The Bridge Community Church

Letter from Matt

2011-12-13T08:17:00.001-06:00

This was Matt Helm's Facebook post from yesterday.

Our lives changed dramatically a couple of years ago . At our weakest point and end of our rope we walked into a building in Leadington Mo. known as The Bridge Community Church . Inside we met some total strangers who welcomed us and loved on us and accepted us . It was just a matter of time until the teaching we heard started seaping into our heart and mind and miraculous changes started taking place within us and our lives . Today we are restored . Actually happy and feel that little thing called Joy again . It is not the work of any man but the work of the creator of man who has restored us . The Good News ---- The Bridge Community Church is opening an Arnold Campus . March 18th is the first full service at the Arnold Cinema . Great teaching and a full band that rocks . I hope if your fed up and wondering where your joy has been . You may find yourself walking into The Bridge as I did with my family . Don't worry about being judged by anyone at this place because the teaching is straight from the scripture and we are yet to abide by any man made rules or customs . The Glory is his and the story is his , we are just fortunate enough to play a part . I hope my friends and family around the Arnold area will give it a shot and you can judge for yourselves ...

They offer an amazing course called Conquering Addiction that is amazing .They don't just send money from the offering over seas or to a soup kitchen they send people over seas or to help at a soup kitchen . I traveled to Haiti last year wi...th a team and got to use my operating skills to run a backhoe and clear roads and dig foundations for a community that now houses a church , community center , homes and a school for families that would other wise be living in tents after the earthquake . I traveled to Joplin with another team this year just days after the Tornado and we stocked a food pantry and patched roofs , removed debris , and just got to show some people we care . April went to Costa Rica and worked at an orphanage , loving on children starved for someone to just hug them and they painted and repaired the place while there . My oldest son Dylan went to Tipton Mo. on the hottest week of the summer and worked fixing up homes , painting and powerwashing . Giving back . What I'm saying is the opportunities are there at The Bridge . If your willing and able then YOU CAN . Tim , Ben and Lance are outstanding men and outstanding teachers that lead by a simple set of instructions . The Bible . Hope some of you get to know this first hand and we get to compare stories some day on how far we were lost and the great restoration.

Glory to God!!!!!!!

Letter from Jason

2011-10-22T10:53:00.002-05:00

Dear Bridge Family,
First, I want to say thank you for how much you have invested in my life. You all have ministered to me and my wife and kids so much that words cannot express how much I love you all and appreciate you. We came to as damaged goods and you guys have become the most important people in our lives.
When Ben & Tim sat me down at PC and said you were going to set me outside and not help anymore (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 18) if I did not repent, I became panicked because I love you guys that much and cannot afford to lose you. You have shown what real church is and been so good to my wife & I.

Please forgive me for letting you all down with ministry. You guys invested so much in me and trusted me with so much that when it folded, I had so much shame that I couldn't deal with everything that was going on. My marriage was failing, my kids were not being parented correctly, and I lost a crucial ministry all at one time period and I was crushed. It was 7 years that looked like a total failure and waste of time. I turned to drugs instead of God and became caught in sin that almost killed me and your love has rescued me from this. I am eternally grateful.

This place (Teen Challenge) is tough, but intense. We do weekly group studies and my very first week was on "growing through failure." It was a God send for me to try again. I will spend 4 months here and 10 months in Cape (Lord willing). Within 4 months here, we will have done studies on the whole New Testament (every book!) and about 40 scripture memorization verses. We also do this amazing thing called "character qualities" where we memorize different definitions and related verses for each, such as meekness, wisdom, perseverance, gentleness, etc. It is helping me tremendously. We have to have 20 done in 4 months.

Please thank everyone there who has prayed for me or helped my family in any way. Thank you all and I love you very much.

Also, if anyone wants to write, please send it in a Bridge church address, so I can correspond. I will write again soon, and I am healing well. This week's study is on anger and personal rights -- TOUGH!

Love,
Jason

p.s. Please watch Cindy and the girls for me. Cindy has been through so much. I love her more than words can express.

Baptism & Picnic -- July 30th

2011-07-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

All are welcome to our baptism and picnic celebration this coming Saturday at the home of Jerry & Janet Wallen (506 Wallace, Farmington). This is a potluck picnic, so please bring some food to share (we have paper products and drinks covered). Please RSVP you plans to be there.
Also, if you are considering being baptized, please contact the church at 518-1131 and schedule a baptism interview with an elder.
Please see the previous post to understand our stance on baptism. See you there.

Baptism Celebration Dec. 19th

2010-11-30T09:19:00.004-06:00

Our next Baptism Celebration is Dec 19th, during our Christmas Celebrations at 9:00 or 10:45 AM. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact Tim or Ben today.

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

Baptism is an obedient response and expression of your faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. Baptism also represents the means by which followers of Jesus are identified. It is the outward symbol of an inward act and a step of obedience in your journey with Him.

WHY BE BAPTIZED?

The New Testament offers the following reasons to be baptized:

* To follow Christ’s example (Mark 1:9)
* To follow Christ’s commandment (Matthew 28:19)
* To demonstrate your faith (Acts 18:8)

DO BRIDGE MEMBERS HAVE TO BE BAPTIZED?

Since Jesus commands that all of his disciples be baptized, baptism is a requirement for all Bridge members (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; 10:48; 1 Peter 3:21). If you’ve already been baptized since you became a Christian, you don’t need to get re-baptized. The Bridge performs believer baptisms only, which means we don’t baptize infants. If a prospective member was baptized as a baby and does not want to be re-baptized due to reasons of conscience and understanding of theology, that is acceptable as long as this decision remains personal and does not become a divisive issue within the church. If you have more questions about baptism specifically, please speak with a pastor.

WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE?

Baptism 09-19-2010 from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

The Bridge and Alcohol

2010-11-23T10:55:00.004-06:00

The Bridge and Alcohol
[We thank our friends at the Acts 29 Network for organizing these thoughts. This is an adaptation of their work on this subject specific to our faith community. ]

At The Bridge Community Church we have primary issues on which we are unwavering, and secondary issues on which we allow a range of diversity. This perspective enables unity without uniformity in our faith community. We hold our essential distinctives in a closed hand; this includes, for example, Gospel centrality in all we do, Christ-like leadership in the home and church, missional practice with our lives, and the authority of scripture as our secure foundation. We hold secondary issues in an open hand; this includes charismatic gifts, eschatology, and various areas of Christian liberty, such as alcohol.

Because our position on alcohol is one that can be easily misunderstood and/or misrepresented, this statement is our attempt to clarify the official position of The Bridge Community Church on the issue of alcohol as we understand the teaching of Scripture.

First, we believe that all drunkenness is a sin (Deuteronomy 21:20; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Matthew 24:29; Luke 12:45; 21:34; Romans 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:11, 6:10; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3).

Secondly, we believe that many horrendous sins are affiliated with drunkenness. Therefore, getting drunk is a sin that can lead to other sins, such as incest (Genesis 19:32–35), violence (Proverbs 4:17), adultery (Revelation 17:2), mockery and brawling (Proverbs 20:1), poverty (Proverbs 21:17), late night and early morning drinking (Isaiah 5:11–12), hallucinations (Isaiah 28:7), foolish behavior (Isaiah 5:22; Jeremiah 51:39), murder (2 Samuel 11:13), vomiting (Jeremiah 25:27; 48:26; Isaiah 19:14), staggering (Jeremiah 25:27; Psalm 107:27; Job 12:25), madness (Jeremiah 51:7), shameful nakedness (Habakkuk 2:15; Lamentations 4:21), sloth (Joel 1:5), escapism (Hosea 4:11), and depression (Luke 21:34). In summary, sin leads to death and the sin of drunkenness produces only death and misery.

Thirdly, we believe that Christian leaders are to live their lives in such a way as to set a positive example of holiness for others to emulate (Hebrews 13:7). This includes elders, who are not to be drunkards (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7).

Fourthly, we do believe that all Christians must at varying times and in varying ways give up some of their Christian liberties in order to love people of weaker conscience. Christians must make every effort to not lead them into sin by exercising freedoms in their presence (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 10:31–32).

In conclusion, there are different views on alcohol in our faith community. We recognize that this is an issue where Christians can and do disagree, so we have no position on alcohol other than that people should have their conscience captive to the word of God, submit to the leadership of their church, and do everything for God's glory.

The Bridge Community Church permits diversity on this secondary matter and pursues unity on the primary theological issues [eg. Jesus is God, the trinity, authority of Scripture and etc...]. We respect the right of Christians, organizations, and denominations to arrive at differing conclusions on this matter. So long as they are within the boundaries of Scripture. Together, we can pursue what is most important—the expansion of God’s kingdom through the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the planting of His church.

[We thank our friends at the Acts 29 Network for organizing these thoughts. This is an adaptation of their work on this subject specific to our faith community. ]

Daniel Fast Food

2010-11-01T15:08:00.006-05:00

We asked our church to begin a fast in our most recent members meeting. Our faith community was asked to fast from media at some point for three days (yes, you can use it for work), and to take part in a Daniel Fast. We gave two options

Option 1: A 3 Day fast
Option 2: A 21 Day fast

Here were the guidelines given:
1) Only fruits and vegetables
2) Only water for a beverage
3) No sweeteners and no breads

If you can stick to this for three days that would be great! Below are more options from the official daniel fast [recipes, question and answer, food approved list] for those seeking to fast for 21 days.

http://daniel-fast.com/recipes.html

http://www.christ-web.com/missions/farho/daniel-fast-recipes

One of my favorites so far:

Susan's Black Bean & Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients:

1 qt 100% Vegetable or Tomato Juice
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 med green onions (chopped)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
2-3 large bell peppers (cut in half lengthwise and deseeded)

Combine all ingredients except juice and bell peppers in bowl and mix well. Place peppers in glass dish and stuff with mixture. Pour juice over peppers and plenty of excess in the dish. Cover and bake in oven on 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Food list approved/unapproved: http://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/

Great Q & A about the Daniel fast: http://danielfast.wordpress.com/

Please share your favorite Daniel Fast food recipes in the comments!

Save the date!!

2010-10-14T13:11:00.005-05:00

Newsworthy happenings upcoming at The Bridge.

Oct. 17 - Crown Biblical Financial Training. Contact Lance Smith.

Oct. 24 - Members meeting @ 6:30pm

Oct. 31st - Trunk 'n Treat 5-8pm.

November 1 - Fusion

November 7 - Bridge Kids Family Worship @ 10:15

November 14 - Membership Class and Elder-Led Prayer Meeting

November 21 - Holiday Feast

December 5 - A Night In Bethlehem

December 5 - New sermon series: A Global Christmas!

December 12 - Evening of Chrismas Music [admission = elvins food pantry donation]

December 19 - Advent Conspiracy Offering - substituting compassion for consumption.

December 24 - Christmas Eve Service @ 11:00pm

Trunk 'n Treat

2010-10-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

Trunk N’ Treat
Sunday Night, October 31st
5:00-8:00 PM
Church Parking Lot

Put on your favorite costume and bring your friends and neighbors to the church parking lot for Trunk N’ Treat on October 31st. Kids of all ages will enjoy going from trunk to trunk collecting treats! Want to know how you can help support Trunk N’ Treat? You can donate candy for the event OR you can put on your costume, decorate your trunk, and bring some treats to hand out! Please stop by the TNT display in the Welcome Center this Sunday and ‘register your trunk’ if you plan to join in the fun. Candy donations can be placed in the shopping cart next to the TNT display. Thanks!

Divorce and Remarriage Position Paper

2010-09-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

Divorce and Remarriage Position Paper

The Ordained Elders at The Bridge

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. - 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (ESV)

The Church at Corinth was confused over issues pertaining to divorce and remarriage and asked their pastor Paul a number of questions. His answers are recorded in 1 Corinthians 7:10-24, 39-40. The issue of divorce and remarriage is significant in our culture and is hotly debated among Christians. It seems prudent to answer the questions asked by the Corinthians in addition to many of the questions that are commonly asked around The Bridge Community Church. The following position paper seeks to do so.

What do we know for certain about marriage?

1. God created marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:22-25)

2. God designed marriage to be a permanent union of “oneness” that is not to be broken (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6).

3. Marriage is a covenant not a contract (Malachi 2:14; Proverbs 2:17, Ecclesiastes 5:4). God and human witness ratify and officially record the event. Anniversaries revisit the covenant.

4. A marriage partnership is one in which the husband commits to ensuring his wife’s and his children’s well-being. (Exodus 21:10; Ephesians 5:28-29; 1Timothy 5:8).

5. A husband is accountable for his family’s well-being and conduct. (Genesis 3:9; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7).

6. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

7. The death of a spouse terminates the marriage covenant (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39).

Does The Bridge Community Church honor cohabitation relationships as marriage?

No. A marriage is both a spiritual and legal matter (Romans 13:1-3).

What constitutes a legitimate ending of a marriage?

1. The death of a spouse (1 Corinthians 7:39; Romans 7:2-4). We recommend that you take time to truly grieve first and seek gospel-centered counseling.

