Giving Thanks

As we prepare to give thanks on  this Thanksgiving Day , here at The Bridge Community Church we have so much for which to be thankful.  Allow me to reflect back upon our humble beginnings and share with you are cause for thanks at this time.

When a group of thirty people met in an upstairs room at the Town & Country Sports Complex eight years ago to discuss plans for a new church, we knew we faced many challenges.  Among these would be finding a place to meet.  After spending our first year in the set-up, tear-down phase at the Marquise Banquet Center, God allowed us to move across the parking lot into the warehouse we have called home for the past seven years. 

Over these seven years we have watched God do amazing things as people found their way to this little"warehouse in Wilder," and discovered, not just a loving group of people, but the grace of God.

During these past eight years countless lives have been touched and changed, missionaries have been raised up, ministries launched, children instructed in the Word of God and so much more.

Upon learning that the owner of the building where we meet was in need of the space we now occupy, we began searching for our next home.  In a remarkably short span of time we have gone from not knowing where we might land -- to signing a purchase agreement on a 44,785 square foot building on seven plus acres of land in Alexandria.

This phenomenal facility is in good condition, but since it was built to accommodate a grocery store and not a church, there is a significant amount of work to be done.  This is why we have asked the members, attenders and friends of The Bridge to join us as we endeavor to Possess the Land.

Although we plan to do the renovation in phases, a considerable amount of money will need to be raised up front in order to make the necessary improvements vital for conducting services.  If you have not yet done so, please ask the Lord to lead you in what He would have you do on behalf of this very important project.

Because this has come about so quickly, we have not had the normal amount of time usually required to launch such a campaign.  And yet, despite the impromptu nature of this campaign, I have been amazed at the response.  In just a matter of a few weeks we have received 139 pledges totaling $335,153and have received $111,529 in cash donations!

It is this incredible response that has enabled us to move forward.  And because of the support coming from so many, I am confident we will be able to complete the purchase and occupy this facility in a matter of months.  I don't know if this is a realistic goal or not, but wouldn't it be great if we could move in by Easter?!

Whether we reach that goal or not, we will, by the grace of God, possess the Land!

Regarding this campaign I ask you to do three things:

1.    Join in praying for the success of this Possess the Land campaign

2.    Make as generous a donation as possible between now and the end of the year

3.    Make a pledge to be completed over the next 18 months

Whatever you do, whether large or small, will help us take this next big step in the life of The Bridge.

You may pick up a pledge card at the Welcome Center at church, or ask an usher for one on any Sunday. You can also go to our website at www.thebridgenky.com and give via Pay Pal.

I will keep you posted on our progress, so be sure to watch for future newsletters.

This is indeed an exciting time in the life of our church and I want to thank you in advance for the part you elect to play in our Possess the Land campaign.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Bo

My Mom's Home Going

This past Wednesday we said goodbye to my dear Mamma.  After nearly losing her almost three years ago, my Mom departed this life for the glories of heaven.  I appreciate so much the love, prayers and condolences offered by so many.  There is no way I can express the impact this dear servant of the Lord has had on my life.  My brothers and sisters and I are so grateful to have had her for these many years and appreciate so much these past few "bonus" years.

Suddenly, the gift of eternal life provided by our loving God means even more to me.  Knowing she is safe in the arms of Jesus and that we will see her again is the most precious truth imaginable.

Services

Services are being held at the church on Sunday with visitation beginning at 4 p.m.  and a Celebration of Life service starting at 7.  All are welcome to attend.

Please pray that God will uphold me as I attempt to bring the message at the service.  This has been even more difficult than I could have imagined.  I thought I would be stronger and be offering support to my wonderful brothers and sisters.  Turns out they are comforting me.

I have so much for which to be grateful, not the least of which is you, a loving church with a heart to support their pastor.

I will be at church on Sunday -- as there is no place I would rather be at this time.

With much love,

Bo

Building Update

Tomorrow I'll be sharing an update on our building progress -- including the location of our proposed new home.  You won't want to miss this.

You will also learn the results of the first week of our Possess the Land Building Campaign, including number of pledges, amount pledged and amount received.  You are going to like this!

If you have not yet turned in your pledge card, please do so as soon as possible.  Together we can Possess the Land!

New Member Installation

If you have listened to the three-part Vision Series and turned in your membership application, you will be received into membership during our 11:00 a.m. service tomorrow.  If you want to turn in your application tomorrow -- please be sure to get it to me before the service.

Looking forward to a great day at The Bridge!

Much love,

Bo

Membership Sunday -- November 16th

If you believe God is calling you to be a part of The Bridge and wish to formalize this commitment by becoming a member of the church, please complete a"Membership Application" and turn it in at the Welcome Center, or drop it in the offering basket this coming Sunday..

