Why I Need My Church

I love the writings of author, Rick Warren.  In his book, The Purpose-Driven Church,  he explains how being part of a healthy church is essential to living a healthy life.  He believes God designed His church specifically to help us fulfill the five purposes He has for our lives…a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out and power to live on. There is no other place on earth where you can find all five of these benefits in one place. 

The bible says “love your spiritual family.”  I was part of a church some time ago when our pastor (who was a tremendous visionary) began the challenge of trying to change our way of thinking and do more reaching out in the community as well as in other countries where the needs were so crucial.  Some of the folks did not like the thought of “change.”  They felt they would lose control of the church…these were the folks with the big bucks at the time.  Today a McDonalds sits where the church used to be.  People forgot about loving their spiritual family. 

Over 50 times in the New Testament the phrase “one another” or “each other” are used.  We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other and many other mutual tasks.  These are our “family responsibilities” that God expects us to fulfill through local fellowship.

God’s purposes for His church are identical to His five purposes for our lives as stated in paragraph one.  Worship helps us focus on God; fellowship helps us face life’s problems; discipleship helps fortify our faith; ministry helps us find our talents; evangelism helps fulfill our mission.  There is nothing else on earth like the church!

I searched a long time to find a church where I felt “life and true passion” existed . . . I thank God everyday for leading me to Bridgeway.  I love my church and my spiritual family.  Are we perfect? No, but we strive to please God and overcome our weaknesses. He continually tests my obedience and my faith and I am thankful for that as I know it has drawn me closer to Him. 

I am so excited to now have Pastor Jeff Stark and his family coming to Bridgeway.  We have so much to do in our community and in the world we help support and nothing feels better to me than doing that which I know makes God smile and doing it with all of you.

- Dixie Sanders

What's Important To You?

Throughout our lives we all face times of happiness and sadness.  We get to rejoice in God's blessings and learn to trust Him and grow when we face struggles.

In May I encountered one of those struggles as I found myself facing open-heart surgery.  In the weeks leading up to surgery I would find myself thinking about the things that are important in my life. On the morning of surgery right before the anesthesiologist put me under, these important things were rushing through my mind at warp speed.  

During the week following surgery I had quite a bit of time in the hospital to think again about the important things in my life. I realized that in all three instances (the weeks before surgery, the moments right before surgery, and during my recovery) the same three things had come to my mind.

Number one is God. I thank Him and praise Him for who he is and for my salvation. I thank him for doctors and nurses that he has blessed with the skills to perform my surgery and take care of me.  I also knew that if something went wrong and it was my time to meet Him that not only would I be with Him in heaven, but I had peace that He would take care of my family.

Deuteronomy 7:9 I Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Second is family. God has blessed me with my beautiful wife Lori who has not only put up with me for thirty years, but she has gone above and beyond to be there for me and take care of me through surgery and recovery.  Truly an example of "in sickness and in health".  He has also blessed me with three wonderful kids and a son-in-law all of whom I couldn't be prouder of.  I am also blessed with  the support of an amazing  extended family.

Deuteronomy 26:11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house

The third thing is friendships.  I am so thankful for all of the friends God has provided me.  I have been so blessed during this time by those who stopped by the hospital, those who have kept me in your prayers, and the words of encouragement that I continue to receive.  Most of my friendships stem from my involvement at church (both previous churches and Bridgeway).  I can’t stress enough the importance of getting plugged in at church and building these friendships.  It is important as a body of believers that we not only worship together, but that we have fun and do life together.  That we lift up each other’s needs in prayer.  That we provide support in both good times and bad times.  I’ve made friends at Bridgeway by serving on the Worship Team, Lead Team, Cafe, and in Life Groups.  I don’t say this to say “look how much I’ve served”, I just want you to know that plugging in at church is a great way to build relationships.  

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

I encourage you to find a place to serve. Not only will you be serving others, but you will also be building those important relationships.  If you need help getting plugged in, just make a note on the connection card that is passed out on Sunday mornings. State that you would like to find a place to serve. Place it in the offering bucket and we will get you connected with the appropriate leader.

Also, as the Life Group director here at Bridgeway, I really encourage you to think about joining or even leading a Life Group this fall.  More information will be coming soon about our fall kick-off.

So what's important to me? Living each day thanking God for who He is and finding his purpose, my family, and my friends.

What's important to you?

What's important to our lead team?  

·         Developing in leadership ability so we can serve to the best of our ability.

·         Developing our relationships with each other so that we can be united in service to Bridgeway.  

·         Developing our relationships with those around us in the church and outside of the church so that we can truly be what God has called us to be and reach people for Him!

