“I’m happy to report that Oasis has become a support system over the last year, in many incredible ways. And one big thing it has given me: friendships. I love the friends that I’ve had the opportunity to make through Oasis. I love people- especially kind, intelligent, compassionate ones. You people are the best people on earth. Because you’re my people.”
—Stacy Leonard, Kansas City, Missouri
“I appreciate Oasis for welcoming speakers of faith. This goes a long way towards open-mindedness and real community. I’m also happy to see thatOasis isn’t a ‘cool-kids only’ table in the metaphorical high school cafeteria. Good job!”
—Matt Cole Wilson, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
“I moved to the Kansas City area in 2006 after having lived in the Chicago suburbs my entire life. I had deep roots there – lifelong friendships from childhood, 20+ years at one company, and musical groups. I moved here to be with my siblings (whom I didn’t meet until 2002), and I met the man who is now my husband right after moving here, so in a sense I traded friendships for family, but it wasn’t the same. For the first time in my 40+ years, I felt no sense of belonging. I eventually found a musical group to play with, which I love, but most of the other members are members of their church communities, so again, I felt no sort of connection. (It seems like church is much more prevalent here than where I’m from.)
Enter Oasis. From the moment I went to my first Sunday Gathering, I was struck by how warm, open and welcoming everyone was. The music was great, the speakers were engaging, and I loved everything about it. I especially loved that there was a children’s program – allowing adults to enjoy and participate in the activities, knowing their children were in good hands, learning and having fun.
After moving here I looked for volunteer opportunities but there aren’t many opportunities for individuals without a church connection. I love that Oasis does so much for the community and I look forward to being a part of that. I love that Oasis offers so many social and networking activities. I had an active social life before, but since moving here I haven’t done much socially.
I’m really impressed by the dedication of Oasis leadership, and I am SO grateful to them for creating this wonderful community that has finally given me a sense of belonging.”
–Lisa C. Phillips
“I love meeting open minded, thinking people.”
—Sharyl Godlewski, Overland Park, KS
“I love the feeling of supportive community and the fantastic personalities I get to experience. Also, there are the hugs.”
—Ami Varney, Kansas City, Missouri
“Even if he doesn’t want to tag along, it’s so gratifying to finally be able to show my teenager that I’m not the only non-believer in all of KC.”
-Linda Andersen, Kansas City, Missouri
“I enjoy the small heart-felt community moments more than I expected. The way they walk the line between prepared and impromptu makes them easily digestible, and it offers a way to launch topics not often broached in conversation, but still very important to everyone. We as an audience leave those moments knowing the speaker better. With weekly duplication in new and forming community, it fosters a widespread feeling of comfortable familiarity.”
-Will Manning
“I love the chance to connect with my old friends & make new ones in a weekly basis!”
-Senta Hershberger, Overland Park, Kansas
“I went to a Nazarene church for years, years ago. I never felt so genuinely accepted there as I do at Oasis (from day one!); and I don’t feel Oasis would ever abandon me the way the church did when they judged my life decisions.”
-Sarah Israel, East Lynne, Missouri
“I’m personally really skeptical of all group, community, get people organized type deals. I didn’t have a good experience with them as a young person and it became almost a defining part of my personality to reject anything that I associated with “group think”. So I’m not going to lie that I was skeptical of Oasis too. Luckily my curiosity overcame my cynicism because it really has been amazing getting to feel like I’m a part of something that really is a force for good. As I’ve gotten older (hopefully wiser ) I’ve realized that cynicism isn’t a trait I want to share with my children. For a long time I thought that skepticism and cynicism had to go hand in hand, but even before coming to Oasis I’d started to wake up to the idea that wasn’t really true. Oasis has gone a long way to show me that I was on the right track, and it’s given my boys a community that they can draw ideas, inspiration, and life experience from in a way that I couldn’t have provided to them without it.”
-Josh Laws, Kansas City, Kansas
“Really, I love the fact that my non-churchy friends have a place that offers them community, and I love the fact that they let me be a part of it!”
-Fred Heeren, Bonner Springs, Kansas
“What I really like about Oasis is that, while we have one common interest (building a community that’s not faith-based), when you look past that, we’re all so different. I enjoy and am challenged by meeting and developing friendships with people who I would never have met in my other, more homogeneous social circles. Oasis has helped me grow as a human.”
-Mark Dixon, Overland Park, Kansas
“I like celebrating victories: Today I sat with a group of complete strangers (we all didn’t know each other) at lunch after Oasis. All got to chatting, hit it off, found out we all live within 5 miles of each other and now have a dinner party scheduled!”
-Brian Carreno, Overland Park, Kansas
We just love Oasis. I feel like no matter how difficult or stressful our week may have been a Sunday spent with you all just makes us feel good, and it helps me feel relaxed, centered, and ready for whatever the world might throw my way in the week to come!”
-Kate Laws, Kansas City, Kansas
“I am happy to be a part of the Oasis community because every weekly gathering has laughter, music, and the joy of learning. I delight in the mix of ages, genders, sizes, skin tones, and lifestyles, all held together by the common threads of a reason based world view and the pleasure of each other’s company. Oasians also come together in social and community service events outside the regular weekly gatherings. I have participated in a pot luck dinner, a Halloween party, serving food to the homeless with Micah ministries, a game night, an informative and hilarious lecture on Vikings, a blood drive, a great concert by the Mid America Freedom Band, picking up trash at a local park, and a happy hour that introduced me to a new bar. I take delight in Oasis, and I look forward to participating in its continued growth and prosperity.”