Why The Name “Oasis of Hope”?

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” - Isaiah 43:19

Back in 1868, the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin used to be known as a city of “Healing Waters”. People would travel here from far & wide to experience these amazing spring waters that were said to have healing properties; people would drink the water and be healed! Hotels were built and the city was booming in this time as people truly came from everywhere to experience the healing waters! However; over time, the springs dried up and since 1918 the city hasn’t been known for much anything special and has largely faded into obscurity.

However, back in 2019, almost 100 years after the Springs era ended, a small prayer room existed in Downtown Waukesha thanks to this man named Adam Zastrow and while I was praying in the space that summer, I felt the Lord speaking to me that this was only the beginning of more that He wanted to do in Waukesha! At the time, I was traveling the nations, and didn’t expect to be a part of it myself, but in late 2023 the Lord spoke to me while I was in New Zealand at a School of Worship about the “whakapapa” of my city. Whakapapa is a word that refers to the past history of a people or a place, and it’s used in the culture of the island people of New Zealand to help people look to their past to determine the future of where they are going. As I looked at Waukesha’s past of being a place of healing waters, I felt the Lord saying that as it was physically in the past during that era, He wanted it to be SPIRITUALLY now in this new era, with Jesus revealing Himself as the TRUE living water! Though Waukesha over the past 100 years has lost what physically made it special, the Lord wants to restore what has been lost and bring spiritual streams of living water in the wasteland for people to be restored! This is where the name “Oasis of Hope” came from, and it’s my heart’s deepest desire that people who come to the Oasis would be able to experience the presence of God in a way that truly changes them!

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:14

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” - John 7:37-38

What is a House of Prayer?

A house of prayer is a space where people gather to engage in the presence of God. It is NOT a replacement or competitor for more traditional churches, but instead it is something that is supplemental, works in partnership with them, and gives people a safe haven where they can encounter God outside of only the traditional church hours or setting. Having dedicated spaces for God’s presence to dwell is something that dates all the way back to the Old Testament with the tabernacle in the wilderness, and eventually the Temple that David and Solomon were able to create by God’s leading. After Jesus died, the Bible talks about our bodies being Temples for the Holy Spirit, so we have the joy of being able to meet with Him anywhere through the Holy Spirit now! However, there is still a biblical precedent for having these dedicated spaces especially in a world that is so full of distractions and busyness that it can be difficult to set time or space aside to truly listen to God’s voice and spend time in His presence.

Across America, there are MANY houses of prayer that exist in various different forms and expressions, and they can be characterized by many different things including live musical worship times, times of corporate intercession for people in need, or by simply being a space to encounter the Lord in a more dedicated silent space. Personally, I have seen the fruits of these houses of prayer both leading worship sets in them and hearing the Lord speak to me through other creative means as I have danced in them, journaled in them, cried in them, drawn in them, prayed for others in them, and I have received prayer myself in them. Setting apart space for God to move is something He honors, and He shows up when we make that space! So with the Oasis of Hope, that is what we hope to do!

Why 24/7?

In the world today, there are very few things that operate on a 24/7 scale; for the most part, I can think of 5 things. Fast food joints, gas stations, hospitals, bars and casinos, and gyms. All of these things meet different human needs; food fills us up when we’re hungry, gas helps us get where we need to go, hospitals help us find healing when we’re sick, bars and casinos are used by people to find joy, entertainment, and community when they feel alone, and gyms are used to help people physically become stronger. However; none of these 5 things give eternal nourishment to our souls. Only Jesus can do that! But when the only things open 24/7 are places that only meet our physical needs, many people struggle to find a place to get their spiritual needs met in the same way. Jesus can fill us when we’re hungry spiritually, He can get us where we need to go when we sit with Him and let Him lead us, He can heal us when we are sick or broken-hearted, He can bring us joy and we can find community in the body of Christ when we feel alone, and He helps us become stronger! He does even BETTER what all these other 24/7 places do, so having a place to meet with Him 24/7 is something that would truly bring hope to people in the midst of the busy lives we live always feeling so in need; He can fulfill and meet every single one of our needs!

People today all have very different schedules, so the main focus on 24/7 is accessibility. The goal isn’t to create a bunch of hermits who just sit in a prayer room 24 hours a day (though there are seasons God will call people to higher levels of intimacy with Him in that way), but it’s to give the people who may only have 1 or 2 free hours in a busy week a space that’s available to intentionally meet with God and experience Christian community. More traditional churches also do this, but they are unable to have a 24/7 model so people that are busy during traditional service times often get left behind or forgotten. A 24/7 model creates a space for those people who are often forgotten to still be able to have a place to meet with God and others in community!

