Still Waters Community Church sits a few minutes west of Highway 45 on Scenic Road, in the town of Polk just outside Jackson, Wisconsin. A United Methodist congregation, Still Waters has filled its own building since the early 2000s and now offers two Sunday morning worship services, a seasonal Saturday evening service, an active family ministry for every age, and one of the larger Feeding America food distributions in Washington County. Three decades after its first worship service, the congregation gathers as a multigenerational community that takes its mission statement seriously.
Planting a Church in 1996
The first worship services at Still Waters were held at Jackson Elementary School in 1996, with an average attendance of about forty people seated in folding chairs. The early years were, in the church's words, "an exciting time, trying to build something out of nothing," and the leaders chose to focus on helping guests and new members find a meaningful way to celebrate their shared faith.
Today the congregation meets in its own building on Scenic Road, and the story of that first generation is the foundation of the church's mission statement: "Still Waters exists to find the lost, release the captive, and develop disciples of Jesus." When the pandemic disrupted in-person life, the church reframed the moment as a chance to improve its technology and expand its reach, and it now livestreams its Sunday 9:00 a.m. service on YouTube and Facebook.
Worship with a Casual, Contemporary Feel
Still Waters describes its weekend worship as contemporary and casual, with a Praise Band leading the music. There is no dress code, and visitors are welcomed to come as they are. The service is built around contemporary Christian music and a message that ties scripture to everyday life, and coffee is served at every gathering.
Two Sunday morning services are held each week, at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and Still Waters Kids programming is available during both. From Labor Day through Memorial Day, a Saturday Evening Worship also meets at 5:00 p.m. The 9:00 a.m. Sunday service is the one that is livestreamed, with a video library of past sermons available on the church's YouTube channel.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is closed Friday through Sunday. From Highway 45, visitors are directed to go west on Highway 60 for about a mile and a half and turn left onto Scenic Road, just past the Washington County Humane Society and the John Deere dealership. The drive from Highway 60 is roughly three-quarters of a mile.
Still Waters Kids and the Orange Strategy
Children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are part of Still Waters Kids, which meets in a large-group setting during both Sunday morning worship services. Each week, children experience a safe environment where they build community with peers, learn a Bible story, and join in age-appropriate praise and worship. Small-group leaders guide them through activities designed to make faith stick beyond Sunday morning.
The program is built around the Orange curriculum, an approach that pairs the heart of the home with the light of the church to create a stronger combined influence on a child's faith. Children's Ministry Director Jena Metzler oversees the program, and a free Parent Cue app is recommended to parents for weekly Bible story videos and conversation prompts. Each year, third graders are presented with their own age-appropriate Bible, and fourth or fifth graders who missed the moment are welcome to receive one as well.
SWYM: A Youth Ministry With Its Own Band
Grades six through twelve are served by Still Waters Youth Ministry, or SWYM, which meets on Sunday evenings starting at 6:00 p.m. The goal of SWYM is to help young people build a faith foundation that lasts a lifetime, with time for prayer, Bible reading, worship, fellowship, and the discovery of the unique gifts and talents each one carries. Lisa Gildersleeve directs the program.
SWYM has its own youth praise team, with weekly rehearsals on Sunday afternoons, and a Peer Mentor program that gives high school students a chance to grow as Christian leaders. Peer Mentors and Mentors-in-Training gather for a full-day fall training each year, with lunch provided, and they later join the adult leaders for Safer Sanctuaries training, which equips everyone who works with children and youth.
Each summer, high school students are invited on a Youth Missional Retreat. A recent trip took the group to Spring Forest in North Carolina, where they engaged in Celtic rhythms, contemplative practices, and service rooted in the United Methodist tradition. The cost is around $1,000, covering flights, transportation, retreat participation, and meals. A Band app keeps SWYM families connected, with a calendar, photos, twice-daily prayer prompts, and updates on service projects.
Women, Men, Holy Yoga, and Walk 'n Connect
Opportunities for adults are organized around small groups, seasonal studies, and a handful of weekly rhythms. Still Waters Women meets monthly after the second Sunday service, around 11:45 a.m., for fellowship, planning, and connection, often taking advantage of the Souper Sunday meal that the youth host on the same day. Still Waters Men gathers on the third Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast at a local restaurant that rotates from month to month.
Holy Yoga meets on Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m. for about an hour of intentional practice that links movement and scripture. A $10 donation per session is suggested, and no sign-up is required. Walk 'n Connect gathers on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m., beginning with a walk around the church property, weather permitting, and moving indoors when needed. After the walk, the group uses the "Prayers from Iona" resource to settle into conversation with one another and with God.