2. Non-Christian divorce. A Christian should not initiate divorce with a non-Christian but should live graciously with their spouse. 1 Corinthians 7:14 tells us that this action may even lead the unbelieving spouse toward justification. If the non-Christian divorces them, however, they are free to-remarry (1 Corinthians 7:10-24). Our recommendation is that you make sure you truly grieve first and don’t be afraid to seek Biblical counseling.

3. An unrepentant spouse under church discipline. If your spouse betrays your marriage covenant (adultery, abuse, chronic sin, etc…) you are not free to divorce him or her, but you are free, and encouraged, to confront him or her with his or her sin and seek restoration. If you confront your spouse who is in sin and he or she is not repentant, then you should bring the matter to the elders and the elders may begin formal church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17). If in the course of discipline the sinning spouse does not repent, he or she will be viewed as a non-believer and asked to leave the church (1 Corinthians 5). If the spouse who is under church discipline, seeks a divorce, then 1 Corinthians 7:15 applies and the believing spouse is free from the marriage.

What will the elders do if my Christian spouse insists on divorcing me?

If a Christian initiates divorce, the elders will begin an investigation with the intent of bringing about repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. If biblical grounds are not found and there is no repentance, then church discipline will begin (Mark 10:11-12; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 27).

Does this mean that women must endure abusive relationships?

No. Abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, etc.) intolerably and sinfully violates the frequent command to love like Jesus. It also violates the spirit of 1 Peter 3:7. Those being harmed must be removed from the environment that endangers them and the laws of our state must be followed.

You may need to seek immediate separation until the offending party repents and returns to covenant. You should never place yourself, or your children, in harm's way for the sake of the relationship or to prevent the other person from leaving. You should also immediately contact the elders of the church to assist you in confronting the abuse.

Am I required to take back my spouse after they have committed adultery?

Whenever possible, reconciliation is the primary motivation behind our actions toward those who have done great harm to us (1 Corinthians 7:11) because Jesus says we should love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). The Bible also commands sinners to repent. If, however, there is no true repentance, then there is no requirement to remain married.

This is how God relates to us in covenant. He confronts our sin and offers us forgiveness when we turn toward Him. The offending spouse must be willing to accept the confrontation and forgiveness and be completely repentant. We recognize the wounding that takes place when a spouse commits adultery and we know much healing will need to take place, but if the offending spouse is authentic in his or her repentance, then every effort should be made to keep the covenant of marriage. If the offending spouse is not repentant then he or she may be placed under church discipline.

Can I remarry if my spouse dies?

Yes. The marriage covenant ends with the death of one’s spouse (Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7:39). We recommend that you have time to truly grieve and give consideration to 1 Corinthians 7:40.

Can I remarry after divorcing an adulterer?

This is the most disputed issue on the topic of divorce and remarriage. On the face of it, Jesus and the apostle Paul made no allowance for remarriage (Matthew 5:31-32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

These following points set the parameters for remarriage.

· The offended party of a divorce due to adultery may remarry but the guilty party may not remarry (Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:10-12; Luke 16:18).

· A believer who remarries after a non-Christian spouse divorces a believing spouse constitutes a legitimate marriage (1 Corinthians 7:15).

· If divorce occurs before a person has surrendered his or her life to Christ, and an appropriate effort to restore the marriage has been undertaken without favorable results, remarriage is appropriate, so long as the believer marries a Christian.

Does this mean the innocent party should remain single indefinitely?

It means that they should remain single until every effort to reconcile has been exhausted, with counsel from the local church elders to help guard against impulsiveness. (Proverbs 15:22; Hebrews 13:7).

If the offending spouse remarries, is there any obligation for the offended spouse to remain single?

This is a matter of conscience as no further option is Biblically available to restore the marriage (Deuteronomy 24:3-4). In this case, The Bridge Community Church feels that the innocent party would be free to remarry.

Can I remarry if I divorced my spouse just because we were incompatible?

No. A Christian’s strongest desire should be to work toward reconciliation, which means discovering what made you incompatible, and change. Remember, marriage is not for our happiness; it is for our holiness.

Can I divorce and remarry if my spouse is placed under church discipline by the elders?

If your spouse is placed under church discipline by the elders and does not respond in repentance, he or she will be viewed as a non-Christian. Even in the case of adultery and sexual immorality, you (the regenerated offended party) should not initiate divorce from your spouse without considerable council from church leadership and you should remain faithful to the covenant of marriage if at all possible. Depending on your spouse’s sin and refusal to repent, you may need to separate from your spouse. However, if your spouse chooses to divorce you, or if the spouse abandons you, then you are not bound to him or her in marriage and you are free to remarry.

What if I divorced while a non-Christian?

You had no power to submit to the commands of Christ as a non-Christian. While marriage is given for all humanity, non-Christians cannot be expected to obey God’s commands and Jesus died to forgive repentant sinners. Therefore, that person would be eligible to remarry as a new Christian, but only after every effort is made to restore the previous marriage through a reconciliation process.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

True repentance and reconciliation is always the best option. Even if divorce is possible in some circumstances, patiently working through the process of reconciliation in the context of a community of believers is always preferable.

If one is currently considering divorce (or if his or her spouse in considering divorce) for any reason whatsoever, or if one is currently divorced and is considering remarriage, he or she should seek counsel from the elders of The Bridge.

Remarriage will be considered an option if a divorce has occurred on the basis of: unrepentant sexual immorality, desertion by an unbeliever, or if the divorce occurred prior to the regenerating power of Jesus Christ in a person’s life.

Our Radical Response

2010-07-24T21:38:00.009-05:00

Well, we did it. We gave away over $6000 this morning at The Bridge so that people in need could be served for the glory of God. I love our faith community and I think that we are going to be amazed at what happens as we share stories of blessing people. Please let us know what happens with your gift. We have already heard about a couple of amazing stories.

Instructions for Our Radical Response:

Take this money and use it to be missional in meeting someone's need.
Consider how/if you can increase it or how you can use it to build a relationship.
You can’t give it back to the church, but you may consider giving it to our continued mission in Haiti.
Let us know what you did with it. Tell your story of Radical Response by leaving a comment here.

Why are we doing this? We are responding as a faith community to the word preached at The Bridge on July 18th, 2010.

Were you missing from The Bridge this morning but still want to take part in Our Radical Response? Contact the church office soon. We have some envelopes available for those who could not be with us Sunday.

Haiti 2010

2010-07-24T21:38:00.001-05:00

Haiti 2010 from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Preview of upcoming CD/DVD

2010-07-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

Take a peak at the first song from The Bridge Community Church's upcoming CD/DVD from "A Night of Worship."

All Because Of Jesus from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

The upcming CD/DVD includes:

1. All Because of Jesus
2. Sing, Sing, Sing
3. Your Love
4. Beautiful Jesus
5. Lead Me To The Cross
6. How He Loves
7. It Is Well
8. Glory To God Forever
9. Today Is The Day
10. God Is With Us
11. Happy Day
12. Jesus Paid It All
13. No One Greater/The Stand
14. God Is Alive

More details TBA

On Mission!!

2010-07-04T16:44:00.006-05:00

We commissioned an amazing group of people today to take the Gospel to Haiti and provide some beautiful missional service to some people in need there. This group is responding to the Good News of Jesus by accepting the discomfort of tent life and tropical heat to help build some homes for the homeless and to provide a vacation Bible school for up to 800 children (in Creole - haha). Please remember to pray for this team's safety and success.

1. Jackie Adams
2. Jonathan Barnes
3. Mark Burlison
4. Ben Durbin
5. Michael Goldsmith
6. Stephanie Hedrick
7. Matt Helms
8. Melissa McDonough
9. Jeromy McDowell
10. Zack Mills
11. Jake Whitener
12. Justin Yount
13. Renee Jean

They go to preach Christ crucified! To declare the Gospel. Remember to pray for the Haitian people as well. Remember a Haitian with a new home and no Jesus is still homeless.

These are not our only missionaries that are getting started this week from The Bridge. The Ste. Genevieve missional cell family gets started on Thursday night at 6:00. They will meet at the Univ of Missouri extension office downtown. Their purpose is to bring the Gospel to the 20,000 residents of Ste Gen county. Please pray for this team as well.

1. Tim O'Dell
2. Misty O'Dell
3. Juanita Gray
4. Kim Massey
5. Nancy Gibbs
6. Milford Gibbs
7. Barb Sharp
8. Bill Rawson
9. Jodi Rawson

They go to preach Christ crucified! To declare the Gospel. Remember to pray for the people of the county as well. We need God to bring someone forward with a home to meet in quickly. Pray!

Alpha Begins June 1st

2010-04-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

Have you participated in an Alpha Course with us in the past? We wanted to let you all know that the Alpha Course will run again beginning June 1st @ 6PM. You can read all about it at the link below.

Alpha info on Bridgelife360
Alpha Invitation Doc.

There are three ways you can get involved with this course. You can attend, serve, or tell your friends and co-workers about it.

Are you interested in serving? We are looking for:

1. Table leaders
2. Kitchen helpers
3. Childcare workers

If you are interested, please shoot us an email back.

Do you know someone who may be interested in taking the course? Grab them and bring them June 1st! If you can, let us know who you are bringing!

What happens at Alpha?

6:00 PM – FREE MEAL (donations accepted)
6:40 PM – Announcements
6:50-7:20 – Talk
7:20-7:30 – Desserts and Coffee
7:30 – 8:30 – Conversation & Dialogue

What are the topics?

1. Is there more to life than this?
2. Who is Jesus?
3. Why did Jesus die?
4. How can we have faith?
5. Why and how do I pray?
6. Why and how should I read the Bible?
7. How does God guide us?
8. Who is the Holy Spirit?
Overnight retreat:
What does the Holy Spirit do?
How can I make the most of the rest of my life?
9. How can I resist evil?
10. Why & how should we tell others?
11. Does God heal today?
12. What about the Church

Will you join us?

Register today by emailing alphacourse@gmail.com
Call: 573-518-1131 with questions

God bless,
Alpha Team
-
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The Bridge Community Church Alpha Course
"Explore the meaning of life beginning June 1st, every Tuesday from 6 - 8:30 pm."

A few words about children at The Bridge

2010-04-15T08:36:00.003-05:00

We love our children at The Bridge! Over the last two weeks we have averaged over 100 children in BK between our two celebrations. As our ministry to children grows, we must be fluid with our policies in the children ministry. Please take time to read the "Did You Know" PDF below all about Bridge Kids!

Bridge Kids Did You Know?

Easter 2010

2010-03-22T15:21:00.006-05:00

We have a big week planned for Easter this year! What's all happening?

Tuesday - BK egg dye party

Friday - Good Friday Prayer Stations from 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM. You can read all about it on bridgelife360.com.

Saturday - BK Easter Egg Hunt @ 2:00 PM. This is at Columbia Park in Park Hills.

Resurrection Sunday - We are kicking off a new sermon series called "Counterfeit Gods" @ 9:00 & 10:45 AM.

Bridge Kids Family Worship - 10:15 AM on Resurrection Sunday!

Click here for a flier explaining all this info!

Don't forget to invite TEN people to the kick off of Counterfeit Gods. To download the invest and invite list, click here!

Our Story - 4th Anniversary PDF

2010-03-09T12:26:00.003-06:00

Bridge Community, you were all amazing Sunday night! Your love for the GOSPEL was overflowing. In case you already lost your bulletin from the celebration, I am attaching a PDF version of it on here. This includes "Our Story" in a time line format.

Thank you Tammy and all of our incredible staff for putting this together.

Our Story - 4th Anniversary PDF

2 Announcements:

1) The videos that ran from 6:00-7:00 will be available this Sunday. They are $5 a piece. This covers the cost of duplication. Grab a copy of these memories captured on video from our 1st four years!
2) There will be a live CD and DVD from "A Night of Worship!" There is currently no date set for the release, but we captured this moment and want to make it available to everyone as soon as we can. Keep checking http://www.bridgeworship.net for information on it. Go ahead and check out the pictures there now!

I can't wait to worship with you all again this Sunday!

Plans for March 7th - 4th Anniversary

2010-03-04T14:01:00.005-06:00

Can you believe it's been 4 years??? This Sunday we celebrate our 4th Anniversary here at The Bridge....check out our plans for the day:

9:00 & 10:45 AM: Celebration worship with Ben Durbin bringing the next message in the Contend series: The Cure. Read 2 Timothy 3:10-17 in preparation. We'll be singing a new song Sunday morning. Click here to start learning the song!

10:15 AM it's Family Worship Time with Bridge Kids! Worship, music & drama for the entire family Bridge Kids style! Don't miss the story of Rhonda, her dog Piddle Puddles, and their time traveling machine! You never know where the time machine will land....Genesis? Luke? Come and see!

Night of Worship Sunday Evening - Night of Worship 4th Anniversary Celebration!

The fun begins at 6:00 PM when vintage videos will start rolling on the big screen! Great testimonies...special events....and remember Milford as a Wild Hog? How about those old Escape videos? Drop in early for a bit of Bridge nostalgia!

Best Ever 4th Anniversary Birthday Cake Contest--Ben issued a challenge last week for folks to create Bridge birthday cakes and bring them Sunday night. So...while those vintage videos are rolling enjoy some cake, coffee and punch. Birthday cakes will be judged at 6:30 PM...and immediately eaten! You can bring a yummy cake just to help us celebrate even if you don't want to enter the best ever birthday cake contest!

