be one | make one

our mission statement as disciples of Jesus

Jesus was clear about what He expected from His followers.
First? “Love me.” Second? “Love everyone else.”

At The Bridge, we obsess over this clear directive that Jesus gave His disciples then and His disciples now. Be One | Make One is short and sweet, but it packs a huge punch. We allow this phrase to guide every single ministry effort here, which means if it doesn’t help you LIVE as a stronger disciple of Jesus, or SERVE and love people in your community and across the globe, or EQUIP you to walk alongside someone else in their discipleship journey - then it’s not a priority. End of story. Be one. Make one. Then do it again.

discipleship essentials

We created our Seven Essentials as a sort of discipleship cheat sheet. There are a million things we could focus on in ministry, so how do we know where to allocate our energy and resources? These seven priorities are the foundation for discipleship at The Bridge - the solid starting point required to build a life of serving Jesus and others.

Community of Worship

As disciples of Jesus, we are part of a larger community known as The Church.

Jesus established The Church to be the ultimate example and expression of obedience, love, truth, grace and forgiveness for all the world to see. As ‘The Body of Christ,’ we were created for community and cannot fulfill God’s purpose without it.

Stewardship

When our lives are aligned with the heart of the Father, we enthusiastically leverage all He has given us to advance His Kingdom and bring Him glory.

Jesus, the Master, has entrusted us with a finite measure of time, talents, spiritual gifts and resources, for which we will be held accountable when He returns.

Prayer

Through prayer and worship, a disciple of Jesus will actively pursue deeper intimacy with God, a deeper knowledge of God’s will and His power to carry it out.

Both private and corporate prayer set the temperature of a disciple’s passionate relationship with God. Prayer is one of the most significant gauges of a disciple’s life of faith.

Word & Spirit

We are instructed by God’s Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

As we study and meditate on scripture, God reveals Himself and His plans, and confirms our identity as His children. As we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit, we are transformed and empowered to be like Jesus in our world.

Purpose

We are commanded to join Jesus on His mission to bring the kingdom of God to Earth.

By discovering, developing and deploying our spiritual gifts, we actively contribute to the fulfillment of the commission to make disciples of all nations. Ultimately our mission of love will bring the gospel to every place we set foot.

Multiplication

Disciples of Jesus prayerfully seek to multiply and produce more disciples.

Our potential for impact is more than simple addition. We desire to fulfill the Great Commission by reproducing disciples of Jesus. be one | make one (repeat).

Shabbat Shalom

In contrast to the perpetual busyness of modern life, God modeled and commands us to create an intentional rhythm of holy rest in our lives.

Shabbat and Shalom are the Hebrew words for rest and peace. Disciples of Jesus will be known by an obedient pattern of rest in their schedules and the resulting peace in their lives.

community manifesto

At The Bridge, we obsess over the idea of being and making disciples of Jesus. The above Seven Essentials provide clear points of reference that remind us where our priorities and focus should be. We also developed our Community Manifesto - a more detailed description of who we are as a church. This Manifesto reminds us not only who we strive to be, but how we can remain focused on our be one | make one mission.

As a church, we believe we are...

Under the authority of Scripture.

Recipients of God's love, mercy, and grace.

A community of love, driven by God's Spirit, seeking to love people as God does.

Open to everyone, wanting to meet people right where they are, though we are clear about none of us staying where we are in our journey with God.

Convinced that Jesus is our source of unity, not just our goodwill toward each other.

Part of a greater body of followers of Jesus in our immediate community and world.

More than Sunday morning, a common ideology or political affiliation confined to one culture.

Pursuing a new Kingdom of heaven coming to earth that will overcome the broken parts of humanity that keep us from experiencing this Kingdom being brought by God.

Humbly aware that the problems of the world begin with ourselves and our choices.

Invited to participate in the creative and loving ways of Jesus as the solution to the problems of the world.

Transforming and allowing change to be a part of our posture as we follow the movement of God.

Seeking to know Jesus, the liberating reality in his death and the power of His resurrection.

Worshiping a God who is bigger than each of us and deserves to receive all glory and honor.

Choosing to follow the Holy Spirit in all our endeavors rather than the latest trends or business practices, recognizing that these things will not always be counter to one another, but one must clearly lead the other in priority.

Not shopkeepers that keep our customers happy, but servants that desire to respond to the dynamic movement of God and teach others how to follow as well.

Not about self-preservation, but see the local church as a temporary vehicle of the eternal Kingdom of God.

Not defined by our building, but by our people.

Global-centric disciples/followers who continue the mission of Jesus on earth in every corner of the world to which we’re called.

Measured by our love as we see people transformed and make decisions to follow God’s story.

Baptized as a sign of identifying with His ways.

Committed to being a positive influence in the greater community.

our statement of beliefs

The Word of God.

We believe that the Bible contains the words of God and is without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity.

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God the Father.

We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of people, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus the Messiah.

We believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Chosen/Anointed One of God), God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

The Holy Spirit.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus the Messiah. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide. We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are as active and real in the Church today as they were in the early Church.

Regeneration.

We believe that all people sin – by nature and by choice – and as a result are separated from a personal relationship with their Father/Creator. We believe that those who trust that Jesus has taken on their penalty for sins (past, present and future) and have decided to follow Him as the only LORD/Leader of their lives are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are eternally reconciled to their Father/Creator.

The Last Things.

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus to the earth and the complete establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of our bodies, the final judgment and the eternal shalom of the righteous.

The Church.

We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Jesus is the head and all regenerated persons represent Jesus’ body on earth. We believe in the community and mission of the Church, consisting of followers of Jesus the Messiah who are baptized into Him, work together as conduits of His heavenly kingdom being brought to earth, and who worship God corporately, whether in caves or cathedrals, with a few or with many. We believe that God has laid upon disciples the primary task of being messengers of the good news of Jesus the Messiah to a broken world.

denomination

The Bridge is a Kingdom Network church.

The Kingdom Network is a community of churches committed to: Making Disciples, Raising up Leaders, and Planting new churches. The Bridge partners with a group of local churches in the Southwest Michigan area to seek ways to bring Kingdom ministry to our neighbors and to our city. Our network is a covenant community that shares Reformed Theology and a commitment to accountability. We desire to train and equip followers of Jesus and new ministry leaders with firm Theology and Spirit driven lives.

Learn More Here