Each fall, the church runs two book studies on the same book at different times. A Monday evening group meets at 7:00 p.m. and is facilitated by Senior Pastor Lori Lossie, and a Tuesday morning group meets at 10:00 a.m. and is facilitated by Robin Jasinski and Pastor Lori. A New Member Class is available for those ready to take that next step, and the church database, called Realm, connects members with groups, news, giving, and photo sharing.
Feeding America, Family Promise, and the Family Support Group
Still Waters' longest-running community partnership is with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. On the second Wednesday of each month, the church serves as a distribution site, with cars lining up ahead of the 1:30 p.m. start and food being handed out as soon as setup is complete. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 1:00 p.m., and on-the-job training is offered to first-timers each month.
The church is also a partner congregation in Family Promise of Washington County, a network of more than fifteen local congregations that work together to prevent homelessness. Family Promise runs transitional housing, a Rapid Re-Housing program, the singles shelter known as Karl's Place, and a Promise Center with eight supportive apartments. Hospitality Coordinator Vicki Passineau and her husband Kelly serve as co-chairs of Family Promise.
For families affected by addiction, Still Waters hosts a Family Support Group on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The group is open to anyone with a loved one struggling with addiction, and confidentiality and anonymity are priorities. Ron Naab, who coordinates the gatherings, invites participants to come as they are and to drop in whenever they can.
The Christmas Store and Mission Beyond Washington County
Each December, the church hosts a Christmas Store that pairs families in need with a personal shopper, a children's area, a photo station, and a wrapped-gift pickup. Nearly fifty volunteers staff the day, working in roles that range from personal shoppers and cashiers to the Prayer Support Team, the year-round Community Outreach team, and a team of Toy Haulers who move gifts in and out of the building.
Beyond Washington County, the church organizes a mission trip to Honduras. Teams work alongside Central United Methodist Church in Danli on Vacation Bible School, light construction, and a medical mission component, and they visit the Juan Wesley School in Ciudad España, where Still Waters sponsors children's education. The trip is open to anyone age fourteen and older, with a Safe Gatherings background check required for participation.
Life Events, Baptisms, and the Memorial Garden
Still Waters offers pastoral support for the milestones of life. The church welcomes infants, children, and adults for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, an act that initiates the baptized into the body of Christ and incorporates them into God's mighty acts of salvation. Couples preparing for marriage and families arranging an end-of-life celebration are invited to connect with the church office or with Pastor Lori Lossie.
Just outside the building, the Still Waters Memorial Garden offers a quiet place to remember loved ones who have passed. The garden was inspired in 2005 by Kurt and Linda Kleinhans, and the first memorial service was held there the following year, after Kurt's death. The space features graceful stone pathways, a monument inscribed with the Twenty-Third Psalm, and engraved commemorative pavers. A stone wall marks the perimeter, and the church office can provide more information for those interested in reserving a paver or planning a service.
What United Methodists Believe
Still Waters is part of the United Methodist Church, a global denomination with roots in the 1730s work of John Wesley in England. The church's sources of faith include the Bible, Wesley's writings, the Articles of Religion, the Confession of Faith, the United Methodist Book of Discipline, and the work of United Methodist theologians and educators. The church confesses belief in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and celebrates the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The mission of Still Waters unfolds across three phrases. To find the lost means walking with people who feel like they are moving through dark times, helping them find a road and reminding them that no one has to face life's perils alone. To release the captive means bringing freedom to people held back by anger, doubt, discouragement, loneliness, health issues, depression, or addiction. To develop disciples of Jesus means learning, with attention and intention, how to love one another in concrete, daily ways.
Senior Pastor Lori Lossie has served the church since 2016. She holds a Master of Divinity from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio and previously launched a new worshiping community at Hilliard UMC in Ohio before serving as lead pastor at Walnut Street United Methodist Church in Chillicothe. Music Director Jacob Metzler, who joined the staff after earning graduate degrees in piano performance, leads the Praise Band. Children's Ministry Director Jena Metzler and Youth Ministry Director Lisa Gildersleeve lead the family team, and Hospitality Coordinator Vicki Passineau shapes the welcome that greets every visitor. Three decades after forty folding chairs filled a corner of Jackson Elementary School, the congregation that grew from that beginning now runs a network of ministries, missions, and partnerships across Washington County and beyond.