7:00 PM - Night of Worship! Bridge youth will kick off the evening with a new drama you won't want to miss! Then it's on to an evening of praise with your favorite songs! It's going to be a great evening of worship and celebration kicking off another year of opportunity to 'gather and scatter' as Pastor Ben would say...gather to worship & be discipled...scatter to carry the gospel to others.

See you Sunday!
The Bridge

Night of Worship Invite PDF

2010-03-02T22:08:00.002-06:00

We are celebrating four years of gospel growth and fruitful ministry. Below is the Night of Worship Invite PDF. Print it out and give it to a neighbor, hang it up at a business, or email it to a friend!

Night of Worship PDF Invite

Our 4th Birthday

2010-02-24T23:05:00.001-06:00

Our 4th birthday is coming up fast at The Bridge and we're having a Night of Worship to celebrate! It will be filled with music, drama, and food! Come celebrate with us! Also, we'll be shooting a live DVD and CD that night, so come prepared to sing, shout, dance, twirl, yell, hoot, holler, etc. BE THERE!

Details
The Bridge Community Church
301 Lore
Leadington, MO 63601

March 7th @ 7PM
For more details: info@bridgeworship.net

Invest and Invite

2010-02-23T10:09:00.005-06:00

Tim challenged everyone to begin investing in the lives of others this past Sunday morning. In your bulletin was an invest and invite card. If you missed it or lost it, I'm including the resource here so you can view it again.

You are being asked to invest in the lives of three people. You are also being asked to eventually invite them to your missional cell or our large group gatherings on Sunday morning.

Why? Colossians 4:5 reads,

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity"

Study Helps for 2 Timothy

2010-01-22T12:39:00.006-06:00

Sunday we will begin teaching the letter of 2 Timothy. We encourage all of our members and attenders to dig deep into this letter and learn from God. To help you do this we will be providing weekly study tips in the sermon notes for your growth and application.

To get us started please check out this overview of 2 Timothy!

2 Timothy

This Morning

2010-01-17T16:36:00.003-06:00

Church is always good -- sometimes extraordinary things happen. This is the entire church body praying for our medical mission team that is headed to Haiti this week. Keep praying for the devastated people there, for those gracious people who are already serving there, and continue to pray for Jon, Lisa, Karl, Amanda, Gerson, and Heather (Jon & Lisa are at the center of this laying on of hands). "Thank you God for loving us. Protect these people that we love. May You be glorified! We believe that YOU will work this travesty out for good. Amen."

Haiti Relief

2010-01-14T13:03:00.001-06:00

Check out Tim's blog to view The Bridge's response plans for earthquake disaster relief in Haiti.

CLICK HERE.

2009: In review!!!

2010-01-01T20:33:00.001-06:00

Head over here and check out our year in review!!!

2009: It Happens

Until The Whole World Hears

2009-12-16T13:41:00.002-06:00

We are kindly asking all of our Bridge Community to learn this song and be ready to sing it loud this Sunday!

Tim says, "do it now or burn." :-)

Shake. This. Planet

2009-11-27T13:26:00.001-06:00

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Join us for a new series all about Jesus.
“Shake. This. Planet.”
A study of Ephesians 2:1-10.

Dec. 6th – God Saw Our Greatest Need
Dec. 13th – God Filled Our Greatest Need With a Gift
Dec. 20th – “Show & Tell.”

JOIN THE CONSPIRACY!
Advent Conspiracy

8 Declarations from Peter's Sermon

2009-11-14T08:22:00.002-06:00

Simon Peter, freshly filled with the power of the Holy Spirit of the Living God, declares eight things about Jesus in his sermon that I am preaching on from Acts 2. Remember from our study of John that one of the main roles of the Holy Spirit is to testify about Jesus, so here are the things that He spoke through his fisherman spokesman:
1. JESUS was preached as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He spoke from Joel and Psalms but could have spoken from 300 other Scriptures.
2. JESUS is preached as the only Savior (23-24).
3. JESUS is preached as the risen Lord (29-32), Died, raised, and here now. This is the Gospel.
4. JESUS is affirmed as the final authority of all mankind (vs. 33 & 36).
5. JESUS is preached as the standard for righteousness and holiness by which all men will be judged. (vs. 38)
This brings repentance, belief, and baptism.
6. JESUS is preached as the Baptizer of the Holy Spirit. Jesus puts the Holy Spirit inside those who repent and believe. (38-39)
7. JESUS is preached as having been attested to by signs and wonders. (vs. 22)
8. JESUS is preached to results. Numbers will be added and people will be baptized. (vs. 41) 3,000 that day.

Notice again that every statement begins with JESUS. The Gospel is about HIM.
These are the things that we should declare on a constant basis in our hearts and with our mouths if the Holy Spirit is reigning and ruling in us. And if we do, HE will act in the hearts of men and women to accomplish HIS purpose and for HIS Glory.

Thanks to Dr. Terry Teykl for some help with these observations.

Advent Conspiracy 2009

2009-11-04T09:06:00.001-06:00

Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas last year.
The average family in St. Francois County spent over $1,000 on Christmas with over half of that going onto credit cards that still have not been paid off here in November.

If you have been a part of The Bridge community, you know that every year we attempt to put the focus of the Christmas season squarely back on the Gospel, the great story of redemption that comes through Jesus Christ. Advent Conspiracy has taught us to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. In 2007, we sent $12,990 to Chacocente, Nicaragua to help them pay off their water source. In 2008 you gave $14,756! We sent 1/2 to Chacocente and set 1/2 aside for another international outreach that has been delayed. This year we are going to do it AGAIN!
-- We are going to worship Jesus with more fervor than ever before during the Advent season. -- Also, we are going to encourage you to spend less on culturally material gifts and offer more gifts of time and effort to the ones we love.
Pay close attention, this is something new -- if you do choose to spend money on a gift, the Advent Conspiracy folks are trying to encourage people to buy their gifts in ways that help to bring people out of abject poverty with the Trade as One or Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee ministries. This seems like such a beautiful win/win situation. We purchase some gifts to give away for Christmas (there are some people that we must buy for) while supporting a business in an area of horrendous poverty instead of just sending money.
-- As usual, we are going to have a special offering on December 20 to give more to the Kingdom and whatever is given that day will go to Gideon 300. Your gifts to Gideon 300 will enable us to focus on Kingdom mission here at home where we fight against a poverty of a different kind -- that of the soul. Or, you can give more by going online and supporting Advent Conspiracy's Living Water International, or the other two ministries directly (see below).
-- And, we are going to love all by partnering with these ministries that make a difference in lives, both in St. Francois County and all over the world during the Advent season.

You can check out more about worship more, spend less, give more, love, and Living Water International at Advent Conspiracy's website at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/.
You can help with world poverty by doing your Christmas shopping at https://tradeasone.com/.
Another suggestion to help with an Advent Conspiracy on an international level is to by some bulk bags of coffee from Thousand Hills Coffee and give it as a gift or donate it back to the church. You can check this one out at http://www.landof1000hills.com/.

Watch the video on the Trade as One website. I think this can be our greatest Advent Conspiracy ever. We can support some folks battling world poverty AND set a goal to wipe out about 15 units (clay pots) in Gideon 300 here at home. This would be over and above our regular giving and Gideon commitments. Ask God's Spirit to MOVE your family in this season. Rely on Him to the point that you and others are STUNNED by what He does to make this happen for His glory during season that should be simply about His GLORY!

Bridge News

2009-10-27T14:57:00.006-05:00

Newsworthy happenings upcoming at The Bridge. Don't forget the time change Saturday night!!!

Kid's clothes swap. Oct. 31st. Bring some clothes or just come and get some quality clothes for kids free. 8-12 noon.

Trunk n Treat - Oct. 31st. 6-8 PM Bridge parking lot

Games People Play - Series concludes, Nov 1st. 9 & 10:45 AM

Bridge Kids Family Worship. Nov. 1st. 10:15 AM.

Youth Bash. Nov. 2nd. 6:30 PM

New Sermon Series - Forgotten God: Overlooking the Holy Spirit, begins Nov. 8th

Naitonal Apologetics Conference Simulcast. Nov. 13,14.

Operation Christmas Child Packing Party. Nov. 15th. 2:00-4:00 PM.

Bridge Kids Family Worship. Dec. 6th. 10:15 AM.

A Night in Bethlehem. Dec. 13th. A hands on Holy Land Experience.

Christmas Celebrations. Dec. 20th. 9 &10:45 AM.

Christmas Eve Celebration. Dec. 24th. 11:00 PM.

NOTE: We will begin finishing the upstairs above the Bridge Kids area soon!

What the Bridge is About

2009-09-19T00:37:00.001-05:00

9/6/09 Sermon Notes

2009-09-06T17:45:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning sermon notes. Please see below post for our official description of the Board of Elders at The Bridge Community Church.

Ecclesia
“Church Elders”
AKA: Follow the Leaders
Benjamin Durbin

1. We are an elder-led church.

WHAT IS AN ELDER?

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. “ - 1 Timothy 3:1-7 ESV

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DOES AN ELDER DO?

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” - 1 Peter 5:1-4 ESV

1. An elder shepherds the flock.
2. An elder provides oversight.
3. An elder is able to teach. 1 Timothy 3

HOW DOES AN ELDER LEAD?

1. By being an example to the flock.
2. Serving willingly and eagerly
3. Not domineering
4. Not as one seeking power or wealth.
5. As one centered in the hope of the gospel.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT AN ELDER IS NOT

1. A biblical elder is not simply older
2. A biblical elder is not simply a successful businessmen
3. A biblical elder is not simply an involved community member
4. A biblical elder is not simply a “good ole boy”
5. A biblical elder is not a politician
6. A biblical elder is not a recent convert

EXAMPLES OF WHAT AN ELDER IS

Elders are the leaders of the church who in the Bible are also called pastors, bishops, and overseers (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:2). The elders are chosen for their ministry according to clear biblical requirements (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The elders are always spoken of in plurality because God intends for more than one person to lead and oversee the church as a safeguard for both the church and the lead pastor. The elders' duties include directing the affairs of the church (1 Timothy 5:17) managing (1 Timothy 3:4-5), tending (1 Peter 5:2-5), giving account (Hebrews 13:17), living exemplary lives (Hebrews 13:7), protection - sheparding (Acts 20:28), teaching (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:2), preaching (1 Timothy 5:17), doctrinal instruction (Titus 1:9), and discipline (Matthew 18:15-17).

Board of Elder's Description

2009-09-06T17:30:00.004-05:00

Below is the official Board of Elder's description and selection process at The Bridge Community Church. This is posted in conjunction with our Sunday message on elders given 9/6/09. It will be available at http://www.livestream.com/bridgelife360.

Elders are the leaders of the church who in the Bible are also called pastors, bishops, and overseers (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:2). The elders are chosen for their ministry according to clear biblical requirements (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The elders are always spoken of in plurality because God intends for more than one person to lead and oversee the church as a safeguard for both the church and the lead pastor. The elders' duties include directing the affairs of the church (1 Timothy 5:17) managing (1 Timothy 3:4-5), tending (1 Peter 5:2-5), giving account (Hebrews 13:17), living exemplary lives (Hebrews 13:7), protection - sheparding (Acts 20:28), teaching (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:2), preaching (1 Timothy 5:17), doctrinal instruction (Titus 1:9), and discipline (Matthew 18:15-17).

The Bridge is an elder-governed church, not a congregational/member-governed church. It is our view that scripture does not call for the church to be run by the members in a democratic fashion, but that it clearly teaches that the Elders are the directors, managers and overseers of the Church (1 Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17; Titus 1:7-9; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Acts 20:17-38). This does not mean that the elders will not seek the input of the members when making decisions for the Church. It is the desire of the elders to be open to godly input from members of the Church in order to make decisions that reflect the will of God. The elders are intentional in leading The Bridge in humility and in obedience to God’s Word. The elders are always open to discussion, criticism and/or advice. The elders appreciate prayers for wisdom and discernment to lead The Bridge in a manner that is holy and blameless.

Our lead pastor and teaching pastors are considered Biblical overseers and elders, and they will focus mainly on the areas of teaching, preaching, doctrinal instruction, and directing the affairs of the church. They may or may not be actually on the Board of Elders. Anytime the board acts on issues pertaining to a pastor (such as compensation), the pastor is excused from the action. 1 Timothy 3:2 says that the elder must be a ‘husband of but one wife.’ We do believe that, in context, this passage does not exclude the repentant divorced person from serving as an overseer. Also, we believe that passage establishes some gender roles similar to one prescribed for marriage in Ephesians 5:23. We do allow women to sit on the Board of Elders as the board is an entity of mainly governance, and God has gifted many women to be a solid contributor in that role. However, when it comes to exegetical doctrine and the overseeing of the teaching and preaching of the Gospel and Biblical principles, those roles will be held by men. Therefore, the chair of the Board, the Vision Director/Lead Pastor, teaching pastors, and the outside doctrinal advisory team will always be made of Godly men.

