Why Another Bridge Location?

Just a year and a half ago, we launched our second campus, The Bridge Randhurst. Today, we are a week away from launching our third, The Bridge Northside.Why? People have asked me, “Don’t you have enough going on, Scott?”Well, I’m not bored. And yes, I have enough going on in my life and ministry. But this is not about me. It’s not about the rest of our staff, our elders, or even you. This is about Jesus and what he told us to do 2,000 years ago in his final instructions before leaving earth. That’s what this is about.Almost six years ago, now, The Bridge elders recognized that our Des Plaines location would be approaching a growth lid, with very limited parking and auditorium space. We recognized as a church obsessed with reaching unchurched people for Jesus, that lid is a problem. We did not want to abandon the neighborhood that we are reaching, by relocating, but knew we needed to do something. After months of prayerful discussion, we arrived at a plan to continue reaching our Des Plaines neighborhood, and at the same time, duplicate this ministry and place it in new neighborhoods where we already have people attending. It was not long after that vision was developed that the Lord brought to us the opportunity in Prospect Heights, right across from Randhurst Mall, and The Bridge Randhurst was born in March, 2018. Today, as many people attend there as were attending in Des Plaines when we first realized our need to expand.Six months after the Randhurst launch, I was having breakfast with a friend who used to attend our church, Bob Anderson. In that conversation, we began talking about bringing The Bridge to Portage Park, and merging with Northside Gospel Center, where he was pastoring. That was almost exactly a year ago. Next week, we launch.Expanding into new neighborhoods with Bridge locations is not at all about The Bridge brand. We praise God for every church that is reaching its community with the Gospel. We have no presumption of our own superiority. There are many good churches in the Chicago area and we love all of those ministries, learn whatever we can from them, and pray for their success.It’s not about The Bridge at all. It’s about the Gospel. This is about reaching a new neighborhood with the Gospel, and blessing the people on the Northwest side of Chicago with a church home, giving to others what we enjoy in Des Plaines and Prospect Heights.That’s why we are doing this. And we invite you to be on the ground floor of this endeavor, and make memories that you will treasure for the rest of your life.