Becoming - Oswego

10/02/2026

What does God say about giving to neighbor? What did Jesus teach us to do?

“The bread which you keep belongs to the hungry; the coats in your closet, to the naked.” — St. Basil the Great

What we possess carries responsibility toward our neighbor.

These words may sound strikingly contemporary. They aren't.

Basil the Great was a fourth-century Christian bishop and theologian who spoke forcefully about wealth, poverty, and our responsibility toward those in need. For Basil, caring for the poor wasn't optional generosity. It was part of faithfully following Christ.

More than 1,600 years later, his words still challenge us: What do those who have more owe to those who have less?

How might your understanding of what you “own” change if you saw it as something entrusted to you for the good of others?

09/29/2026

Just a reminder there is no Community Group meeting this Wed night because it's the 5th Wednesday of the month - they will meet again next week on the 7th. Instead, there will be a gathering of our young adults.... The holy spirit is moving in all ages of our congregation!
*Holy Spirit is a painting by Alfonso Garcia which was uploaded on March 30th, 2019.

09/28/2026

Sunday worship filled our hearts with hope and with God's love. Grateful for worship with our community, hearing God's call to action and opening the eyes of our hearts.

09/26/2026

An additional word from Oswegoland Community House (OCH):

We have heard the disagreement. We understand that concerns have been raised about location, process, and proximity to the school. We respect the right of our neighbors to raise those concerns and to peacefully assemble.

We have never asked anyone not to protest or assemble. We have simply questioned the decision to do so outside a church on Sunday morning as that congregation gathers for worship.

We stand by that.

What we will not continue to engage is the cruelty, trolling, personal attacks, and dehumanizing language that have increasingly taken over these online conversations. For that reason, we are turning off comments.

We learned last winter how costly it is to enter shelter season already exhausted from fighting for the space to care for people. We will not do that again.

Our energy belongs to the hard work ahead and to our unhoused neighbors, who deserve our very best.

We remain committed to public conversation, but going forward we will create intentional spaces for it where civility is expected, listening is possible, and the same standards of conduct apply to everyone.

More to follow…

For now, we’re taking Sabbath. To rest. To renew. To recenter.

On this beautiful day, be with your kiddos & families. Love on your beloveds. Make memories.

The work isn’t done.
But before we get back to our work, we take time to dwell in God’s presence. To remember we are part of a greater story. To re-orient our lives not based on this world but on a Kin-dom that is breaking through.

09/26/2026

We have learned that some neighbors in Boulder Hill are organizing a protest for Sunday morning outside the Neighborhood Church of the Brethren in response to the church’s decision to open its doors for emergency winter shelter.

We are deeply disappointed that opposition to sheltering our neighbors has reached the point of calling people to protest outside a church as people gather for worship.

We also know that some who support this ministry may feel compelled to organize a counter-protest.

We are asking you not to.

Instead, GO TO CHURCH.
Ours, yours, or somewhere new.
But GO TO CHURCH.

Sing. Pray. Receive communion. Hear the Gospel. And then tell somebody about the faithfulness you have witnessed. Tell them about a church willing to open its doors when its neighbors need somewhere warm and safe to sleep. Tell them about the courage it takes to keep choosing compassion when doing so comes with criticism. Tell them about people who believe following Jesus still asks something of us.

Because sheltering people and gathering for worship on Sunday morning are not separate things. They are expressions of the same faith.

There is no need for counter-signs. There is no need to stand across the street and shout louder.

Our worship can be our loudest response.

A protest only has as much power as the audience we give it. Shouting without an audience eventually becomes an echo.

We do not have to give the loudest voices the privilege of becoming the melody.

There is already a song being sung.

So Sunday morning, don’t go to a counter-protest.

Go to church.

And then go tell somebody what you saw in the faithfulness of our partners at the Neighborhood Church of the Brethren.

09/25/2026

What humanity intends for harm, God creates beautiful.
God does God's best work in the dark...
We will continue to pray & listen!

09/24/2026

09/21/2026

Our fall kick off for Youth Group is this Wed night at 7pm! All high schoolers are welcome to join us for some fun discussion, games and snacks. We are a super casual group, welcoming to newcomers and a fun way to connect with teens your age!

09/18/2026

Don't forget this Sunday after worship, we'll be headed over to Aurora to hand out the blessing bags we assembled last week! Some were distributed last Sunday and we'll hand the rest out this weekend. It was so fun to see all ages working together to assemble these bags after church last weekend. We can make a difference together!