You should have either been in attendance for the three-part Vision Series, or have listened to these messages online or by CD.  If you need to catch up you can hear any of the three messages by visiting our website and scrolling down and clicking on "sermons." Our web address is www.thebridgenky.com

See you Sunday -- all fresh and rested!

Special Offering for Church in India

We had a great day Sunday at The Bridge with our guests Pastor and Sister Johnson from Coimbatore, India.  After sharing about our own building situation we received an offering to help with the expansion of Pastor Johnson's church.

I am happy to report that we were able to contribute $3,500 toward the completion of the church in Coimbatore.  In addition to this we surpassed the 2,000 mark toward our goal of providing 10,000 Bibles for Zimbabwe.

Pastor Johnson wishes to express his gratitude for all who contributed toward his building project and would like to connect with you on Facebook.

To do so, just type Pastor Dowy Johnson in the search box on your Facebook homepage and send him a friend request.

I, too, would like to thank you for your generosity and would ask that you be praying for our building needs. God has something great for us, I know!

With much love,

Bo

Overcoming Worry

All of us struggle with worry at some time in our life, and yet Jesus taught that not only does worry accomplish nothing; worry is a clear indication of our lack of trust in God.  Sunday we'll see how not only is it possible to live a worry-free life, but doable!

Women's Conference -- October 24-25

This year's Women's Conference at The Bridge will feature pastor and author, Dr. Sue Curran. Along with her husband John, Dr. Curran is the founder and pastor of Shekinah Church in Blountville, Tennessee.

Dr. Curran recently authored Define Your Destiny through Prayer followed by Spiritual Breakthrough.  She is an effective minister in areas of prayer, freedom and revival.  From the outset of her teaching ministry, revival has accompanied her presentation of the gospel in its simplicity.  Dr. Curran's ministry has extended to all continents and crossed many cultural and ethnic boundaries with the same revival impact.

You won't want to miss the rich teaching of Dr. Curran and be refreshed in the presence of the Lord through worship led by Natalie Runion.

Cost is $40.00 (due at time of registration) All ladies must be pre-registered.

Conference Schedule

Friday, October 24
6:00pm - 7:00pm Registration
7:00pm - 9:00pm Session 1

Saturday, October 25
10:00am - Session 2
12:00 - Lunch (lunch provided)
1:30pm - 3:30pm Session 3

Weinel House Fire

This past week the home of Christina Weinel, a member of The Bridge, suffered significant fire damage.  Christina is grateful (as are we!) that smoke alarms alerted her to the fire and her and her family (including her newborn baby) was able to escape without injury.

Christina will be out of her home for a couple of months but we can help with some immediate needs by providing the following:

Grocery Store Gift Cards

Food Gift Cards

Deodorant, Shampoo, Soap

Conditioner, razors

2 child's backpacks (boy)

1 backpack for a teen boy

Gift Cards for apparel

Laundry Soap

Paper Plates, cups, plastic ware

If you would like to help with any of these items please bring them to church on Sunday and drop them off at the Welcome Center.

On behalf of Christina and her family I thank you!

With much love!

Bo

Father/Son Red's Game Outing

He Dad's, the Band of Brothers is sponsoring a Father/Son Red's game outing on Sunday, August 10^th. The cost is $16.95 per ticket. Please pay when you sign-up at the Welcome Center at church.

If you have any questions, please see or talk to Steve Dalton.

Special Golf Benefit

I just became aware of a benefit golf outing for Eve Murphy, a Christian woman of two young children who is battling Leukemia.

This event is scheduled for Saturday, August 2 at Robin's Nest Golf Course located at 8300 Dry Fork Road in Cleves, Ohio. Tee off is at 5 PM but you are asked to be at the course at 4:30.

This is a Glo Ball Night Golf event and should be a lot of fun. (Yes, I know it's still light out at 5 PM, but I guess this is an especially slow group of golfers).

This is great event for a very special person (Eve's Mom and Step-Dad are Ruth and Larry Peeno, longtime members of The Bridge). I hope you can participate.

For more info contact Debbie Schalk at (513) 519-4788

Bo

If God, Why Evil?

This weekend we close our current sermon series, Answers, by discussing the most often cited reason people struggle with belief in God – the existence of evil. Everyone experiences the reality of evil, but does evil deny the existence of God? Eighteenth century, atheistic philosopher David Hume argued that exact point when he paraphrased Epicurus, a Greek philosopher who lived 300 years before the birth of Christ.

"Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?"

