What Kind Of Church Is The Bridge?
If you are new to The Bridge, you may be wondering what kind of church we are. And if you are new to the church world, you might be wondering what a church is for.
Both were settled a long time ago by Jesus, way back when He announced the mission of the church in Matthew 28:19-20.
We are a church that is driven by the Gospel and passionate about making disciples. That’s why Jesus said He was establishing the Church.
But, without having that understanding, sometimes people can be unhappy because of what we do and don’t do.
Everything we do as a church is with the Great Commission in mind. As an outreach-oriented Gospel-driven church, we try to keep ourselves focused and uncluttered. That’s why we steer clear of Christianese. It's why we carefully think through all of our ministries and constantly evaluate how effective they are in accomplishing that mission. It’s why we hate legalism, and refuse to embrace Christian dos and don’ts that are extra-Biblical.
It’s why we do not get involved in politics. It's why we don’t have church potlucks. It’s why we wear regular clothes in our services and use a music style that people who have never been to church before can connect with. It’s why we don’t have the typical church greeting time in our services (unchurched people almost always feel awkward during this time…as do I). It's why we preach in a way that regular people understand, and explain texts and references in sermons so that everyone gets it.
It’s why we encourage you to witness to people in your life, and invite them to church. It’s why we advertise outreach-oriented sermon series, and host Awana, Celebrate Recovery and our other ministries. It’s why we encourage parents to use the nursery and other Bridge Kids ministries, because the message we share in the auditorium (and Bridge Kids for that matter) is so absolutely vital that we want everyone to hear every sentence, without distraction.
Often someone asks, “But shouldn’t the church be for Christians?” Of course it is! But the best thing we can do for Christians is to help them to live outside of themselves, gain a passion for reaching others, and grow by joining Jesus’ mission for the church. People do not grow by being spoon-fed deep theological truths on Sunday morning or Saturday night. They grow when they are inspired to connect with God and join Him in His mission to reach people.
We don’t always accomplish it, but that’s the kind of church The Bridge aspires to be.
"I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Jesus (Matthew 16:18).