Once again, The Board of Elders is responsible for the oversight of the church. The team will have the following responsibilities:

1. Maintain high spirituality and integrity – Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3. Give account, live exemplary lives.
2. Provide resources and encouragement for the ministry teams. Tend, manage
3. Approve an annual budget. Direct affairs, manage
4. Employ the ministry team (staff). Direct affairs, manage
5. Propose capital expense items (over $50,000) to qualified members for approval. Tend
6. Revise all church documents (by-laws and guiding beliefs). Direct affairs (only by recommendation of the pastors and doctrinal advisory team), doctrinal instruction.
7. Finalize church discipline. Use authority, discipline.
8. Supervise the Vision Director/Lead Pastor. Oversee, manage, tend, discipline.

The team is made up the Vision Director/Lead Pastor, the Chairperson, and the qualified members. Members of the Board of Elders are selected by the following process:

Board of Elders Selection Process

1. An individual who feels a divine calling to serve on the Board of Elders of the Bridge Community Church must be:

a. A member in good standing of the Bridge Community Church and

b. Recommended by his/her cell family leader.

- An individual who feels called to be on the board should go to his/her cell leader.

- A cell leader who feels called to be on the board should go to the

cell family director.

2. Board of Elders, staff and select members of The Bridge then will apply a Biblical approval procedure. Following input from this team, the Board of Elders will decide whether or not the candidate will be recommended to cell family leaders for consensus process.

3. If approved through the Biblical approval procedure, the nominee’s name will be sent to cell family leaders with a recommendation, and why he/she is recommended. The nominee’s name will be presented individually or as a group to each Bridge member in their cell family, seeking near-unanimous consensus. If near-unanimous or unanimous approval is reached by the Bridge members in each cell family, consider the candidate approved. If concerns are expressed that are serious enough as discerned by the cell family leader that near-consensus cannot be reached, the concerns will be addressed with the candidate and the concerned member(s) by the board and staff and with the cell family expressing concerns, then the approval process will be repeated only with the cell family expressing concerns. If after completing a Peacemakers process a valid concern persists, the board will decide whether or not the candidate is approved.

The board will not exceed eleven in number. In addition to being biblically qualified, they must complete the following requirements:

1. Maintain the covenants of church membership.

2. Complete the Leadership Seminar.

3. Attend a training conference once annually.

4. Attend an encouraging conference once annually.

5. Participate in an international mission trip and a local mission experience every four years.

Bridge Kids / Gideon 300 Video

2009-08-16T19:18:00.001-05:00

Bapism Video

2009-08-04T17:33:00.001-05:00

The Church: Members Study

2009-08-02T16:14:00.007-05:00

At The Bridge we have been periodically studying the church. For this installment we are taking 10 statements that Matt Chandler made about healthy churches and healthy members and unpacking the scriptures surrounding them. Have a good study!

A healthy church is a church that’s filled with men and women who at the end of the day see Scripture as the final authority on all things. [Psalm 119, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21]
A healthy church is filled with men and women who are pursuing Jesus as the ultimate treasure. [Luke 18:1, Acts 17:11, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Ephesians 5:1-21 ]
A healthy church is filled with men and women who follow in obedience after Christ in regards to the ordinances. [1 Corinthians 11:17-34 ]
A healthy church is a church that’s filled with men and women who genuinely love another and love participating with one another in biblical community.
[Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25, Titus 3:14]
A healthy church is an open handed church. [Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 8-9]
Healthy places take take holiness seriously. [1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 Peter 4:1-3]
Healthy churches are filled with men and women who take seriously the areas of life that Scriptures would deem foolish. [Romans 14:14-23]
A healthy church is filled with men and women who take the responsibility of Christian freedom seriously. [1 Corinthians 8:1-13]
A healthy church is filled with men and women who are willing to engage one another over sin and are also willing to be engaged. [Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Hebrews 12]
When we fail (and we will), we are quick to confess it to God and to one another, to repent and to seek to put that sin to death. [Romans 8:13, Col 3:5, James 5:16, 1 John 1:6-10]

Where do you see yourself in light of these statements? Are you helping to participate in the health or dysfunction of the church?

You can watch Sunday's teaching here: http://www.livestream.com/bridgelife360

Bridge Alpha Retreat Info - 2009

2009-07-22T10:37:00.002-05:00

DATE: August 7-8, 2009
PLACE: Camp Allen in Greenville, MO
COST: $40 includes accommodations, activities and 3 meals

HOW TO REGISTER: Complete the registration form and enclose your completed form and the registration fee. Make your checks payable to: The Bridge. Please let us know if you are coming by July 29 and turn in your paid registration by August 5th. Email Ben or Tammy for a form or pick it up at at the church.

TIME OF ARRIVAL:
• If you want to carpool to the camp meet in the church parking lot and be ready to leave promptly 4PM on Friday, Aug 7th
• If you are driving yourself to Camp Allen you can arrive anytime between 4:00-6:00 PM, but be aware that dinner is served at 6:00 PM

TIME OF DEPARTURE:
Our last session/service will be over at around 4 PM. We will enjoy breakfast and lunch together on Saturday, but no supper will be served. You are free to leave after our final session or you can continue to enjoy free time at the camp until 6:00 PM.

WHAT TO BRING:
• pillow, sheets, blankets / sleeping bag
• towels, soap, toiletries,
• swimsuits, insect spray, flashlight, comfortable shoes
• Bible, pen, your Alpha book

OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER:
• No alcoholic beverages or tobacco use of any kind per Camp Allen’s request
• Leave pets at home
• Be considerate to honor scheduled times for rising, eating and sleeping
• Leave all eating, drinking utensils in the Dining Hall
• Honor Camp Allen’s other quests and request for modest clothing (no spaghetti straps, halter tops,
bare midriffs, short shorts, or bikinis. Bring a t-shirt to wear as a cover-up when going to and from
pool / water slide)
• Attend all sessions
• Seek to establish new friendships
• Have a great time!

SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES YOU CAN ENJOY AT CAMP ALLEN:
• Softball, sand volleyball, soccer, basketball, horseshoes
• Swimming pool and 300’ water slide
• Hiking and nature trails
• More great Alpha talks, fellowship, and praise & worship!
• You can check out Camp Allen by visiting their web site: www.campallen.com

The Bridge on Mission

2009-07-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

Next week we have 35 adults and youth on mission.

The youth are on mission from July 11 - 18 in Tipton, MO. The adults are on mission in Nicaragua July 13 - 21. I am asking everyone to pray for their mission trip. Pray for those they will come into contact with. Pray for the individuals on the trip that God would work in them from the inside out.

The youth are leaving at 11:00 AM from The Bridge parking lot on Saturday. Come out and show your support.

The adults are leaving early Monday morning. There will be a special send-off for them during the 10:45 AM celebration this Sunday.

Please pray for these folks.

Y O U T H T R I P

A D U L T T R I P

Sydney Rodgers

Blake Prichett

Riley Hurst

Emilee Pierce

Kayla Allen

Highley King

]Justin Gray

Natalie Jackson

Maddie Ayers

Allie Ayers

Morgan Dunlap

Rob Pierce

Sarah Winch

Melissa McDonough

Rhonda Barnes

Adrienne Cookson

Jamie Acord

Tisa Ayers

Jon Bird

Kristin Bird

Becky Durbin

Kelley Gray

Chris & Cheryl Guthrie

Stephanie Hederick

Christie Kemp

Matt & Erica Parks

Angie Pratt

Jodie Amschler

Stan & Meg Reiner

Trina Yount

Jackie Adams

Kyla Vaeth

Check out the two videos below from last year's mission trip to Nicaragua

Chacocente 2008 Part One from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Project Chacocente - 2 from The Bridge from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Church Membership

2009-06-28T15:11:00.013-05:00

This morning Tim presented scriptural lessons on the the context of the local church. Our primary reason for committing to a local church is to glorify God! We also discussed the necessity of committing to one another and the elders for spiritual safety.

Our hope at The Bridge is not that we would simply hang out with each other, rather, that through covenant membership we would engage in a battle for deep and abiding relationships.

Through covenant membership at The Bridge you are making yourself available to:

Embody Biblical Community -

It is apparent in the New Testament that community is not some peripheral Christian teaching but is central to the outworking of God’s purpose in the world. God is glorified when He is properly reflected; by dwelling in unity, we rightly image our communal Maker. In being obedient to this calling, The Bridge urges each member to be deeply involved in the lives of others, to “do life together.” By becoming a covenant member, you are committing to fight for community with other members of our local community to glorify God.
Obey God's Commands Together-

We should desperately want to be conformed to the image of Christ. We should fervently desire to “put off the old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians :22-24). We will fight for that because the Scriptures say that we must and can fight for that. Our covenant provides avenues to grow and obey God's commands together.
Image the gospel to others -

Our community desires to be a healthy witness to the world for Jesus Christ. By covenanting together, we are committing to image the gospel to each other by holding each other accountable. We call each other to repentance and faith when sin is present, so that we can properly image the gospel to the rest of the world. We also receive guidance and care from the elders and pastors to help us in this journey.
Participate in God's story -

We believe strongly that The Bridge Community Church is a small part of God's redemptive plan for St. Francois County. We have been sent on mission to our county to be Christ's hands and feet. Together, we do this by caring for non-Christians in practical ways and speaking the truth of the gospel in love. We unite together to participate in God's story because we can accomplish more on mission together, than we ever can apart

"Our Membership is more about responsibility than rights!"

Bridge Alpha Course

2009-06-08T22:57:00.004-05:00

The Bridge Alpha Course begins Wednesday evening June 17th @ 6:00 PM.

At an Alpha course people explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over eleven thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a day or weekend away.

It is low-key, friendly and fun. Come and ask anything. No question is too simple or too hostile.

Here is what happens each night
6:00 - 6:40 - Eat a meal together
6:40 - 6:50 - Announcements
6:50 - 7:20 - Talk
7:20 - 7:30 - Break / get dessert and coffee
7:30 - 8:30 - Discussions

A Sample Schedule for Alpha
Week 1: Is there more to life than this?
Week 2: Who is Jesus?
Week 3: Why did Jesus die?
Week 4: How can we have faith?
Week 5: Why and how do I pray?
Week 6: and how should I read the Bible?
Week 7: How does God guide us?
Week 8: Who is the Holy Spirit?
Week 8: How can I resist evil?
Week 9: Why & how should we tell others?
Week 10: Does God heal today?
Week 11: What about the Church?

Weekend: What does the Holy Spirit do?
How can I make the most of the rest of my life?

Register for The Bridge Alpha Course by emailing alphacourse@gmail.com

There are currently 81 adults pre-registered for this course.

Beth Moore Simulcast

2009-05-21T19:40:00.004-05:00

PURCHASE SIMULCAST TICKETS HERE!

Through a partnership between LifeWay Women’s Events, Church Communication Network (CCN), and The Bridge Community Church, a simulcast will broadcast live via satellite from the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Over 650 churches across the U.S., including The Bridge Community Church, are participating as host churches.

Cost: $25
Register now at The Bridge Community Church
When: August 28/29
Where: The Bridge Community Church, 301 Lore, Leadington, MO

http://www.bridgelife360.com

Resources for Disciple 101

2009-05-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

I posted resources from our series Disciple 101 over on my personal blog. You can view them all here (articles, studies, videos, and etc...).

Lord of All

2009-05-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

Lord Of All from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Baptism Video from December

2009-05-04T22:21:00.000-05:00

Baptism Video 12-06-08 from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

We also baptized six this past weekend. We'll edit a video of them soon.

News for this Weekend

2009-04-30T18:00:00.001-05:00

We continue our Disciple 101 sermon series this Sunday with Tim preaching on baptism. It's going to be a great day at The Bridge this Sunday with Tim preaching at 9:00, Bridge Kids Family Worship service at 10:15 (I can truthfully say we are going to have a WHALE of a time....) and several folks will be baptised during the 10:45 worship celebration!! (Been thinking about baptism? Contact Tim / Ben to talk about baptism!!)

This Sunday night we will have our first church dinner in our new building! Make plans to join us at 5:30 PM for a great night of fellowship at the WE'RE HERE....NOW WHAT basket dinner! The church will provide drinks and paper goods...you supply the covered dishes! It's going to be a great evening as we celebrate accomplishments and catch a vision of the future of each of our ministries. We have a special treat in store as well....did you miss the youth drama on Easter Sunday? By popular demand...a special repeat performance just for you at the church dinner!

Work Day at the Building this Friday!

We have several on-going projects at the building...some trim work, touch up painting, carpets, ceiling tiles, clean-up & organizing, flower planting.....to name a few things! We're having a work day tomorrow, (Friday, May 1) from 8-5 at the building. Volunteers most appreciated! Want to help but can't come until after work? Let Guthrie's know....Chris is willing to hang around later and work with you!

Colossians: Wrestle with the text

2009-04-27T21:53:00.002-05:00

Interested in investigating the book of Colossians further? Here are some study questions that are available to our cell families as we wrestle with the text. The questions deal with Colossians 1:1 - 2:7 so far!

If you have missed celebration you can now watch them at www.mogulus.com/bridgelife360

Week 1:
Colossians 1:1-14
The letter to the Colossian church was sent to combat heresy while encouraging them to pursue a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. Paul and Timothy open their letter to the Colossians by encouraging their readers to pursue life change rather than mere “head knowledge” of Christ. What a reminder for us too!

