A WELS Congregation on Nebraska Street in Oshkosh
Grace Lutheran Church and School sits at 913 Nebraska Street in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a single brick building that has served as both a place of worship and a Christian day school for more than a century. The congregation belongs to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and centers its life on the conviction that Jesus Christ is the true Savior of all people. Their statement of faith reads simply: "God's grace welcomes you, no matter who you are or where you come from - and so do we."
The church and school share one campus and one mission. Grace Lutheran School has been part of the Oshkosh community since the late 1800s, owned and operated by the congregation as part of its call to "make disciples of all nations." Inside the building, a remodeled main entrance takes visitors up the stairs or by elevator into a narthex, where members and guests pick up a bulletin before stepping into the sanctuary. The school offices sit just off the lobby, and the rest of the building opens outward into classrooms, a science lab, a choir room, a cafeteria, a preschool wing, and a gymnasium with its own mezzanine and Wildcat Cafe.
Worship Four Times a Week
Grace offers four regular worship services each week, all in the sanctuary off the main narthex:
- Saturdays at 5:30 pm
- Sundays at 8:00 am and 10:30 am
- Mondays at 6:00 pm
The worship is rooted in WELS tradition. "We hold fast to the profound belief that Jesus Christ stands as the true Savior of all humanity," the church's introduction reads. "Through His immaculate and sinless life, Jesus exemplified the highest virtues and values, living in perfect harmony with God's will. His innocent death on the cross serves as the ultimate atonement for our sins, offering a path of redemption and forgiveness that we, as lost sinners, so desperately need."
Sermons are recorded and posted on the church's YouTube channel, and Sunday services are livestreamed there as well. The series running most recently is called "Unexpected Truths."
What a First-Time Visitor Will Find
Grace takes seriously the experience of walking into church for the first time. Ushers greet visitors in the narthex and hand out bulletins that walk through the service. There is no dress code: "Come as you are. We do not care what you are wearing. At Grace, worshippers come dressed in formal and informal attire."
Visitors can sit anywhere in the sanctuary, though the back pews are reserved for parents with small children. A separate Children's Worship Area sits at the rear of the sanctuary for infants and young ones who need to move around. Activity bags hang in the narthex for children to grab before the service, and speakers in the narthex pipe in the service audio so parents who step out with a child can still follow along.
For those who have trouble reading the bulletin, ushers can supply a large-print service folder. A hearing loop system connected to the speakers serves anyone with a hearing aid. The elevator makes the sanctuary, narthex, and balcony accessible, and additional seating opens up in the balcony when the floor fills.
After the service, members of the congregation fill out black friendship registry folders in each pew; visitors are invited to do the same so the pastors can follow up. Pastors do their best to greet everyone after worship, but on a weekend when hundreds attend, they encourage anyone who wants a longer conversation to reach out and set up a time.
Bible Classes Around the Week
Adult Bible study is built into the rhythm of the week. Three classes meet during the Sunday-morning Bible hour at 9:15 am, with one of them repeated on Monday evening at 7:00 pm:
- 19 Minutes with Luther: The Apostles' Creed - Sundays at 9:15 am. A short study that walks through the Creed line by line, "Beyond the Words."
- Basic Bible Christianity - Sundays at 9:15 am and Mondays at 7:00 pm. A review of the Bible's key teachings that also functions as the congregation's new-member class.
- Through the Bible: Song of Songs - Tuesdays at 9:15 am. A study of the Old Testament poetic book as both a celebration of marriage and an image of God's love for his people.
A monthly men's gathering called Truth on Tap meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm at Omega Brewing in nearby Omro. The current series, "Gospel in the Wild," looks at how Jesus meets men in the middle of daily life.
Children's Sunday School, Adult and Youth Confirmation, and Biblical Pastoral Counseling round out the congregation's stated ministries, alongside social opportunities for a variety of interests.
Little Lambs: Faith for the Youngest Families
Grace extends its ministry to the youngest children in the community through Little Lambs, a free program for children from birth to age four and their caregivers. It meets twice a month - on the first and third Monday at 8:15 am in the church gymnasium - and gives parents of preschoolers a way to begin faith formation at home long before kindergarten.
A PreK-8 Christian School in the Same Building
Grace Lutheran School occupies most of the building behind the sanctuary. It enrolls children in 3-year-old preschool, 4-year-old preschool, 5-year-old Kindergarten, and Grades 1 through 8, with a student-to-teacher ratio of about 15 to 1 across thirteen full-time and part-time teaching staff.
Principal Paul Ihde, who also teaches upper-grade Science, summarizes the school's mission in three G's: Glorify, Grow, and Go. "We glorify the Lord by using all of our gifts and abilities to serve Him. We grow academically, physically, and spiritually throughout our lives. We go into the world prepared to lead and share our faith with others."
Every school day begins in the classroom with the study of God's Word, devotion, and prayer. Subjects include Religion, Reading, Language Arts, Math, Music, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts, all taught from a Christian worldview. Every student sings and studies music theory. Piano lessons are offered to Grades 3 through 8; band, handbells, and the Jubilation choir are offered to Grades 5 through 8.
Friday chapel gathers the whole school at the end of each week for comfort in the message of forgiveness through Jesus. Every student takes part in at least one drama production per year, and older students can join the forensics team for spring meets.
Grace is fully accredited by the WELS School Accreditation (WELSSA) and the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA), meeting more than 96 percent of accreditation standards at its last review.