Hume’s questions, and many similar arguments, have come to be known as The Problem of Evil. The argument says the God of the Bible, revealed as all knowing, all powerful, and all good, must not exist if evil is present. It is a powerful argument. And one that every Christian must contend with in his or her own heart in the midst of suffering, if not publicly in the face of a skeptic.

Join us on Sunday, when we will explore a few bad responses to the Problem of Evil and then spend a few minutes going over the Biblical response to the evil both in our hearts and in our world.

See you then,

Whitney 

How Can A Loving God Send People To Hell?

This was the question a friend and I considered when I was nineteen years old.  After much discussion we agreed that the idea of hell was inconsistent with a loving God and therefore concluded that hell, if it did exist, was for the really bad people of the world and should not concern a couple of "better than most" types like the two of us.

About a year later I actually began to read the Bible! Boy, was I surprised by how much Jesus had to say about hell!  In fact, no one spoke more about hell in the Bible than did Jesus.

I have long since revived my beliefs about hell since that conversation with my friend so many years ago. Unfortunately, many still hold to their beliefs about the afterlife without regard to what the Bible plainly teaches.

Admittedly, hell is a tough topic to discuss.

Peter Kreeft, a Catholic theologian from Boston College, puts it this way:  "Of all the doctrines of Christianity, hell is the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to bear, and the first to be abandoned."

Whether you are just exploring Christianity or are a long-time follower of Christ, we all struggle with the doctrine of hell.  We struggle with the notion of fellow human beings suffering for all eternity.  We struggle with believing that a God of love could create and sustain a place of eternal torment.  We struggle with whether it's fair that people go there who don't seem to deserve it—good people, religious people.

Check out the message at https://vimeo.com/99493655

Bo

Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

Of all the statements Jesus made, none rankles the non-Christian more than this exclusive claim of Christ. To the post-modern mind this statement seems both arrogant and intolerant.  But is Christianity intolerant? Is it wrong to assert that we, believers in Jesus, have the truth and that other religions are wrong?

After all, aren't all religions basically the same?  Don't all religions have as a foundation a message of love and good will toward one's fellow man?  Don't all religions point to God, if only from different perspectives with slightly different paths?

As you can see, we have a lot to explore on this important topic.

Blessing to you!

Bo

Is it reasonable to believe in God?

This is the question we will seek to answer this Sunday in our Answers series.Whitney, who will be handling this all-important topic, provides this brief intro.

When I was a child I remember playing a game called Domino Rally.  The whole object of the game was build an elaborate line of dominoes traversing stairs and slides, going up and down, snaking back and forth across the board.

After laboring for an hour to set it up the player gently taps the first domino, knocking it into the second, which falls into the third, and continues until the climax where one of the dominoes falls into a ball which rolls down a long ramp and into the mouth of a small plastic alligator.  Victory!

It was a great game.  And a great example of the evidence we see that God exists.  You see, our world is governed by an ongoing chain of cause and effect we get to discover through scientific inquiry.  We are watching dominoes fall all around us, and we discover more about our world every day by studying those cause and effect chains. But our world, just like those dominoes bears two important features:  impetus and design.

By watching the falling dominoes, there is no doubt that someone put them there to accomplish a particular goal.

There is also the inescapable fact that someone started this whole chain of events at some point in the past.  These ideas, impetus and design, are some of the evidence we will analyze on Sunday to answer the question, "Does God exist?"

Spoiler Alert: He does!

Band of Brothers this Saturday at 9

Band of Brothers is a men's group that gathers on the second Saturday of every month at the church to eat breakfast and hear an inspiring message on biblical manhood.  All men are welcome to join us.

Blessings,

Bo

D-Day

As I typed today's date I couldn't help but be reminded of what took place on this date 70 years ago.  June 6, 1944 was the day the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the invasion of German occupied France.  Establishing a beachhead on the continent of Europe was an essential step in the defeat of Nazism during WW II.

In this, the largest amphibious assault in history, at least 12,000 soldiers lost their lives in this epic battle in order to help free a continent held in the grip of tyranny.  Let us never forget their sacrifice, or the freedom it secured.

In the same way, we must never forget those who gave their lives to ensure the gospel of Jesus Christ was taken to the ends of the earth.  Of the original apostles of our Lord, only John died of natural causes.  All the others died as martyrs.  Peter, tradition tell us, was crucified head downward.  James was killed with the sword, probably by beheading.  Thomas was run through with a spear while taking the gospel to India.

I used to wonder why it was necessary for the disciples to die such horrific deaths.  But then it occurred to me that by dying for their beliefs the disciples were communicating to all succeeding generations that the things they had heard and seen regarding the person and ministry of Jesus were really true.  As it has been noted, people don't die for a fable.