1. Do you find it interesting that Paul and Timothy (Acts 16:1-3) co-authored this (i.e. letter; Colossians 1:1)? Why might they have done this? Do you believe that you are a “saint” (“holy,” NIV) in Christ (1:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17)? Why or why not?

2. Why did Paul and Timothy thank God (Colossians 1:3)? What sort of example did the Colossians set (1:4; cf. Ephesians 1:15)? What was the foundation for their example (Colossians 1:15) and how can we follow it today?

3. Why is the gospel a message of hope (Colossians 1:15; Ephesians 1:13)? Do you see the gospel “bearing fruit” (Colossians 1:6) around you? If so, what does it look life? If not, why might this be? What can you do to change this (John 15:4-5)?

4. Paul and Timothy truly felt burdened to pray for the Colossians (1:9), but what was the focus of their prayer (cf. Ephesians 1:17-18)? Does this differ from how you pray for others? What does it mean to have knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and understanding?

5. What was the ultimate purpose of this wisdom (Colossians 1:10-12; Ephesians 4:1)? With and increase in wisdom, what should our lives look life? What source are you depending on in order to live life (Colossians 1:11; Ephesians 3:16)?

6. Read Colossians 1:13. What implications does this great “citizenship transfer” have for us (Colossians 1:14; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:11)? How does this reality humble you while also encouraging you to bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God?

7. How can you practically grow in knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and understanding this week? Take some quiet, focused time at least once a day this week and thank God for the glorious salvation that you have through faith in Christ (Romans 8:1)!

Colossians 1:15-1:23
This section features a rich hymn that declares the supremacy of Jesus Christ. As we will see, Paul’s purpose in declaring Christ is the spiritual maturity of his readers.

1. How is Christ the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:5-7)? What does it mean for him to be the “firstborn over all creation” (Hebrews 1:6; Romans 8:29; Revelation 1:5)?

2. How much did Jesus Christ create (Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3) and what difference does this make in your life? Do you really see Jesus as being the “head” of the church (Colossians 1:18), or is it someone else (cf. Ephesians 1:20-23)?

3. How did God the Father reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20)? Why was reconciliation necessary (Genesis 3:6-7)? How did this reconciliation affect you and what is its result (Colossians 1:22-23; Romans 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)?

Week 2: Gospel Mission

Starting point: Discuss last Sunday's message. What stood out?
Ask: Why should the gospel propel us to mission?
Ask: How have we been on mission in our community as a cell
Ask: How can we be on mission in the future

Wrestle with the text.

1. Why would God keep the gospel as a “mystery” from past generations (Colossians 1:26; cf. Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:2-6; Hebrews 1:1-2)? Are you humbled by God’s gracious revelation of this “mystery” to you? Why or why not?

2. What is Paul’s ultimate purpose in proclaiming Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:28-29)? What does it mean to be “complete in Christ” and when will this happen (1 John 3:2)? How should we live in the meantime (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:16)?

3. Why was Paul so passionate about the wellbeing of people that he never met (Colossians 2:1)? What was Paul’s concern in Colossians 2:4 (Romans 16:16-17; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)? How can we combat this problem in the church today?

4. Imagine if Paul had sent this letter to you. Would you be encouraged to grow “firm/stable” in your Christian faith (Colossians 2:5)? Do you have anyone in your life who encourages you to grow firm in your faith (cf. Proverbs 11:14; 26:4)?

5. Notice the language that Paul uses to describe Christian growth (“rooted,” “built up,” etc.; Colossians 2:7). How is this language fitting for our spiritual lives (1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6)? How have you seen this progression in your own life?

Men's BBQ

2009-04-24T08:30:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to write and encourage the men of our church to attend the tailgate BBQ at the church this Sunday. Don't worry about bringing anything though! We have the meat covered and you don't need to bring money! If you are an expert at Aunt Betsy's green bean casserole or something that would be cool to bring along, but mainly we want to see YOU for a time of hangin out and talkin about God. This is Sunday at 5:00 in the church parking lot. See ya there!

Calling all Men: Tailgate BBQ at The Bridge

2009-04-22T23:26:00.001-05:00

Sunday there will be a BBQ for the men of The Bridge. We're doing it tailgate style at The Bridge parking lot and lower field. Show up at 5. We'll have the grill going and meat on. FOOD PROVIDED. YAY!!! Bring footballs, frisbees, and whatever else we can relatively safely throw at each other.

Why? Because. Is that good enough reason? I think so. Guys. Meat. Sports. Good 'nuff for me.

From a pastor's point of view, let me take the opportunity to throw a few things at ya.

Guys need brothers. I don't mean the kind of brothers you give swirlies cuz' they're annoying and won't stop picking their nose. I mean the kind of brothers that have your back and don't let you wimp out when you get freaked out in life. Guys need guys to depend on and to trust, to lead and to follow at the same time. Guys need each other to become more like Jesus. That's how we're made.

Guys also need brothers to achieve stuff that's out of our reach. There's stuff going on at the Bridge that we've started, but cannot accomplish unless we work together, using the gifts and skills that God has given us. I think the Bridge can be an unstoppable force of God in the community, built on the backs of our men. I think our families can become arenas where the world will see Godly marriages and Godly kids. I think ministries like GAP can go far beyond our imaginations if we become a Corps of men who strive for excellence and frown at mediocrity. And I think we can have fun doing it.

Now, honestly, most of us aren't part of a band of brothers. Most of us aren't part of a team for life. We're more on our own. And I think many of us wonder...am I supposed to feel like a lone Christian? Is fellowship only Sunday mornings and cell family? What's the next level?

Can I suggest that we team up? I know I need a band of brothers. I know that I will do a million times better as a husband, father, and plain ole' Christian as part of a Corps. And I think we'd make a great team. Not another Bible study or small group (although we'll still study the Bible, of course). But a group of guys who make Biblical principles happen in real life. The actual living out of what we believe. Practicing what we preach. As brothers.

So...let's talk about it this Sunday. Over some meat and around a fire. I think God intends to take the men of the Bridge to the next level: The Corps.

See you there,
Pastor Dre

Disciple 101 Series Promo

2009-04-17T14:39:00.001-05:00

Disciple 101 Promo from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Easter 2009 Service - Part 1

2009-04-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

Easter 2009 Service - Part 1 from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

I Stand Amazed

2009-04-14T13:03:00.002-05:00

Easter 2009 "I stand Amazed" from the 10:45 service.

I Stand Amazed from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Bridge Youth Easter Drama 2009

2009-04-13T20:00:00.002-05:00

Bridge Youth - Easter Drama from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T08:12:00.005-05:00

Here are a few photos of the youth and our 10:45 AM Easter service yesterday. He is Risen!

Easter Services and Bridge Kids Egg Hunt

2009-04-08T10:32:00.003-05:00

Are you ready for Easter?

This Sunday we complete our journey through the Gospel of Luke and The Final Four with a sermon from pastor Tim Gray: According to the Scriptures.

This Sunday the youth will present a special skit during the worship services. You won’t want to miss it!

Nursery, toddler, and preschool classes will meet during both 9:00 and 10:45 services with K-5 meeting during the 10:45 service. We enjoyed a really great Family Worship Service last Sunday…so mark your calendars for our next family event: May 3rd.

We have some extra activities for the kids this Saturday with an Easter Egg dye party at the church at 10:00 AM and an EGGciting EGG Hunt in Columbia Park, Park Hills at 3:00 PM in the afternoon.

Looking for something to do on Friday nights? The church softball team plays Friday nights at the Park Hills Sports Complex. This Friday the games are at 6:30 and 7:30 with the Life Church.

According to the Scriptures….I should see you this Sunday!

2009-03-14T19:38:00.001-05:00

Starts March 22nd
The last four chapters of Luke!

Worlds are about to collide.

Challenged by the religious leaders of the day,
Jesus continued to teach about God and His
kingdom—about faith and what it means
to give all.

But a traitor was among them and another would deny His name.

No one expected His footsteps would lead to a cross. And few could believe what happened next.

Join us for "The Final Four."

Grace is ushered in.

The chains of sin are broken.

Death is defeated.

Salvation is here.

http://www.bridgelife360.com

Worlds are about to collide.

Bridge Kids on Sundays!

2009-03-10T14:38:00.001-05:00

Now Meeting on Sundays!
Meeting at 9:00 AM each week:
Nursery, Toddlers & Preschoolers
Meeting at 10:45 each week:
Nursery, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Grades K-5!

Coming up this Sunday:
In the Nursery (Baby Beginnings)
March theme: Jesus Loves Me. Bible story: Zacchaeus
In the Preschool (First Look)
Bottom Line: Jesus will help me. Bible Story: Healing the Lepers
K-5 (2:52 Basics)
March Theme: HOPE. Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember how powerful God is! Bible Story: Raising Lazarus

Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-05T19:14:00.001-06:00

Here is your reminder - this weekend is when the Daylight Saving Time changes occur. The change occurs at 2:00 am on Sunday. Basically make sure you move your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night, or walk into church when it is ending and go OOOPS!

March 1st - Media from Sunday

2009-03-02T11:56:00.002-06:00

Below are some pictures and video taken by our very own Dan Polacek from our 1st Sunday in our new location. The video was from the 9:00 AM celebration, most of the photos are from 10:45.

short video from thebridge-church.com from Daniel Polacek on Vimeo.

Last day in E-Hall

2009-02-24T21:32:00.006-06:00

Last week was our last day in E-Hall. It was bittersweet. So many lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ in our time cleaning up beer and whiskey so that we could have church there! I will never forget the ups and downs of our first three years.

I will never forget:

* Our first Sunday
* The many lives transformed: Jason, Matt, Sonja, Amanda, Duane, Jeromy, Julie, Matt, Stephanie, Jimmy, Ray, Chris, Cheryl, the CSC boys and gals, Amy, Matt, Sarah, Angie, Jeff, Jamie, and Justin to name just a few.
* Our first mission trip (to Nicaragua) and the Tower Fellowship
* The fenway seating (poles in the way)
* the sacrifices made (staff and volunteers)
* Bridging Back
* Our baptism services (at multiple times and locations: Jerry's, Pinecrest, E-Hall, Slime Pond)
* The ice storm and the Sunday we made everyone drive to Pine Crest to be with the church!
* The Church has left the building
* The infamous bowling extravaganza
* The Catalyst Road-Trip (8 20-30 year olds crammed in an SUV for 8 hours)
* The set-ups
* The tear-downs
* Sandy's funeral
* CA!
* Ricky Horton
* Bridge Kids Sundays!
* The infamous bon-fire at burger with a pastor
* Launching GAP
* The pain and sweat put into finding our identity in Christ as a body. Change is rough.
* The infamous lawn-mower race
* Meg and Stan's wedding
* Staff meetings at Lester and Virginia's
* Lester's funeral
* Bill's funeral
* The Cell Family Leader trainings (and the last meeting in E-Hall Sunday night)
* The ordination service
* Bridge Kids on Wednesday nights!
* Trunk 'n Treat (specifically those of you who dressed up as Tim)
* ESCAPE youth camp 1 & 2
* Seeing Milford in his Biker Gear.
* Seeing the 1970s Milford Gibbs pics
* The nights we had to meet at Rosener's!
* My first cell family (I will never forget you all!)
* My second cell family (you guys rock!)
* The night of praise!
* The showing of "Facing the Giants" --- and the second showing
* Tim's helicopter ride
* When we had one service and BK following
* The services we held at North County High School Auditorium
* Breaking ground
* The marriages restored (you know who you are)
* The babies born!!!!
* Advent Conspiracy 1 & 2... Over $27,000 given to help Chacocente and the plant in Thailand
* Andy and his cowbell
* Singing amazing grace/my chains are gone as jeff met Jesus
* Murphy's strawberries
* The church showing up to help my parents when the Tornado destroyed their home
* Brylee's baby dedication
* The night/morning Claire was born
* My in-laws joining the church and the PK Mike finally went too!
* The Alpha retreats (listening to the 06 world series at one as well)
* The Youth Bash'si
* Laughing, crying, singing, shouting, and progressing with my new friends (The Bridge Community Church - I love this place)

I will also never forget: how hard this was, the heartaches of folks leaving, the uncertainty of the future, the fear of failure, and the sovereignty of God through it all.

There are so many more. God has taught us so much.

Let's enjoy the ride!

This week we open up the new building on the Sunday we turn THREE!

Let's celebrate.

March 1 Gideon
March 8: Beniah
March 15: Shadrach, Meshack, and Obednego
March 22: Luke 20
March 26: Fee concert and celebration!

Bridge Life

2009-02-19T16:00:00.004-06:00

Hey friends, some of you have been in an uproar lately about some online discussions that are negative towards our church and leadership. I am sorry that this has taken place. As leaders, we are submitting to Jesus Christ realizing that we are nothing without the cross! Our prayer is that God can be glorified and lifted high.

I am going to deal with a few of the rumors below for the sake of truth...but this should be our attitude. 1)Pray 2)Confess 3) Look to Scripture 4)Confess 5)Submit to God's will 6) Delight in His plan

Here are some scriptures to consider today from the English Standard Version.

