IT'S NOT ABOUT WHERE. JesusFit is a nonprofit ministry founded in 2021 by Bryan and Anna Wilcom, hosting regular church gatherings in the Eau Claire area – just not in literal church. Pictured is "Trail Church," which meets at Centennial Park in Altoona.  (Submitted photos)

For those of us who grew up in traditional religious institutions, it might take a bit of time to wrap our minds around JesusFit.

For one thing, JesusFit is not a gym – even though its playful logo is a likeness of the central figure of Christianity wearing a sweatband and AirPods. Jesus looks like he emerged from the tomb and headed straight for the gym.

JesusFit also lacks a lot of the things we might associate with the concept of “church,” like sermons, Sunday morning services, or even four walls and a roof.

“Believe it or not, church is and has always been people, not a building. We’re trying to act like that’s true,” says Bryan Wilcom, who launched the nonprofit ministry in 2021 alongside his wife, Anna.

What it lacks in physical structures JesusFit makes up in metaphorical ones. It runs five regular church gatherings in the Eau Claire area: Beer Church (one Thursday a month at The Brewing Projekt), Trail Church (one Saturday a month at Centennial Park in Altoona), Pizza Church (one Tuesday a month at the Washington Town Hall), Yoga Church (one Tuesday a month on the third floor of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library), and Book Church (one Thursday a month at Lazy Monk Brewing).

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jesus asks 307 questions in the gospels, but not once does he ask 'where do you go to church?'

BRYAN WILCOM

JESUSFIT FOUNDER

"Beer Church" is held at The Brewing Projekt (1807 N. Oxford Ave., Eau Claire) one Thursday per month.

All five “churches” serve as gathering places for those who long for spiritual connection but don’t feel drawn to traditional religious practices. “JesusFit is uniquely positioned for human connection because we go to where people already gather – in breweries, libraries, parks and community centers,” Wilcom explains. “Meeting in shared public spaces is especially helpful to those who are cautious/skeptical of religion.”

JesusFit draws a wide range of people, Wilcom said, from those who still attend other churches to those from other faith traditions to those who are burned out on — or have been burned by — traditional religion.

Wilcom puts his family in that latter category: A UW-Eau Claire grad with degrees in religious studies and organizational communications, Wilcom worked for a decade in traditional churches, then went through what he describes as a “painful church experience” in 2021 that led his family to stop going to church entirely. Ultimately, the Fall Creek couple decided to “flip the script” and create a place that was open and inclusive where other spiritual seekers could fit in and find community. 

That being said, Wilcom doesn't have anything against traditional churches: He just wants to present other options for the spiritually hungry, options that reflect how Jesus himself spent much of his time on Earth, such as quietly meditating, walking in nature, or sitting around a table with friends.

Wilcom describes the difference between a traditional church and JesusFit as the difference between a lecture hall and a gym. “A lecture hall is about sitting and receiving information,” he says. “A gym is about movement and action. Religious beliefs are like a lecture hall – they contain ideas, teachings, values and rules. Spiritual practices are like the exercises you do at a gym – lifting weights, shooting free throws, running on a treadmill, etc. Both are important, but information alone won’t make you fit.”

Bryan and Anna Wilcom, founders of JesusFit.

That being said, Wilcom doesn’t have anything against traditional churches: He just wants to present other options for the spiritually hungry, options that reflect how Jesus himself spent much of his time on Earth, such as quietly meditating, walking in nature, or sitting around a table with friends. 

 Wilcom knows there are some folks who will say that Beer Church, Pizza Church, or any of the other JesusFit churches aren’t really churches. But he points out that many traditional churches have seen attendance plummet in recent decades, and he’d rather foster spaces where people can “practice Jesus things together” than prop up a faltering system.  

“Jesus asks 307 questions in the Gospels,” he points out, “but not once does He ask ‘Where do you go to church?’ ”

Learn more about JesusFit and its upcoming Eau Claire area events at getjesusfit.com.