The Bible we possess contains the record of the life, death and resurrection of the One to whom these disciples bore witness with their lives.  And yet this Bible which has been treasured by followers of Christ for two thousand years is under attack.  This is nothing new.  The Bible has always been attacked, vilified, outlawed and even burned by those who reject its message. 

But today the attacks are more subtle, more sophisticated.  So-called biblical scholars in search of the "historical Jesus" claim that the Christ of Scripture bears little resemblance to the Jesus who actually walked the earth.  Some claim the Bible has been corrupted in transmission, or that the Gospels were written so long after the events they describe that they are nothing more than myths and legends put forth by those intent on deifying a mere man, a man they say never claimed to be the Son of God.

Can the Bible be trusted?

I'm sure that you, like me, believe the Bible to be the Word of God.  But can you tell people who question the truthfulness of Bible why you believe the Bible is the Word of God?  This Sunday at The Bridge we will be answering the question; can the Bible be trusted?  In this message we will provide solid, empirical evidence that Bible we possess is indeed trustworthy.

I don't believe it is hyperbole to say that the battle raging over the trustworthiness of the Bible is even more critical than the battle that commenced on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago today.  On this battle for the Bible rests not merely the temporal lives of men, but eternal souls.

Be sure to be with us Sunday at The Bridge at either our 9:30 or our 11:30 A.M. service.

Blessings,

Bo

Answers

This Sunday kicks-off a brand new series in which Whitney and I are endeavoring to answer five of the most commonly raised objections to Christianity.

This series will have real practical application to your life and will strengthen your faith -- so don't miss a single message!

New Service Times begin this Sunday (9:30 and 11:30 A.M.) and Serving Opportunity

With summer vacations on the horizon we could use some additional help in our nursery and children's ministries.  Please consider making a three month commitment to serve in one or more services a month over the summer.

If you would like to help in our infant, toddler or preschool nursery, or in either the Clubhouse (grades K-3) or the Crossing (grades 4-6), please reply to this newsletter with your name, phone number and email address, along with where you would like to serve.

Thanks for serving!

Connect Groups Kick-off this week

If you have not yet signed up for a Connect Group, you may do so at church on Sunday or by going to our website.  Go to www.thebridgenky.com and click on "Connect Groups."

Baptism -- June 8^th

If you have trusted Christ as Savior and have not yet been baptized, you will have that opportunity to do so during our 11:30 A.M. service on June 8^th.

In addition to identifying with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, baptism allows you to publicly profess your faith in Christ.  So what are you waiting for?  Take the plunge in obedience to your Lord and sign-up this Sunday at the Welcome Center.

If you don't plan to be at church this Sunday and would still like to be baptized, reply to this newsletter with your name, phone number and email address along with a brief testimony of how you came to Christ and the difference He has made in your life and we will add you to the list.

Baptism at the Bride is limited to those 12 years of age or older.

Baby Dedication -- June 15

If you have a child 24 months or younger and would like to participate in our baby dedication service on June 15, be sure to register at the Welcome Center this week.

See you Sunday at The Bridge!

Bo

The "New" -- New Service Times

Last Sunday I announced the new summer service times as being 9 and 11.  Scratch that. After more thought, I have decided that 9:30 and 11:30 AM services will provide the greatest likelihood of a more even distribution of attenders.

So, starting June 1^st the New Service times will be 9:30 and 11:30.

New Sermon Series

Also on June 1^st, Whitney and I will be teaming up to kick-off a new sermon series we are calling Answers.

In this series we will endeavor to provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by unbelievers.  These may not be questions that plague you personally, but they are questions you will likely encounter as you endeavor to share your faith in our increasingly secular society.

The questions which we will be addressing are;

1.     Why believe in God?

2.     Can the Bible be trusted?

3.     If God is good and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world?

4.     Is Jesus the only way to God?

5.     How can a loving God send people to hell?

We are excited about this series and feel it will not only help strengthen the faith of believers but will be of interest to anyone who is open to exploring the Christian faith.  I encourage you to invite anyone you know who is looking for answers to some of life's most important questions.

Nursery and Children's Ministry

With some of our current nursery and Children's Ministry volunteers taking some time off this summer, we are in need of additional volunteers.  If you are not currently serving in these ministries but would like to, please sign-up this Sunday.  With enough volunteers, we can fully staff our nursery and Children's Ministry by having each person serving in one service once a month.

I hope your plans for this Memorial Day weekend include enjoying the privilege of worshipping God this Sunday.