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
Matthew 6:15 "but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

BTW - I can not wait to spend the summer studying the Sermon on the Mount!

For the sake of truth let's put some rumors to rest as best we can.

Does the Bridge ask folks to present their W-2 forms? No, we never have and never will
Are your cell families full of swingers? No, that is a complete lie. Of course not. Read about them here.
Is the Bridge only interested in numbers? Only? Not at all. Our membership covenants will always make us have less members and more attenders. We are not interested in making members of a church; rather we are interested in making disciples of Jesus. But we are interested in passionately pursuing Christ and making more disciples (note it is plural).
Does the Bridge present the gospel? All of the time. We want the GOSPEL to be the center of all we do. We proclaim that we are dead in our sins and proclaim Jesus Christ as our only hope in salvation.
Does the Bridge teach repentance? Yes, all of the time. We are not ashamed to speak of Christ's blood and our need for it, to call sin what it is, and to ask folks to repent and believe in Jesus (not our homeboy, but the God-man, our Lord/Savior/King). We spend lots of time creating a culture where all of life is repentance. Yes, we teach that believers need to repent too and give all of the idols of their heart to Christ's command . At last year's cell family leader training the majority of the training centered around repentance, creating a culture of repentance, and teaching the need for repentance.
Doesn't The Bridge hide their finances? No - we hire an independent CPA and members are emailed quarterly reports. Our lead pastor doesn't even take a salary.
Aren't all The Bridge's sermons geared towards attraction? No - we have been teaching through the gospel of Luke since June. We do use topical series as well, but they are interspersed by verse by verse teaching. We will be in Luke 19 Sunday, then do a topical series in March before finishing out Luke by Easter. This summer we are going verse by verse through the Sermon on the Mount.
Is the Bridge against the traditional church? No - we are against sin. We do utilize a full band, media, and video and believe that true worship spews forth from the heart and is not tied to a specific style. We do still sing hymns and periodically use liturgy. We are completely orthodox in belief.
Is your new building a circus tent? No - it is a sprung. You can view other churches in america using them here. We chose to spend less money on our building and invest more money in ministry. We prefer to think it looks more like the chat dump and fits in with the lead belt area. :-)
Who are you accountable to? Ultimately God and that fear catapults us forward. We are not a member of a denomination but are not against them. There was a team of outside pastors that looked over our documents to make sure they were orthodox in the beginning. There is a plurality of elders and pastors in place on the basis of 1 Timothy and Titus. Financially, we are accountable to an independent CPA and are joining the ECFA. We are a young church and are striving to meet all Biblical criteria. Personally, I meet with three ordained pastors one on one for mentoring and accountability.
Doesn't Tim ask you all to give him praise? No - he repeatedly asks us to repent and believe the Gospel, to delight in God, and follow after him. His leadership calls us to commitment and submission to Christ.
Does the preacher wear jeans/ Yes.
Is The Bridge a cult? No - again we are completely orthodox in belief and teaching.
Are your membership covenants secretive and legalistic? No - they are not secretive and all info is available on what is taught. The goal of the covenants are to be a teaching document and a tool for self evaluation in regards to progressive sanctification. As a body we commit to one another in community to grow in Christ. Our covenants are much like The Village Church's Covenant in Texas. Check out Matt Chandler's response to this question here. We teach people the Gospel, our identity as a church, and then ask them to covenant together on: attendance (celebration and cell), contribution (time,talent, and treasure), personal disciplines (prayer, bible study and etc...), and to complete the leadership seminar. Our covenants are not salvidic (only God saves people), and are in place to help us grow. Strict time lines are not set for completion... Members covenant together to be involved in the life of our ecclesia and grow up in Christ.
Does your church believe in discipline? Yes, we have church discipline in place that is patterned after scriptural guidelines and Peacemaker Ministries.
Isn't the Bridge the beer drinking church? No, but some of our community probably has an occasional beer or glass of wine. We teach against drunkenness. Click here for our view of controversial subjects. We are also called to adhere to all of the laws of our government. We recognize that all of our moral efforts will never save us and are usually falsely motivated. Only grace through faith (Ephesians 2:4-9) saves and a saving faith will produce fruit. What is your stance for elders/pastors on alcohol? Titus 1:7 teaches that elders must not be a drunkard. We must smash all of our idols and relentlessly pursue Christ.
Doesn't the Bridge's pastors think they are the only pastors that are right? No, I personally spend most of my time learning from Jon Piper, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler, Craig Groeschel, and Andy Stanley. Quite a mix I know. Tim and I are both in seminary as well. We are not opposed to learning from anyone passionately pursuing Jesus Christ and lifting Him up.
Isn't The Bridge inward focused? Please check out http://www.greatadventureproject.com . We are also now giving all of our cell families a budget to be on mission together in the community for the glory of Jesus Christ.

As a community, let's cling to the Gospel and passionately pursue becoming more like Christ. We rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us to fulfill our call and mission in this community.

Three Pathways of Identity

2009-02-16T09:50:00.004-06:00

Yesterday's sermon "Gospel Community" talked about three pathways of identity in life.

The first pathway was the path of "Moral Conformity."
The second pathway was one of "Self-Discovery."
We learned that both of these pathways end in alienation from God as seen in the parable of the lost sons in Luke 15.

(Please reference "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller)

And then I presented a third pathway called "Gospel Community" that we as a body want to be true of our identity. At the center of community must be the Gospel where we realize we are nothing without Christ. None of us have any "rights" (elder brother / moral conformity) and we can't make it on our own (younger brother / self discovery). We are nothing without Christ, praise God.

I spoke from Romans 12:9-13 and Galatians 6:1-2 from the ESV about what Gospel Community should like. You can pick up the dvd of the teaching if you need it. Then we discussed how this plays out at The Bridge where as we grow this gets harder.

At The Bridge we offer and speak of multiple environments for gospel community. As each of these environments shrink, the more opportunity for deeper relationship and gospel community happens. We provide these environments but rely on the Holy Spirit to make this happen.

Large Group:
Sunday Celebration @ 9:00 & 10:45 AM
Monthly Youth Bash
Bridge Kids

Midsize Group:
Conquering Addiction
Alpha Course
Leadership Bible Study
Crown Financial Training
Men’s / Women’s Trips
Youth Trips
Socials: bowling, burger with a pastor, and etc..

Small Group:
Weekly Cell Family
Covenant Membership Courses
Mission Teams
First-Serve Teams
Youth Cell
BK Cell
Yon’s round table

One on One:
Mentoring
Parenting
Marriage

Please take a moment as you read through this to search your heart. Where are you finding your identity? Are you living to please others and gain status and control (moral conformity)? Are you on a path of self-actualization to find the meaning for your life (self-discovery)? Or are you living in gospel community where the end goal is not to get status, power, or self-pleasure - but just to delight in God.

I challenge all of our people to get in community, surrounding yourselves with people whose identity is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and do life together. Don't go to these groups with rights, leaning on the cross and pointing the finger at others. Go to these groups broken in submission to God at the foot of the cross.

Pictures from Feb. 8 - 2009

2009-02-08T21:29:00.004-06:00

What a day + Paper Article

2009-02-08T17:15:00.002-06:00

Today was a significant day in the life of The Bridge. Rob did a great job in the first service, Rick Horton was outstanding in the second service, and I have never seen that many people in E-Hall.

There will be many pictures to come. For now:

Check out the front page article in today's Daily Journal.

http://www.dailyjournalonline.com/articles/2009/02/08/news/doc498dfd1699f4b134934176.txt

Yesterday...

2009-02-02T08:05:00.002-06:00

...was really special. Check out my blog on what was probably my last sermon in E-Hall here.

Let's post our top ten memories of God moments in E-Hall. Just click on comment and have at IT.

Countdown 6 Days -- Building Schedule

2009-01-26T22:49:00.002-06:00

Are you praying? Are you helping?
Check out the schedule here.

The Village Covenants

2009-01-22T11:17:00.002-06:00

We consider The Village in Dallas a sister church in delivering the Gospel to the world. They just released their membership covenants that they have been working on for 3 years. Check them out and compare to ours: The Village.

Ben's Prayer Objectives

2009-01-20T22:31:00.002-06:00

Thought you might need a reminder of Ben's prayer objectives for the week:
Sunday
Pray for our building effort and our building volunteers -- for efficient response from Ameren and our subcontractors -- for safety for all workers. Pray that God use this facility for His glory alone.
Monday
Pray for Bridge Youth (our teens), our youth leaders, and the unreached youth of our community.
Tuesday
Pray for the Great Adventure Project. Pray for new mentors, volunteers, the chapel ministry and the Conquering Addiction class.
Editor's note: Also, might want to pray for our new president, Barack Obama.
Wednesday
Pray for Bridge Kids. Pray for wisdom as we prepare to move BK to Sundays, for new volunteers, renewed vision and commitment among BK workers, and for children to choose to follow Jesus.
Thursday
Pray for our cell family ministry. Pray for renewed passion among our cell leaders. Pray that we will see additional cell families formed this year and for more people at The Bridge to commit to personal discipleship by joining a cell family.
Friday
Pray for those in our community who need Jesus.
Pray that our church will leave the building in 2009.
Saturday
Pray for leadership at The Bridge -- the Board of Elders, pastors, and ministry leaders. Pray for the worship team and for those who will serve on the set-up team, hospitality team, tech team, and in the nursery on Sunday morning.

He called for us to do this from January 18-24. I am recommending that we just do it every week for the next month. Let's be persistent!!!!!!!!!

We Are Family -- Aren't We?

2009-01-15T06:54:00.004-06:00

I just read an interview with Francis Chan, who pastors Cornerstone Church in the San Francisco area. He said that recently he had an ex-gang member fall in love with Jesus, get baptized, and join his church. After a few months though, the guy stopped coming to church altogether. When Francis went and asked him why, the ex-gang member said, "Church was not at all what I thought it would be. You see, in the gangs we were not just nice to each other once a week, we were family."
If you get tired of Ben and I casting vision at you that calls you into authentic community (cell family, cell church, mentorship) where we are functioning at a high level of love for each other throughout the week, you have to know that this story breaks our hearts.
Recently, we had a young lady named Belinda that came to us looking for a family. She had spent her entire adult life struggling with drugs and alcohol and she was desperate to be well. I feared for her though as she got out of the CSC even though she was attending CA. She was saying the right things, but she was still running with the same 'family.' Belinda died last Saturday night, probably of an overdose, and I don't know if Jesus was her most prized possession as she stopped breathing. That is some real stuff; I hate the thought of anyone even possibly going to hell. In a short amount of time, I loved Belinda, but I did not really invite her to join 'MY FAMILY.' What if....

What’s in your restroom reading rack?

2009-01-07T19:27:00.004-06:00

Greetings from Ft. Jackson. The past few days of training for me have mostly entailed the Military tradition of “hurry up and wait.” In-processing takes a long time, especially when you have 84 pastors to process. Our leadership “cadre” informed us they feel like they’re herding cats. Well this Cat had some time to do some reading in the past five days. I read, cover to cover, the first issue of Bible Study Magazine. Published by Logos Bible Software, I highly recommend it to everyone who desires to better understand their Bible (and that should be all of us).

The cover story in the first issue is an interview with Josh McDowell, probably the funniest defender of the Christian faith I’ve heard speak. McDowell talks candidly about his ministry and his own journey from skeptic to believer. In the process, the article provides McDowell’s personal reasons for believing the Bible is truth and Jesus is the only way to God. The style is easy to read, enjoyable, and relaxing. This isn’t a stodgy journal, it’s a magazine for all levels. Bible nerds like me and normal people like you will like it. A lot.

The focus of the magazine is to make Bible study understandable, easy. One of the articles talks about the different Bible versions out there and what the differences are—but in a way that is specific enough to make a decision, but not so detailed to bore you.

They also included things like Setterholm’s article, “What’s in Your Bible,” a simple chart showing the history of the Bible and cultures throughout the world—who’s got what books in their version of the Bible. Now I really appreciate that because it presents an objective view of the collection of the books of the Bible. It’s honest, but still acknowledges that God is in control of the whole process.

Probably the best thing in this magazine, though, is the study guide for eight weeks of study in the first 14 verses of the book of Hebrews. Finally! A study guide that goes in-depth. Cell leaders, you could use this. The assignments are easy to do, but deep. You only work on fourteen verses, so you get plenty of time to dwell on the passage, let it grow in your heart, and dig into the Word. It’s not a lot of scripture to look up and a ton of questions to study. Sometimes that kind of study produces a “spiritual noise” that keeps you from hearing God speak to you. I think in this manner God let’s you focus on a few verses, with peace, over time. So you get more of those chances for God to show you how the verses apply to your own life.

For example, the past two months for me have been Hebrews 12:1. God keeps bringing it up, everywhere I turn. He’s teaching me things. It’s not like there’s one lesson I gotta get and then we move on. It’s many things, many ways in which God shows me that I need to learn perseverance, things I didn’t know were holding me back from pursuing God, etc. I believe God wants us to apply every verse He brings us to every part of our lives. In order to do that, we have to dwell on the verses over a long period of time—He’s more patient than we are. I think this study guide makes it easier to get the Bible into our hearts and applied to our lives.

