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The Oasis UCC - A New Church Start

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An Oasis is:
(a) a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.
(b) something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual.

We, the members of The Oasis United Church of Christ in Jefferson City, Missouri, an Open and Affirming Church, are striving to build a church that is committed to radical hospitality, living with total authenticity, real diversity, and agenda-free relationships. We believe that everyone is created in God’s image and should have open minds and hearts as we “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”.  (Luke 10:27)

We welcome and affirm everyone into our progressive faith community; regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, age, race, nationality, economic and social status, faith background, marital standing, and family structure.   Please join us, “No matter where you are or where you are in life’s journey.  You ARE welcome here!”

A group of former members of Central United Church of Christ in Jefferson City, Missouri and friends are working to start a new, progressive, open and affirming United Church of Christ congregation in Jefferson City, MO.  All these individuals are people who have left Central United Church of Christ as a result of the Congregational Meeting and vote on April 22, 2018 to dismiss both Pastors and that congregation's desire to move in a more conservative direction.  As we have worked and talked, it has become apparent that there is a strong and urgent need for a church community that is more progressive, that is open and affirming of all people regardless of all the things that divide us.

The Oasis UCC will be built on a commitment to four non-negotiables as outlined in John Pavlovitz’s book, A Bigger Table:

 •      radical hospitality where everyone is equally celebrated and effusively welcomed without reservation—because they have the same inherent worth.

•      living with total authenticity in a community where people can be fully non-edited version of themselves and know that they will be fully included in the life and work of the community.

•      real diversity where difference in worldview, religion, age, gender identity and experience are all not only expected, but seen as necessary and beautiful.

•      agenda-free relationships where we strive to meet someone without the expectation of changing, fixing, or saving them. We simply listen to their story and count it as equally valid and meaningful as our own.

Our hope is that The Oasis UCC will be a place for the thinking heart – a place where people don’t need to leave their mind OR their heart at the door.  In our common life as church we will offer devotional, heart-centered worship that fills your spiritual cup.  The arts (music, dance, drama and visual arts) are centerpieces of transformative worship, and so engagement with the arts that is excellent, and devotional will be a priority in the worship life of this church. We will also seek to live out and embody our faith where people will be challenged and encouraged to live out their faith in the communities of their daily lives. And we will have an unashamedly progressive Christian theology where our calling as a spiritual community will be to receive and embody Christ’s unconditional love in the world.

Oasis UCC’s goal is to work to become the church that God has called us to be. We believe that all communities of faith need to have the opportunity to discern ways in which to live into their understanding of the call to be Christ’s church.
 
The Christian Church today truly needs excited, passionate, and called leadership to be renewed.  It is our vision and prayer that The Oasis United Church of Christ can embody this.  We have had many conversations already with people who are very excited about joining this vision and project.  We hold many exciting potential opportunities in our hearts once The Oasis begins to grow and expand.  

My name is Rev. A. Rushan Sinnaduray, and I am the Gathering and Lead Pastor of The Oasis UCC. I am an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and have been engaged in Christian ministry in Jefferson City for the last 3 years.

 We are looking for individual supporters and church and organizational partners in this venture.  All funds raised will go directly to The Oasis United Church of Christ and will be used to fund expenses associated with starting a new church including the cost of purchasing necessary equipment (like microphones and other sound equipment), the cost of publicity (including the cost of producing signs and other publicity material), the cost of staffing this new church. All funds will be sent to me as a check, the check will be cashed by me  and 100% of the funds will be personally delivered to the Treasurer of The Oasis United Church of Christ for use in the ministry and mission of the church. Most new church starts take at least five years to become financially sustainable without outside assistance.  Our hope and prayer is that mission-minded individuals and UCC congregations in Missouri and beyond would be interested in partnering with us to build The Oasis United Church of Christ here in Jefferson City, MO.
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Donations 

  • Amy Baur
    • $50
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Rushan Sinnaduray
Organizer
Jefferson City, MO

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