With much love,

Bo

Easter Sunday

This Sunday at The Bridge we will celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

This is a day like no other!  This is a day we celebrate the triumph of life over death, of love over the forces of darkness.  Be sure to join us for one of our very special Easter services this Sunday at 8:30, 10:00 or 11:30 A.M.

If you are able, please consider attending the 8:30 A.M. service in order to make more room for the many guests we are expecting this Sunday.

Special Easter Offering

As I mentioned this past Sunday, we are asking everyone to bring a special Easter offering this Sunday. This will help offset the expenses incurred for advertising our services.  Whether large or small, anything you can do will be greatly appreciated!

And please join me in praying that people will come to know Jesus in a real and personal way this Easter! That, after all, is what Easter is all about.

See you Sunday!

Bo

Getting Ready for Easter!

Easter is a time when people who have not been to church in a while are more likely to give thought to spiritual matters.  We want to take full advantage of this opportunity to reach people with the gospel so we have some great things planned for Easter this year.

In addition to a message about the glorious resurrection of Jesus, we have some very special music planned that will glorify God and point the way to Christ.

To help spread the good news and to let people know there is a church in Wilder that desires to help people grow in their knowledge of God, this year we are taking out a full page ad in the Enquirer on the Saturday before Easter.

In addition to this, we are sending customized flyers to 25,000 homes in the area.

Jesus said;

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a lamp stand, so that those who come in can see the light."   - Luke 8:16

That's what we are endeavoring to do -- place our lamp on a lamp stand so all can see the light of Jesus. With regard to our special Easter services there are two things I want to ask you to consider doing.

1.     Please join me in praying that God's Spirit will use the advertising to draw people to Jesus.

Our ad is more about Him than it is about us. Whether people attend our church, or some other gospel preaching church doesn't really matter, we just want to see people come to Jesus.

2.     Please consider making a special Easter offering to help off-set the cost of our advertising.

The cost of everything we are doing in the way of advertising is in the neighborhood of $8,000.  This is not a small amount of money -- but if it helps even one person come to Jesus it will be well worth it! And in light of the sacrifice God made in sending Jesus to die for our sins -- it is nothing!

So, please pray about doing something this Easter that will help cover this cost.

I've worked out a chart to show how this expense can be met if 74 individuals or families give in the following way.

2 X $1,000 = $2,000
4 X $500 = $2,000
8 X $250 = $2,000
20 X $50 = $1,000
40 X $25 = $1,000
Total:         $8,000

Please do what you can and bring your special offering with you on Easter and be asking God to draw people to Himself!

Yours in His love!

Bo

The Most Quoted and Most Misunderstood Commandment in the Bible

So, what would you guess is the most quoted and most misunderstood commandment in the entire Bible?

I can't say I know this is an absolute fact, but my guess would be Matthew 7:1.

"Judge not, that you be not judged."

It seems that any time a person is accused of wrongdoing there is always someone ready to recall this well-known verse from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

Sometimes this verse in paraphrased with the question;"Who are we to judge?"

While it is true Jesus warned against passing judgment, does this means that we are never to discern between right and wrong behavior?  We are never to call into question the behavior of a leader or a fellow church member?

This does not seem consistent with other things the Bible says about judging, such as these words from John 7:24;

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

Okay, so which is it?  Are we never to judge another person, or are there occasions when we are to judge?

How do we know when judging is permissible and if it is, how do we judge "righteous judgment?"

"To Judge or Not to Judge," this is the question we will be exploring tomorrow at The Bridge.

I'm confident this is a topic you will find helpful!

See it online at https://vimeo.com/91203443

The Father Heart of God

Of all that Jesus came into this world to do, I believe the most important thing -- aside from dying an atoning death to purchase our salvation, was to reveal to us the Father.

We are so accustomed to referring to God as our Heavenly Father that we forget that until Jesus came into the world this was a designation for God that was seldom used in the Old Testament Scriptures.

In fact, God is only referred to as "Father" thirteen times in the entire Old Testament, while in the Gospel of John alone Jesus calls God His Father 151 times.

It took Jesus, God in the flesh, to reveal the Father heart of God.  And yet, many followers of Christ still find it difficult to relate to God as Father.  I've come to believe that there is nothing is more vital to strong, stable, healthy relationship with God, than knowing how to relate to Him as Father.

Join us Sunday at The Bridge as we explore the Father Heart of God.

Needed -- Envelope Stuffers on Thursday

The Bridge has once again been requested to help stuff envelopes for the upcoming Care Net Pregnancy Center banquet.  This is a great way to serve a wonderful ministry.

If you are free this Thursday, March 20^th and want to help out, please join us at the church at 7 P.M.  With enough hands this will only take about an hour, so please join us if you are able.

Blessings,

Bo