Guest Blogger: Lead Pastor Candidate

How much of our fretting, faithlessness, and failure is driven by fear? We are not the kind to admit we are particularly fearful, but what we attempt to hide shows up in our actions, our attitudes, and our ambitions. It is the fear of securing our identity, of mattering, of being esteemed by others, of making a name for ourselves, of impressing one another. We live with our identities constantly in flux. The ebb and flow of "who I am" too often determined by "where" I am, amongst who I am, and what role I am currently playing. That flux keeps us fearful, dreading the possibility that at the end of our lives we won't have been able to secure ourselves over and against the identities of others. We fear that we will not be known, that we won't be remembered, that our simple lot will be forgotten amongst all the other fearful no-name identities. This fear drives us to competition with with one another, by it we measure ourselves against one another. It makes every issue we face an obstacle to our "becoming" instead of an integral part of our "becoming." Because of this fear we are driven to seek praise, be affirmed, and climb above one another in endless pursuit to be known. This fear is limiting because we can't see beyond ourselves.

But Jesus already knew! John 13 is perhaps one of the greatest miracles in the Scriptures for me. John 13 is the passage of Scripture where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. How can that be one of the greatest miracles when measured against the feeding of five thousand, turning water into wine, restoring sight to the blind, or calling the dead man Lazarus out of the tomb? In my experience, anyone who gives up their place of prominence, anytime someone moves to the role of servant with little regard for themselves, how this will affect their social status, or what they might get in return, that's a miracle!!! By demonstrating servanthood, Jesus performs a miracle. But that's because He already knew!

Right before he grabs for the basin and the towel, we are told that "he knew the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." It also tells us he already knew, "the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God." We are even told that he knew "who was going to betray him." Jesus knew where he'd come from. Jesus knew who He was in the sight of the Father. Jesus knew who had secured His future. That knowledge freed him to be fully present in love and service to others. Remember throughout the story, Jesus didn't pander to the masses for applause. Their affirmation didn't secure his identity. He already knew who he was! The threats of others and problems he faced didn't frighten him or threaten the legacy he'd leave. He already knew who had secured His future. By knowing, Jesus was free to give himself away. By knowing, Jesus didn't need to secure his identity. It was already secure.

What if you knew? How might that change your life? I am convinced the people of God should not be captive by fear or driven by fretting because in Christ we have come to know where we come from, who we are, and who has already secured our future. We needn't measure our lives against one another or desperately act out in attempt to be recognized, seen, or affirmed. No! It is enough! It is enough to know that we've come from the creative purposes of God, that we are children of the Father and siblings to the Savior, and that what we become is secure in the hands of the One that holds the future. In knowing, we are free to give ourselves away to others, to serve, to make a difference, with little regard for ourselves and what we might get in return. In knowing, there is No Fear! In knowing, WE ARE FREE!

Special Announcement! That's Going to Leave a Mark

 ‘Oh! That’s going to leave a mark.’  For those of you that are 90’s movie fanatics, I’m sure that you are quite familiar with this notorious movie quote from the Chris Farley comedy classic Tommy Boy.  If you are not familiar with this quote, let me provide a bit of background about the movie and the quote.  The movie is about a guy Tommy Callahan Jr. who is a dimwitted, incompetent and clumsy goof-off.  After taking seven years to complete college he went home to a job at his father’s auto parts factory.  Throughout the movie, clumsy Tommy would get hit by or run into various objects and he would frequently exclaim ‘Oh! That’s going to leave a mark.’  Through the sudden death of his father, he was also given an opportunity to leave another type of mark, a legacy of saving the factory that he was left to run, that would go bankrupt if Tommy was not able to sell the newest product line that was being introduced.

To this day, whenever I see someone run into a wall, get hit by a baseball or get tackled in a crushing manner I find myself thinking and or saying ‘Oh! That’s going to leave a mark.’

 At other times I look at ‘leaving a mark’ in an entirely different context.  In the context of leaving a mark on people similar to how Tommy was trying to leave a mark on the factory and its workers that he was trying to save from bankruptcy. 

As I reflect on my life, I find God’s grace and relentless pursuit quite amazing and remarkable.  There are a number of times in my life where God would send someone into my path to shepherd me along and ‘leave a mark’ on me.  Even before I was ready to receive his grace.  As I look back, I realize that it was God’s provision to bring my friend John into my life when I was in the Air Force and looking for a place to fit.  Instead of connecting with the party crowd (which would have been easy to do), God sent John who invited me to go to chapel with him.  He also sent an officer into my path while I was deployed in Kuwait, who lead a bible study that helped remind a frightened young man that there is a God that loves us so much that He sent his one and only Son.

