (home, friends, culture...)? A very necessary process... threatening and scary as all get out, but vital.

Over the next few months we are going to be spending time wading through the Gospel of Matthew. Getting into the context of the stories. Wrestling with the tough sayings of Jesus. Pausing to hear God in these ancient words. Yeah, we'll bring our own presumptions into the discussion. Sure, we've all got preconceptions and stuff, especially about God, faith and Christianity... that's the stuff that I am excited to expose to the very important question of "Why do I believe this stuff?" But not stop there... "What difference does it really make for my relationships, work, money, life?"

We've said, from go, that you don't have to believe what we believe to belong... I invite you to join us as we get into it. Don't have a Bible? Don't worry, we've got one or two extras.

story from the "west side"

2007-11-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Since we meet on "West" Irving Street, and because this week's gathering is focusing on our value of "story"... the West Side Story reference was, of course, unavoidable.

Each of us have a story. Some chapters are filled with happy moments, others are dotted with pain and tragedy. We believe that your story is important in the Story of God at work in history. This weekend, Steve Ullmer will be sharing a part of his life story with us at our gathering (11/11). Through telling our stories we are reminded of what it means to be alive and perhaps are reminded of God's love and movement in our lives.

You are invited to join us this Sunday morning, November 11th from 10 - 11am at the UWO Women's Center in Oshkosh (717 W Irving St). Not into musicals? Fear not, there will be no spontaneous song and dance routines in this "west side story."

Black Gold Screening Tonight

2007-10-25T11:02:00.001-07:00

"Trade is more important than aid." States one African leader at the World Trade Organization meeting a few years back. Tonight we are going to be exploring how, as Western consumers, we fit into this equation and what difference we can actually make. Black Gold is a fantastic film that brings much needed attention to some issues surrounding Ethiopian coffee growers, Fair Trade and justice.

The public is invited to join in, this is something we each can play a part in.

Important information...

When: 7:00pm (10/25/07)
Where: 210 Commerce St. Suite 300 (enter behind Great Estates downtown Oshkosh)
Cost: Free
Discussion to follow.

We should be done before 9:00pm.

Fair Trade Documentary Screening

2007-10-11T12:45:00.001-07:00

Why would a church be screening a documentary about Fair Trade? What does this have to do with faith?

Water City has said that we believe in a God of movement. We understand the story of the Gospel to mean that God is very much interested in issues of justice, compassion and faithfulness (not simple sin and judgment). That God is at work restoring his creation... a work he invites his followers to join him in.

Is being paid a livable wage for growing coffee a spiritual issue? It is.

And so we've picked up the rights to publicly screen the documentary Black Gold. The community event will take place Thursday, October 25 at 7:00 pm in downtown Oshkosh. Previously featured on PBS’s Independent Lens, Black Gold is a 2006 documentary film that explores the international coffee trade and its ramifications for the farmers who grow coffee. The screening will be followed by a short group discussion. Open to the public. No cost.

Is this some Billy Graham switcheroo movie? No. It's just a compelling documentary that we hope will inspire all of us to be agents of change.

EVENT DETAILS:
Location: Loft space - 210 Commerce St., suite 300 (behind Great Estates downtown) Oshkosh, WI 54901
Time: 7:00 PM (run time approx. 77 minutes)
Cost: Free
Presented by: Water City Church
Purpose: to raise public awareness of issues surrounding Fair Trade

Values - Belonging

2007-09-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend we'll be beginning a walk through each of our four values (belonging, movement, story, & becoming). Obviously there is no way we'll be able to totally flesh out each value with only a week to focus on it. Truth be told, these things are going to take the life of our church to really process... and even then, there'll still be plenty to re-explore.

That said, they're the obvious place to begin. This week we're stalling on Belonging. Not in the sense of joining an organization, of becoming a member... rather the need to connect with something more true, more real. Belonging.

Come, be a part of the discussion. No dress code. No prior experience required. The only plastic people here are in the picture.

Water City Church
717 W Irving St
Oshkosh, Wisc
10.00 - 11.00am

Grand Openings...

2007-08-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ours is a culture of Grand Openings, World Premieres, Opening Nights... If you're going to start something, do it with a bang. Get people there. Don’t begin before you have the feel of what you hope to be. Want to be a professional tether-ball league? Don’t start before you’ve got jerseys and sponsors and season tickets sold… and of course, equipment. Make a big splash.

What would it look like to start something without a clear end in mind? Foolish? Perhaps. Yet, too often ventures have started with a very definite end goal, a clear business plan, only to implode from the countless, unforeseen pressures brought on by that original end goal.

If you start a relationship with a 50^th wedding anniversary as the goal, chances are your friends will make fun of you and you'll doom the relationship. But if you say, “I'd like to get to know a new person. It would be nice to stretch myself, see if we have anything in common.” You may build a friendship. Who knows, that person might be the brother of a roommate of your future spouse… (or not). It could lead to something you never expected.

Back to Water City… what was the countdown all about? Grand Opening? World Premiere? Not so much. Water City is simply beginning a new, more public gathering, something you and a friend might want to check out. A small group of us have been meeting for a few months, dreaming about what a different sort of faith community (church) might look like and now we are inviting others into that process. If you’re wondering, skeptic, hopeful, curious… you'll feel very much at home.

You are invited to join us September 19th @ 10am at the UWO Women's Center (717 W. Irving Ave, Oshkosh).

countdown to what?

2007-08-21T09:13:00.001-07:00

I've loved/loathed countdowns since I was a young child. Every year around December 1, my brothers and I would cut strips of construction paper and make a paper chain leading to Christmas day. Each day we would rip off one more link until finally it was THE day. Events that warranted countdowns included, but were not limited to: the last day of school, birthdays, and vacations.

Countdowns, as fantastic as they may be, were/are a source of pain for me. Let's just say that I am not the most patient person you've ever met. (I've been known to give presents days before the actual birthday because I can't wait to give it.) So each link represents one more day I have to wait. It can be excruciating.

So what's the deal with the countdown on the website? What are we counting down to? Weather permitting we are planning a cookout for our first official "something public" for Water City Church. The details are still being put together, but it's looking like our party will be at one of our fantastic parks in Oshkosh.

Ideas? We would love to hear them... inflatable bounce houses? That would be cool.

Check back for more details.

Starting/Stopping

2007-07-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of sitting in on a discussion on autism. Long backstory, that I won't get into here... but one important thread was the idea that life is made up of millions starts and stops. Example: Starting to reach for the cup of coffee. Stopping halfway and starting the rest of the reach. Starting to take that step. Stopping at the height of the step and putting your foot down to start the process with the other foot... and on and on. Internally we are constantly starting and stopping. Thoughts, dreams, memories... We went on to talk about the difficulties that arise when people have trouble either starting or stopping movement (actions/thoughts), especially in terms of autism, but a difficulty that we all encounter from time to time.

For a little over a month I've been kicking around various thoughts on getting started, for this extension of Water City along with hundreds of other important decisions and processes. Thoughts of/anxiety over "getting it right" and "starting well" and all that have sometimes kept me from even putting anything out there/here.

Today I've decided to start. Not because there is anything spectacular or ground breaking happening, but because it is past time to begin. So for now, that's enough.

Let the movement begin.