Who is the Oasis of Hope for?

1. People Who Know They Need Jesus

“Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ - Mark 2:17

A misconception around houses of prayer is that they are only for super righteous or spiritual people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! The Oasis of Hope will exist specifically for the people that Jesus came for, and that is those people who know that they desperately need Him!

2. People of All Denominations

“That all of them may be one Father, just as You are in me and I am in You.” - John 17:21

The very last prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before He died found in John 17 is about UNITY in the body of Christ. It specifically says in this chapter that Jesus was not only praying for his disciples in that moment, but for ALL PEOPLE who would EVER BELIEVE IN HIM for ALL GENERATIONS; for all of us, His heart is UNITY. Denominational divides have reared such an ugly head on the body of Christ across the world as people criticize one another’s differences so adamantly that it gets in the way of love for one another, Jesus’ greatest commandment.

The Oasis of Hope will be a place where people of all different denominations and expressions of Christianity can come together to encounter Jesus.

3. People Who are Still Searching For Hope and Don’t Know Where to Look

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

The last group of people who the Oasis of Hope is for is those that don’t even know they need Jesus yet, but they know they need SOMETHING. Jesus promises that those who come to Him with their burdens will experience His rest, so people that have heavy burdens and don’t know where to take them, it is the desire that the Oasis of Hope would be a place they can come and find that rest, be filled up, and hopefully in that place they will find the Holy Spirit and a true relationship with Jesus they can take with them outside the prayer room and into life, as a new living temple of the Holy Spirit!

What is the Heart of the Oasis?

1. Connection

The first goal of the Oasis is to connect people more closely to the heart of God, and the secondary goal alongside that is to connect them with other believers in the body of Christ. A third element to this is connecting people across denominational or church lines so that we can learn to love one another and be united as one church as Jesus prayed we would be!

2. Creativity

The second goal of the Oasis is to provide a space for people to create alongside God and one another! God Himself is often called the “Creator” and we were made in His image, so we too were made to be creatives! Engaging with God in creative ways such as journaling, sharing testimonies and telling stories, dancing, doing visual art, writing poems, writing songs, and more are powerful ways to connect to the heart of the creator King and to others in the body of Christ, so the Oasis desires to cultivate an environment where people can create with God & others freely!

3. Celebration

The third goal of the Oasis is to provide a space for people in the body of Christ to celebrate what God is doing on a personal, local, and global scale! Oftentimes we can become so tunnel-visioned that we only see our problems or the world’s problems, but the goal of the Oasis is that people across different churches and denominations could gather, share testimony, and encourage one another with what God has done!

“And they overcame by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony" - Revelation 12:11

4. Change

The final goal of the Oasis is that it would be a place where people truly experience life change and transformation. People that are feeling broken, we pray they would come and God would begin to make them whole. People looking for answers, we pray God would lead them to answers. People looking for purpose, we pray God would show them their purpose in this sacred space. People looking for connections, we pray God would help them find community here. Whatever dark or difficult thing people may bring into the Oasis of Hope, we pray that God will meet the people that enter and help them see a change in their emotions, circumstances, and perspective so they can overcome whatever challenges life may throw their way, knowing they’re not hopeless or alone!

What Would the Oasis of Hope Look Like?

In the full expression of the Oasis of Hope, the desire is that 24 hours a day would be filled with different opportunities for people to engage in relationship with God and others in unique ways. The goal in developing this is to allow for a lot of creative freedom; starting from scratch, it is unlikely we will have 24 hours of live musical worship every day, so the goal is not to exclusively have the Oasis be a place for that, but rather have it be a place of varying different means for people to connect with God. Some hours would be focused more on corporate ways of connecting with God alongside the other people in the room, while other hours would be more for the function of personal devotional time with God in the dedicated space. Some of these hours would host consistent weekly occurrences, while others would be able to happen as people in the community come up with ideas or sign-up for slots they want to serve or host a more corporate time, and any empty spaces in a 24/7 schedule would be available for personal prayer. Things I would envision being a part of the space include:

• Live Musical Worship Times

• Intercession Times Praying for People in the Room

• Intercession Times Praying for Our City

• Intercession Times Praying for Local Churches & Ministries

• Intercession Times Praying for the Nations

• Art Materials Available For People to Create with God

• Bibles in the Room for People to Read Scripture

• Other Books as Resources for People to Read to Grow Spiritually

• Open Space for People to Engage in Flag Worship & Worship Dance

• Testimony Sharing Times to Celebrate What God Is Doing in Individual’s Lives!