Preschool: Where Playing Meets Learning
The preschool wing is set apart from the main building, with its own classrooms and child-sized bathrooms. The program follows the High Scope curriculum, structured around active learning across nine areas: Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Health and Development, Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Creative Arts, Science and Technology, Social Studies, and Bible Time.
Preschoolers can attend three-day, four-day, or five-day schedules, in either half-day (mornings only) or full-day programs. Preschoolers sing in church three times during the school year and join the school-wide chapel every Friday.
Athletics: Wildcats on the Court, the Field, and the Track
Grace fields co-ed teams at several grade levels under the Wildcats name. Fall brings Girls Volleyball and Co-Ed Soccer for Grades 4 through 8, plus Co-Ed Cross Country for Grades K through 8. Winter means Boys' and Girls' Basketball from Grade 3 upward and Girls' Cheerleading for Grades 4 through 8. Spring offers Co-Ed Track and Field for Grades K through 8 and Co-Ed Softball for Grades 7 and 8.
Home games draw families to the gymnasium, where bleachers line both sides and a mezzanine holds the Wildcat Cafe, which stays open during most home contests. Many Grace athletes continue on to Winnebago Lutheran Academy for high school.
Before and After School Care
Parents who need to drop off early or pick up late have two options. Before school care runs from 7:00 to 7:30 am at no charge. After school care runs from 3:05 to 5:30 pm on school days (except half days) for an hourly fee, billed through the school's FastDirect accounts.
Tuition and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program
The actual cost to educate a Grace student in Kindergarten through Grade 8 is close to $8,000 per year. Community families pay only half of that, with the congregation subsidizing the rest each year.
Grace also participates in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP), a state voucher program that pays tuition in full for families who qualify by income. Families may enter the program when their child begins 4-year-old preschool, kindergarten, or first grade; students transferring from a Wisconsin public school may apply at any grade level. The application window opens the first weekday in February and closes the third Thursday in April.
Pastoral and Teaching Staff
Two pastors share the ministry of the congregation.
Pastor Chadwick Graham was assigned to Grace in 2007, shortly after graduating from Martin Luther College (2003) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (2007). His responsibilities include overall administration, youth discipleship, leadership development, worship planning, and regular preaching and teaching. He has served as school administrator in 2013-2014 and again in 2020-2021. He grew up in Bay City, Michigan, and leads a summer youth basketball camp called Path to Victory.
Pastor Colin Rieke joined Grace in July 2022 to spearhead outreach. A missionary kid who grew up in Zambia and Malawi, he graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and was ordained in 2011. He spent his first six years planting a second site for Grace Lutheran in Tucson, Arizona, then served Palos Lutheran in the Chicago suburbs before coming to Oshkosh. He and his wife Kristin have four children, all of whom attend Grace Lutheran School.
Paul Ihde is the school principal and upper-grade Science teacher. A 2004 graduate of Martin Luther College with a master's in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University (2010), he served Zion Lutheran in Columbus, Wisconsin (2004-2015) and St. Paul's (2015-2021) before joining Grace in 2021. He and his wife Kelly have five children.
The teaching staff includes Mary Kurbis (PreK), Kara Ehlert (PreK), Alexa Foelske (Kindergarten), Amber O'Laire (Kindergarten), Carrie Steinbrenner (1st Grade), Amy Swapp (2nd Grade and Music, who also directs Jubilation choir, the adult choir, and plays organ for church), Amy Lawonn (3rd Grade), Mr. Fulton (4th Grade), Natalia Wild (5th Grade and Upper-Grade ELA), Claire Ellingboe (6th Grade and Upper-Grade Math), Alex Vandenberg (7th and 8th Grade Social Studies), and Courtney Cummings (Special Education).
Lay Leaders and Governance
The congregation is governed by a board of seven overseers led by Kevin Spiegelberg (President) and Ron Eagan (Vice President). The remaining overseers are Tom Blum (Service), Jason Kramer (Outreach), Calvin Jirschele (Youth Discipleship and School Board Chairman), Joe Allen (Adult Discipleship), and Greg Hergert (Property). Tom Blum also serves as Head Elder, joined in the elder corps by Mark Kaspar, Mark Roeming, Mark Gauthier, Brian Ziebell, Dallas Laramore, and Andrew Zaenglein. The school board also includes Steve Snow, Chris Phelps, Jeff Key, and David Gust.
Giving and Getting Involved
Members and visitors who want to support the ministry can drop offerings in the box in the narthex before or after worship, mail them to the church office, set up recurring gifts through their bank using the giving form, or give online by credit or debit card. A paper directory of members is available through the church's Instant Church Directory account.
Families interested in the school can request a visit online, schedule a tour, and submit an application; enrollment for the next school year opens February 1 and closes at the end of April, with mid-year enrollment accepted as space allows. The school office is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.
A Building That Serves the Whole Community
Grace sits between Nebraska Street and 10th Street, with its main entrance and parking lot on the Nebraska side and an additional gym entrance off 10th. The gymnasium hosts Little Lambs, recess, athletics, concerts, plays, and after school care, and the cafeteria hosts Sunday-morning Bible class, school hot and cold lunch, Lenten meals, and other gatherings. Weddings, funerals, and other events use the sanctuary, with the chancel, balcony, and organ ready for services of every kind.
From the sanctuary down to the preschool wing and up to the upper-grade classrooms, Grace Lutheran Church and School is shaped by a single conviction that Pastor Graham often returns to: that "Jesus Christ is the true Savior of all people," and that every part of the ministry - the pulpit, the classroom, the gym, and the Bible-study table - exists to share that good news with the people of Oshkosh.