Several years later, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and as a young Christ follower, God sent another person, Milo, into my life.  Milo was a work colleague and a man of God.  I worked with him for about three years and he showed me what it was like to be a workplace missionary.  It was not uncommon for him to bring out his bible to share a passage of scripture or to share how God is answering prayers or blessing him and his wife with another grandchild.  Milo was always looking for opportunities to share his faith or to be Christ to his co-workers.  On one occasion he helped a colleague by refurbishing her bathroom as a surprise for her husband while he was deployed overseas.  Milo did not do this for recognition or money; rather he did this as a demonstration of God’s love to a co-worker.  Milo was intentional to ‘leave a mark’ on everyone who crossed his path.

 As I look back on the various people who have intersected my life, I think of 1 Corinthians 3: 6 – 9 ⁶ I (Paul) planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service

All of the various people that God sent into my life have ‘left a mark’ on me and helped nourish the growth God has done in me.  In my life, it took several people to invite me to church or to share their story or to demonstrate God working in their lives before I received salvation.  I pose this question to you…who has God placed in your life to either invite to a service, share your faith or to allow you to demonstrate God’s love?  Who is God prompting you to reach out to and ‘leave a mark?’ I would encourage you to be bold and take action and remember that even if your actions do not appear to have been fruitful, you may have just planted the seed. God will send someone else along to water it and He will make it grow.

We’ve been spending the last seven to eight months looking for a lead pastor who will help Bridgeway leave a mark in the tri-county area. If you made it to Bridgeway this morning, you heard Tim announce that we have found that next lead pastor! Keep an eye on this blog as we will be linking a message from this person as well as a blog post he has written in the past. While we will be announcing his name on Sunday when we vote, we’re with holding it for now so that his current ministry can find out at the appropriate time and not “though the online grapevine.” 

Thank you for your continued prayer and support of the lead team as we walked this process together. And thanks be to God for his faithfulness in leading this person to Bridgeway. We hope to see you this coming Sunday when we vote as a church for our next lead pastor.

- Adam Lagacy  

Why We Serve - Lead Team Update

Bridgeway has become my church home. I have been coming here since 2009. I have learned many lessons in that time. However, some of the most challenging, encouraging, and insightful lessons that I have ever learned at Bridgeway have been while serving.

Before I even agreed to become a partner with the church, I knew that I wanted to get involved in some form or another.  Since then, I have served in many different and various ways and opportunities, and I am thankful for each one of them. Each opportunity to serve in a different place allowed for more personal and spiritual growth. Each experience allowed God to speak to me, and speak through me.

While as a greeter, I learned how the impact of a smile and warm welcome can not only change a person’s day, but it can help someone that has been disconnected from God to be receptive and open to him working in their life.

While serving on the setup and tear-down teams, God used other people to speak to me in ways that I never could have dreamed. Apparently, God even works loading and unloading trailers at 5 am. Even on days when I was reluctant to go, in my exhaustion, he would show me that through setting up chairs in a high school, I was preparing a place that somebody was going to hear God’s voice for the first time in their life, and that is what matters.

While serving coffee, I realized that sometimes, that cup of Joe, can be the ice breaker to start a conversation that can change a life.

While serving with kids, even on days when you have zero patience before you walk in the door, a kid can show you what they learned about Jesus, just because you were there and gave them attention that they might not have received anywhere else.

The point is not to serve any old place just to serve or because there is a need. The point is, we need to serve so that God can help US become the person that we are each called and set apart to be.

According toJeremiah 29:11 (NIV) ^“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We are each called to do great things, I feel it is safe to say that we have not reached up to our full potential either as a church or individually.

I know that we are called to reach 72,000 people in the Tri-County area. I know if that is the plan God has called us to, he will equip us to do it. He will prepare the way for it to happen.

However, in order to do this, he may need us to step out of our comfort zone. He may need our YES before we know exactly what we are called to do.

The great thing about Bridgeway, is that there are PLENTY of opportunities to get involved and serve. Café team, Greeting team, Parking team, Children’s ministry team, Worship team, production team, etc. The list goes on.

I hope that you noticed that each ministry is a team, that is not an accident. Nobody serves alone. When you begin to serve on a team, God begins showing you his Grace and Love both through others on the team, and through the people you are serving.

The challenge becomes not IF to serve, but WHERE? 1 Peter 4:10 says “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others”

If you do not yet know what exactly that your gifting is, then start somewhere, and see if it fits, if not, there are other ministries that might be just for you.

Rick Warren once wrote, “Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.” If you are not involved somewhere and you want to get involved, come by the church Saturday June 7^th for our Volunteer Celebration 10am-Noon.

As a Lead Team, one way we are serving is by meeting and having conversations with a group of candidates. We are working through this list and finding the elite best options that will fit with the calling that is Bridgeway. We have several conversations scheduled over the next few days. Please be praying with us, as we seek God’s provision and wisdom.

- Jesse Pierson