• A Prayer Request Journal or Papers for People to Fill Out to Submit their Prayer Needs

• A Praise Report or Testimony Wall for People to Share Everything God Has Done that We Can Celebrate Together!

• Quiet Instrumental Worship Times for People to Do More Reflection

• Occasional Organized Times for People to Create Things Together with God such as Songs, Poems, or Art

• Maps on the Wall of Both the City of Waukesha & the Nations

• Plus even more creative things that people suggest or come up with along the way!

How Can I Be a Part of Making the Oasis of Hope a Reality?

Glad you asked!! In order for the Oasis of Hope to become a reality, it will require the body of Christ COMING TOGETHER to create this space! There are 3 primary needs that we have in order to see the Oasis become a reality which are:

1. A Space

In order for the Oasis of Hope to exist, we need a space to host it!! Specifically, the space needs to be somewhere in Waukesha because the vision is very specifically for Waukesha to be a place where people can experience the Living Waters of Jesus! It’s also important the space is neutral in terms of churches; we don’t want to simply occupy a church’s extra room, but instead we want to be somewhere that is not associated with one denomination but is instead able to be available interdenominationally for believers of all backgrounds! The space needs to be big enough to allow for creative freedom, and it also needs to be a space that will be open to 24/7 accessibility. My thoughts are mostly along the lines of maybe a space in an outdoor strip mall or shopping center, but this part of the process is something we will nail down after first prioritizing finding the next 2 things. If you are someone experienced in real estate or leasing though and you know of possible properties which could work, please reach out and let us know!

2. People

Ultimately, the Church of God is NOT a Building, but it is the people who make it up! The desire is for the Oasis to be a place where people of all Christian backgrounds gather to meet with God and one another!! We’re looking for people in all stages; if you’re a creative who wants to lead worship or come do art here, come join us! If you’re someone who simply wants to soak in God’s presence and connect with Him personally in the room; that’s what it’ll be here for! If you are feeling lonely and just want a place to find community? This is for you! And if you’re someone with a huge heart for prayer who wants to lift others up in the room, locally or around the world? There’s a huge need and place for you too!

3. Finances

Our first step to getting an actual venue for the Oasis of Hope is having the finances to be able to make a down payment on a property. The goal for the summer of 2026 is to raise $5,000 in start-up funds so that we can share that with property owners we might lease from, and then the goal in the fall is to hopefully be able to officially gain a property so that the Oasis of Hope can begin! However, in order for it to be maintained, the Oasis will also need on-going monthly support, so in addition to the initial $5,000 we are trying to raise to start with, we also desire to acquire $2,000 in recurring monthly support. The expression of this we are specifically looking for is 40 People willing to give $50 a month; this way the Oasis will not rest solely on one person but it will be a group effort to continue sustaining this place of worship & prayer in our city! As of now, we are not a registered non-profit, so all gifts given will not be tax-deductible. However, pursuing non-profit status is something we are open to if a board of people interested in being on a leadership team develops, so if that’s you, let us know!

In Summary, If you have read this page and you feel in your heart any interest in helping us make the Oasis of Hope a reality, here is what you can do!

1. Give to Help Us Raise the Initial $5,000 in Start-Up Funds!

2. Pledge Monthly Support to Keep the Oasis of Hope Running Once We Have a Space!

For both of these first 2 options, visit https://donorbox.org/oasis-of-hope-support to find how you can give!

3. Pledge Participation

We have created a survey found here where you can let us know how you would want to be involved in the Oasis once it is created!

4. Spread the Word about the Oasis of Hope!

5. Pray for God to Help Us Create This Space for the City!

These last 2 ways to help are more niche but are also helpful if you’re interested!

6. Help us Find a Location if You’re Connected or in Real Estate!

7. Help us Become a Non-Profit if You Want to Be on a Board of Directors!

IMPORTANT NOTE: A LOT of Prayer will definitely go into any suggestions made about the location or about pursuing non-profit status and developing a board, so keep that in mind if you make suggestions or offer participation in these areas to give them with an open heart, whether God has us move forward with your ideas or not! We definitely want to hear from you though, but give suggestions with an awareness of this to guard your heart!