As I understand it, each issue will continue the study from the previous study. That's another good thing for Bible study--it's the key, actually--studying passages in context. So as you work through each issue, you'll get to work through the entire book of Hebrews in this patient, restful way.

So that’s why I like this magazine and recommend it to everyone at The Bridge. I think it suits us and our mission.

I miss you guys. Blessings to all of you. I pray for you guys everyday throughout the day.

Peace,

Pastor dre

*You can subscribe to Bible Study Magazine online at biblestudymagazine.com

Fee tickets on sale to the general public

2009-01-06T09:23:00.002-06:00

The general public can now purchase tickets to the FEE concert through itickets.com. Spread the word! Fee will be in concert at our new building March 26th.

Purchase tickets online

Honor & Privilege

2009-01-04T18:48:00.002-06:00

It was an honor and a privilege to speak to you today about the Gospel, the Good News, of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must have a deep understanding of our faith so when a charleton comes along, we can 'pay attention' and dismiss the temptation.
Please blog what you wrote. Mine is too wordy, too involved. Be proud in the Lord helping you design a description of The Gospel that is simple. Easy to understand is better anyway.

Here is a copy of mine for the day. The stuff about creation 'bursting forth in a creative overflow of love' and 'sin fracturing perfection' were lines from Matt Chandler that I thought were just too good to not include.
The Gospel is –
that an always existent triune God (Father, Jesus, & Holy Spirit) in perfect harmony burst forth in a creative overflow of love and created everything for a higher purpose – to worship Him. In the perfection, we ate in extreme worship, married (Adam & Eve) in extreme worship, made love in extreme worship, and drank wine in extreme worship. Sin came and fractured the perfection – food became obsession, marriage an option, sex an obsession and sickness, wine lost its flavor and became an idol. Death came. Since then, it became a possibility to do everything right on a given day and the day go terrible. It became possible to live a solid, healthy life and die at a young age because sin fractured the world. The world is fallen and our hearts are wicked – all of us. But, God came back with a ferocious, unbelievable love – came back as a man, lived a perfect life, then was arrested, falsely tried, beaten beyond recognition, and murdered. The law was fulfilled; all sin laid on him, the penalty paid, the Father’s wrath laid on Him. He was the substitute for our punishment, so that if we believe Him, love Him, put our full faith and trust in Him, give ourselves wholly to Him, repent (turn from our sin), stop making ourselves God, put our sin to death, He is gracious and forgives us. It is the faith in the gift of grace that saves us; not our own efforts. Because Jesus came back to life, death is conquered. When the fracture is healed, food, and marriage, and sex, and wine and all of us have the opportunity to become holy again. Because this restoration, this redemption, is made possible by Jesus Christ, we can live with God forever in the new Paradise, the new heavens, the new earth.Tim’s Version – January 4, 2009

Just a quick note on Joel Osteen --
I have never met him and I will never judge his soul. I do not dislike him. However, many people believe that he speaks for God, so what he says must be put up to the scrutiny of Scripture. I hope that people put what I say up to the same scrutiny. I really believe that he means well, but my guess is that the whole thing got too big too fast for him, and he is fearful that he will be perceived as a failure if there are some who leave his efforts (church, conferences, or book sales) if he takes a strong, proper stance on what the Bible really teaches. I only brought him up today to point that his ambiguity leads credence to the notion that he is not someone that we should listen to when maturing in our faith. I am praying for him that he is stronger so that the millions who listen to him will repent and believe the true Gospel.

Give the gift of FEE for Christmas

2008-12-18T23:43:00.002-06:00

Tickets are going on sale at Church this Sunday for the FEE Concert. Could there be a better last minute gift to get your friends, family, or neighbors?

Fee (www.feeband.com)
March 26th - 7:00 PM
In the new Bridge Community Church building

Grand Openings

2008-12-18T14:02:00.003-06:00

We will be Grand Opening the new building with a series of unbelievable events. Look at this list of things to get excited about:
February 8 -- 10:45 -- MAC Athlete's Day featuring St. Louis Cardinal Ricky Horton
February 15 thru March 1 -- 9:00 & 10:45 -- The Man Series: Sex, Money, & Power -- Tim Gray
March 26 -- 7:00 -- Grand Opening III -- featuring Fee live in concert.

Flat out, Steve Fee is simply the most exciting, most engaging worship leader in America. This will be one of the most worshipful nights of your Christian life; we already do six of his songs at The Bridge I believe -- maybe 7. Warning to our neighbors, March 26 is going to be a little loud. Tickets go on sale this weekend at The Bridge. Come to church and turn in a connect card -- $5 a piece. If you don't want to attend church and turn in a connect card -- $10. Check out more stuff on Fee at Ben's Blog. All three of these events are a fantastic way to kick off the new building.

News and Notes

2008-12-17T10:39:00.000-06:00

It's nine days until Christmas. Eight days until our Christmas Eve candlelight service with Milford Gibbs. Five days until we hear Ben's sermon with the longest title ever...."A Red Ryder BB Gun with a Compass in the Stock and This Thing That Tells Time"... Five days until our Advent Conspiracy offering!

What are you doing to Worship Fully, Give More, Spend Less and Love All? We believe Christmas can still change the world. Our challenge this Christmas has been to invest in lives by giving more presence...not just presents. The money we've saved by spending less we will be investing in the lives of people living on a dump in Nicaragua (visit www.outofthedump.org) and in building a church in Bangkok, Thailand. These are the gifts that will last BEYOND a lifetime. This Christmas give of YOURSELF to your family and friends, and be a part of the Advent Conspiracy with your offering this Sunday.

Last year's Advent Conspiracy offering was $13,000!! I triple dog dare you to be a part of the conspiracy to put the CHRIST back in Christmas.

What a weekend

2008-12-07T21:56:00.003-06:00

Hey Bridge folk, I thanked God for all of you tonight. What an amazing weekend!

Saturday morning:
We baptized 10!
We saw 9 people join the church!
And you guys were amazing with our ordination service. I did not expect how worshipful this would be, and how supportive all of you were.

Sunday Morning:
We kicked off a new series.
I challenged men and I have been receiving phone calls and emails all day of how God moved.
Our second service was packed once again.
We had to add an additional song during the second service because men were praying with their families.
And Ray repented and believed the gospel today.

Please, meet ray.

Did you know that people are more likely to accept an invitation to church during the Christmas season than any other time? They are more likely to accept a personal invitation during this season than on easter.

So tell me, who have you invited?

Thanking God for ray, for you, and for another day.

God bless,
Ben

Christmas Schedule @ The Bridge

2008-12-02T14:28:00.004-06:00

It is the Christmas Season! Below are opportunities for you to worship Jesus more fully during this advent season at The Bridge.

All services at Elizabeth Hall
Dec. 7th -
"A Christmas Story: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out."
Services: 9:00 AM & 10:45 AM
Theme: The birth of Jesus was anything but safe.

Dec. 14th -
"A Christmas Story: I Triple Dog Dare You."
Services: 9:00 AM $ 10:45 AM
Theme: It is never too late to become who you might have been."

Dec. 21st -
"A Christmas Story: "A Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time."
Services: 9:00 AM & 10:45 AM
Theme: Everyone wants the perfect gift.

Dec. 24th -
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
11:00 PM
Communion and Celebration of the birth of Christ.

Everyone is welcome.

Due to space limitations, we are kindly asking some of our members and regulars to consider attending the 9:00 AM services. Also - please pass up the best parking spots

12-6-2008

2008-12-02T14:15:00.002-06:00

This Saturday will be a day to remember in the life of The Bridge Community. It is hard to believe that we are going to be three this March. The journey so far has been worth every single step.

What is happening Saturday?

Ordination, Baptism, Membership Service
10:00 AM at Elizabeth Hall

What is taking place?

Tim, Andre, and I have completed our requirements for Ordination and will be commissioned to the ordained pastoral Ministry. Tim and I will serve The Bridge Community, while we are sending Andre to become a Chaplain in the Army.
Baptism Celebration.
Welcoming of new members.

This is going to be quite a celebratory day. God is at work!

Giving and the Economy

2008-11-25T17:17:00.003-06:00

I was asked at Reveal about how our church was doing financially in the midst of the economic downturn. I answered truthfully at the time, "Our giving is up" as we had just experienced a record September. Giving is down significantly in November. I am hoping that this month is just a bump and not a sign that our people have panicked. Don't panic; giving faithfully to God is a worshipful trust in Him -- especially when the rest of the WORLD is being Chicken Little. I believe it is a time to actually increase our giving. God will respond!

Our attendance is soaring and God is radically changing lives, but giving is WAY down. Lots of possible explanations for this, but it is probably due to the Christmas season and the economy. That is 'stinkin thinkin' unless something drastic has happened in a particular family's economics such as a loss of job or an unexpected bill from somewhere. Remember the church is not worried about a budget or paying off a building; our church is not in any kind of economic crisis. We are only concerned with raising disciples, and disciples give to the local church with their first fruits no matter what kind of panic is going on in our economy. Remember also that we are to give week to week whether we are in church or not. We are not paying for Christian services. We are to support the local church even if we are out of town.

This is a matter of discipleship and trust in God, not economics.

The Bible as We Know It

2008-11-20T07:13:00.002-06:00

Join us on Sunday evening, November 23rd for a short study entitled The Bible As We Know IT! This three week course led by Yon Wibscov is for both seeking unbelievers and mature leaders and will explore:

* how the Bible was put together
* how the right manuscripts were chosen
* how to know what you read is true
* how to know it's really from God
* what the word 'inerrant' means

IT begins at 6:30 PM @ Elizabeth Hall.

Dec. 6th Baptism Service

2008-11-19T10:11:00.004-06:00

Hey all, we are having a baptism service on December 6th at 1:00 PM. This will also be an ordination service. If you have placed your faith in Christ while at The Bridge and are interested in baptism, please contact me. Below is a video of two of my friends being baptized last August.

Baptism 08-02-08 from Roger Durbin on Vimeo.

This Week's Sermon

2008-11-12T10:44:00.002-06:00

Please invite, invite, invite.

In Honduras

2008-11-06T23:58:00.003-06:00

Hey all - I'm currently in Honduras. I miss all of you and have been praying for you to become more like Jesus today than you were yesterday.

You can check out what I am doing at http://www.benjamindurbin.com

Also - I just smiled a bit more when I looked at http://www.rogerdurbin.com and viewed all of the new pictures of you that have been posted!

Conquering Addiction & The Election

2008-11-04T22:46:00.002-06:00

5 Impressions of the first night of CA --
1. God showed up in a big way.
2. He sent exactly who He wanted to hear His Word tonight. Many more are to come and God will be glorified in His work in all of these people.
3. No matter who you are, you should start coming next week. This is going to be really special. We have not seen anything like this at The Bridge since the first Alpha in January 2006.
4. The CSC men & women are fantastic. Relationships have been established. Come and meet them. Almost all of our guests from the CSC will be at The Bridge on Sunday.
5. God is going to change hearts and break many chains that bind by the power of the Holy Spirit and His Holy Word. He is going to be glorified in our efforts.

Comment on the Election tonight:
It comes from Romans 13 as Paul wrote to those who love God with all of their heart, soul, and strength. "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, and agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

We can be the best ambassador for Christ and the best American by submitting to our new government unless it asks us to sin. Then we draw the line. May God be absolutely glorified by all the events of the evening.

Hope & Joy

2008-10-26T21:46:00.003-05:00

I want to encourage all of you who have been getting this barrage of strong Bible teaching over the past few months at The Bridge. God is truly amazing. His Gospel -- His Good News -- that he had a plan to save us is the greatest HOPE on the planet. The fantastic thing is that the follower of Jesus -- the Christ-centered man or woman -- is empowered by God's Holy Spirit to actually live out this life with Him in great freedom. That is HOPEful. True JOY can be found only in Christ. Are you full of hope and joy tonight because you are a child of the Most High God? I HOPE so!

IT was HOPEful and JOYful to embrace my wife at the altar today after years of not loving her as Christ loves His church. The good thing is that God has placed a desire in my heart to get better at it day by day. There is HOPE because He has given me His strength, power, and authority to get better at it. There is JOY because He has given me all of you to help me, to encourage me, to rebuke me. I love The Bridge -- it is one of those local churches that are the HOPE of the world.

You can check out my promised blog about submitting to a non-believing spouse from The Excellent Wife here.

We visited the presence of God today; we honored His Word by presenting it correctly (Andre was most excellent); and we had a good time. I pray that God was pleased.

A plea for men

2008-10-25T15:49:00.002-05:00

Hello men, the Sprung Construction is going very quickly. It is pretty amazing to see the amount of work we have done in just 9 days. Check out the pictures at http://www.rogerdurbin.com !

Next week is going to be a big week. On Monday we will continue stuffing insulation and putting up the inside skins. On Tuesday the CRANE will be back to set the far side of the building. After it is set, we will be pulling the outside skins on that side. Then it will be back to insulation work and pulling inside skins, stretching skins, door work, and etc...

We could use men this week. If you haven't signed up to work a day, please consider doing so right now. Some of our men are working six days a week. We could use seeing some fresh faces. By the end of next week, it is going to be awesome to see the building! Also, please check to see what days you signed up for. We need some people to show up at 8:00 AM each day.

Thanks, love you all.
-ben

Sunday Night Thoughts

2008-10-19T22:08:00.003-05:00

My thoughts on Sunday night as I watch Tampa Bay try and hold on against Boston again.
-- I thought that Matt & Tisa were absolutely great this morning in leading worship.
-- People enjoyed the presence of God during "Agnus Dei, Amazing Grace, Holy, Holy, Holy."
-- People were really engaged with the strong message from scripture.
-- People really want to know what God says about their everyday lives.
-- We are on a great run of teaching scripture as it is intended. God still speaks if we listen closely. If you are parenting or mentoring, you are a little more equipped if you showed up today.
-- I appreciate Alistair Begg loaning us some thoughts that contributed to today's teaching.
-- "Slow Fade" is one of those songs that just stirs something.
-- "I am sore from pulling insulation in the new building.

David Price just struck out JD Drew in the eighth inning with the bases loaded. People in the stands are going absolutely crazy. I look forward to a day when people react to a victory from our amazing Savior with that much vigor. Oh, Happy Day!!!

I have posted some thoughts on Christ centered living here.

It is here!

2008-10-13T20:02:00.002-05:00

The sprung has arrived! Check out all of the photos Roger has uploaded at www.rogerdurbin.com!

Men - for the next three weeks let's work, work, work to get this up!

Reveal

2008-10-10T21:28:00.002-05:00

You never know what opportunities might come your way by checking the blog. I have two free registrations to the Reveal Conference at Willow Creek next week (worth about $300 a piece). Anybody that goes to The Bridge or is a local church leader can have them. We will even transport you to Chicago. All that you will be financially responsible for will be about $80 for half of a hotel room. You must be available to leave from Leadington at 2:15 Monday and we will return late Wednesday night. I can assure you that all of the speakers but one will be spectacular, and if you have never seen a big-time conference at WC, you would really be in for a special treat from God. First two to e-mail me can go if I know that you are not an axe-murderer. You can read about Reveal here. You can read my thoughts on it at my blog. My e-mail is tim@thebridge-church.com. Make sure that you read the previous post from Ben about Catalyst.

@ Catalyst

2008-10-10T05:58:00.002-05:00

Andy, Duane, Seth, Julie, Sarah, Melissa, and I are all still at Catalyst in Atlanta. Yesterday, we heard so many terrific speakers. God was very loud. We sang together, worshiped together, and experienced God together.

Craig Groeschel took a room of 12,000 people and brought them to their knees.

Steven Furtick brought the word in a powerful way and then walked off the stage and hugged me and Andy. That was interesting.

Catalyst surpised us by having Jon Foreman lead a few songs.

Steve Fee led us in corporate worship.

Today, we hear: Dave Ramsey, Franklin Graham, Billy, Andy Crouch, Matt Chandler, and Andy Stanley. Can't wait!

Responses from our Church Friends

2008-10-07T21:57:00.002-05:00

Recently, we kicked off our fall building campaign by taking up an offering for the building fund -- actually, it was the building funds of New Heights Church and the First Church of God in Leadwood. The leaders of those churches knew nothing about it, and so a check just showed up in their offices. We thought you might like to hear the thank you cards that both pastors sent.

"You honor God with a sincere heart. We thank you with our hearts a little tenderer due to your generous gift of love. We are very happy to see God's touch on your church family and beyond. Congratulations on being available to participate in the REVEAL Conference at Willow Creek."
God Bless You,
Rocky Good
New Heights Church

"'Thank you' can't fully express our feelings. Your gift to our building fund was such a blessing. It is amazing to see how God uses others within the Kingdom. I know that you will be blessed because of your gift and love for Christ! We are praying for you and your construction process. 'The best gifts are tied with heartstrings.' Thank you for sharing your heart."
IN HIM!
Pastor Kendall Hughes
First Church of God -- Leadwood

The Unexpected Journey

2008-10-02T10:51:00.002-05:00

From Andre Ong:

This week Ben challenged the church to leave the building. Today I want to recommend a book I recently read that will give you twelve examples of what happens when the church leaves the building and goes into the world, being the representatives and ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

The Unexpected Journey, by Thom S. Rainer, recounts twelve stories of dramatic conversions to Jesus. A Wiccan witch, a Mormon leader, and an Atheist apologist are among the testimonies. Rainer tells their stories not just of the moment they became Christians, but of their spiritual journey. The Satanist in the book talks about the childhood that made him open to Satanism. The Hindu (who is now a seminary president) speaks about the loss of his legs and the rejection of his parents.

The testimonies are engaging and compelling. Rainer pulled me into the lives of each believer and made me cry each time God brought light into the lives of the people. The conviction that simple Christian love is the loudest witness runs through the entire book. Each testimony tells about Christians who prayed for a long time, sometimes years. There is always the unexplainable love of a Christian who simply cared enough to bring over a meal or care for a basic need. Those who knew their bibles and lived the truth tangibly delivered the apologetic that could not be argued away.

Testimonies of other believers have classicly been the way we remind each other that God is real and really powerful. The Unexpected Journey will bring a sense of his power into your hands and heart. I pray that it will motivate you to be the church outside the building.

A more complete summary and review of this book is available at Grace on Tap, my online journal. The Unexpected Journey is available from The Oasis in Farmington for $16.99.

Family Devotion Pack

2008-09-30T21:02:00.002-05:00

A note to Bridge Kids Parents - it is time to order the next family devotion pack for the new Bridge Kids teachings on Determination.

Order it here!

What is it?

Most parents want to raise children with good character and values. Many struggle to find the time and the means to get the job done. Where do you start? What do you say? How much time will it take?

FamilyTimes™ is designed to help equip parents with easy to use tools to make the most of everyday moments together. This tool is based on the biblical model that teaches that the home should be the primary place where a child learns about God.

Here’s what the bible says to parents about teaching virtues to their children…

“Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

FamilyTimes™ Virtue Packs provide activities to be used once a week during each of these four family times--MealTime, DriveTime, BedTime, and MorningTime. All of this is designed to give parents simple ways to help their kids grow in faith and character.

Cell Family Discussion

2008-09-28T18:52:00.007-05:00

We kicked off a new series at The Bridge today. Our primary focus was on 1 Peter 2:1-12. Below is the beginning of a discussion we are having between now and November 2. Please feel free to join in. These questions are developed as a guide for our cell families to use with today's sermon and notes. If you missed the teaching, you can pick up a DVD. If you are not in a cell, please consider joining one today.

Starter questions:

What was your first experience with “church” like?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “church?”

What do you think Jesus intended His church to be?

Popular misconceptions:

Church = services
Church = clergy
Church = a particular denomination
Church = a building/place I go to

What does the Bible say about church?

Background:

In the New Testament, the word church is the Greek word ekklesia, which means assembly. The word ekklesia was primarily used to describe the followers of Jesus, however at times it was used for a nonreligious gathering (cf. Acts 19:32, Acts 19:41).

In a primary gathering aspect however, ekklesia is most used to describe groups of followers of Jesus as they met in homes (Romans 16:5, 1 Cor. 16:19). The church “gathered” on mission (Acts 14:27), but never do we see that people met at church.

The following discussion really centers around, "Is church a building or a people?"

Scriptures to Study:

Ephesians 1:22-23

Ephesians 2:19-22

1 Peter 2:4-12

Question 1: If the church is a place, how can it fill everything thing and be everywhere? (Ephesians passages)

Question 2: What does 1 Peter 2:5 and Ephesians 2:22 tell about what God’s house/temple actually is?

Question 3: Who does 1 Peter 2:5 say God’s priests are?

Dialog: Is church a place for people, or is church the people of God all over the place? Is it theologically correct to say that you are going to church? Why or why not?

Question 4: What is the difference between going to church, and being the church? 1 Peter 2:9-12

I go to church vs.	I am the church
Services/Church is seen as a dispenser of religious goods and services. People come to a building to be fed, to have their needs met through quality programs, and to have the professionals teach their children about God.	Church is seen as a body of people sent on a mission who gather in community for worship, encouragement, and teaching from the Word that supplements what they are feeding themselves throughout the week. This gathering (ekklesia) equips the people of God to be the church and shine the marvelous light (Christ in You) in culture.

Question 5: What are the implications of being the church rather than going to church? 1 Peter 2:12

Question 6: Where does Acts 1:8 tell spirit-filled followers to be God’s witnesses?

Question 7: Sunday, Nov. 2^nd we are concluding this series with a sermon called “We are Church.” We are challenging the people of God to “leave the building” and to be the church in our community in the surrounding days. What ideas do you have for your cell family to be able to do this? What ideas can you share for The Bridge Community as a whole to consider?

Workday/Tailgate

2008-09-27T23:22:00.004-05:00

Check out all of the pictures Dan took here!

Slideshow

New Sermon Series

2008-09-24T09:31:00.003-05:00

We kick off a new sermon series this weekend!

I am Church. We are Church. You won’t want to miss the first sermon in the series: Why You Shouldn’t Go to Church….but you WILL have to come to church to hear all about it! The series will challenge us to think outside the box…or should I say, outside the WALLS. I know ELVIS has left the building, but has the CHURCH??

Pictures from 9/21

2008-09-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

GAP news!

2008-09-21T12:57:00.003-05:00

We announced the focus area of The Great Adventure Project this morning! We encourage you all to go and look at the new GAP website.

http://www.greatadventureproject.com

At the website you can find information about how we arrived at our focus area, find out how you can become involved, and watch a video from one of the residents of the CSC. Check it out!

We will be forming teams for the CSC and a Chapel Team! All of the info can be found at the new site.

Chainsaws, lawnmowers, and tailgate PARTY

2008-09-15T19:55:00.004-05:00

Guess what?

We are going to have a church wide push for our entire community to do the "Third World Diet" the week of September 22nd - Sept. 26th! If you have already done it, why not do it again? :-)

Here's the diet. For five days (sept. 22nd - 26th) you will eat nothing but rice and beans. Can you believe that 50-60% of the world's population lives on this diet? For one week we will corporately experience a third world diet.

AND THEN Saturday the 27th.

On Saturday the 27th, we are going to pig out on our new property with an all out tailgate party! Bring your grills... And oh yeah!! Men bring your chainsaws.

What? Yes, bring your chainsaws. We've been clearing the land for our new building and we really need to cut up some fire wood and take it off the land.

And why not get out the lawnmowers one last time? Do we need to mow? Of course not!? But do we need to race them on the parking lot?

Um, yes we do.

DON'T Forget!

Third world diet - Sat. 22 - 26th.

Tailgate party, chainsaws, and lawn mower races Sat. September 27th. Chainsawing starts at daylight. Tailgate for lunch! And then????

Saturday IT Thoughts

2008-09-13T08:51:00.003-05:00

This has been a very busy week. God has been glorified. Do you look more like Jesus today than yesterday? Check out some of my thoughts about IT at Tim's Blog.

The Bridge Community Church

Letter from Matt

Letter from Jason

Baptism & Picnic -- July 30th

Baptism Celebration Dec. 19th

The Bridge and Alcohol

Daniel Fast Food

Save the date!!

Trunk 'n Treat

Divorce and Remarriage Position Paper

Our Radical Response

Haiti 2010

Preview of upcoming CD/DVD

On Mission!!

Alpha Begins June 1st

A few words about children at The Bridge

Easter 2010

Our Story - 4th Anniversary PDF

Plans for March 7th - 4th Anniversary

Night of Worship Invite PDF

Our 4th Birthday

Invest and Invite

Study Helps for 2 Timothy

This Morning

Haiti Relief

2009: In review!!!

Until The Whole World Hears

Shake. This. Planet

8 Declarations from Peter's Sermon

Advent Conspiracy 2009

Bridge News

What the Bridge is About

9/6/09 Sermon Notes

Board of Elder's Description

Bridge Kids / Gideon 300 Video

Bapism Video

The Church: Members Study

Bridge Alpha Retreat Info - 2009

The Bridge on Mission

Church Membership

Bridge Alpha Course

Beth Moore Simulcast

Resources for Disciple 101

Lord of All

Baptism Video from December

News for this Weekend

Colossians: Wrestle with the text

Men's BBQ

Calling all Men: Tailgate BBQ at The Bridge

Disciple 101 Series Promo

Easter 2009 Service - Part 1

I Stand Amazed

Bridge Youth Easter Drama 2009

Easter 2009

Easter Services and Bridge Kids Egg Hunt

Bridge Kids on Sundays!

Daylight Savings Time

March 1st - Media from Sunday

Last day in E-Hall

Bridge Life

Three Pathways of Identity

Pictures from Feb. 8 - 2009

What a day + Paper Article

Yesterday...

Countdown 6 Days -- Building Schedule

The Village Covenants

Ben's Prayer Objectives

We Are Family -- Aren't We?

What’s in your restroom reading rack?

Fee tickets on sale to the general public

Honor & Privilege

Top 10 Posts of 2008

Give the gift of FEE for Christmas

Grand Openings

News and Notes

What a weekend

Christmas Schedule @ The Bridge

12-6-2008

Giving and the Economy

The Bible as We Know It