Archives For faith

FunDay Follow-Up

August 29, 2010 — 6 Comments

One of our Fun Day participants... having fun!

We had a great day yesterday at The Bridge’s (free!) Family Fun Day.  We had a steady stream of attendance (an average of just over 100 people an hour from the community) and over 120 volunteers from our own launch team and other District churches who helped make the day an amazing success.  Some more photos of the day’s events are posted at facebook.com/BridgePGH.

Our District Superintendent also having fun 🙂

Here are the ways God answered your prayers for the day:

  • We asked you to pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit and we definitely sensed we were operating in God’s strength and by his favor.
  • We asked you to pray for safety and security and we had no serious incidents; we were able to leave the park in better shape than we found it.  There was one medical need that occurred immediately following the arrival of area medics who wanted to check in–the timing was amazing as God provided the right people at the right time!
  • We asked you to pray for deep connections and I believe these were made!  We had amazing conversations with people seriously interested in The Bridge, our ministry, and finding out about when/where we’ll be meeting.  Quality interaction occurred with people from a variety of backgrounds and religious histories.

  • Our DS's wife taking part!

    We asked you to pray that seeds would be planted and they were!  We were told by many people they couldn’t believe we would do such a high-quality event for free, that individuals hadn’t been around so many nice, caring people in a long time, and saw genuine appreciation for what was happening.  One individual from the community even asked if people had been praying for the event because they could clearly sense God’s presence on the grounds!

  • We asked you to pray for people to come to know Christ.  As far as I know, no one crossed the line of faith yesterday, but I am confident we built significant relationships with people who, as a result of interacting with followers of Jesus through The Bridge, will recognize Jesus as King and find new life in him.

The Holy Spirit is on the move and using all kinds of different people from many different churches as he grows his Kingdom and builds The Bridge in East Pittsburgh!

Thanks for taking part with us!

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That way!

August 24, 2010 — Leave a comment

image: internets_dairy @ flickr

As Sarah and I seek clarity on the ‘where’ of our next ministry endeavor (planting The Bridge’s first daughter church in Pittsburgh), the cry of our spirits to God’s has been, “Show us where you are moving and how to join you there.”

A few years ago, in zeal and even greater  immaturity than I now possess, I probably would have forced an exciting vision to bubble up, created a strategic plan, and then charged after what I had fabricated.  But that isn’t right, and it isn’t at all what we want.  We are praying, “show us when and where to move,” and will develop our plan based on the open doors and sense of God’s leading.  In some ways, it feels like that means “let’s make this whole thing up as we move along,” but it’s the best way I know to heed what the Spirit directs rather than chase and build my own cardboard kingdom.

So, we wait for clarity and believe when the time is right we’ll find a passion for a specific people/area growing within us along with an undeniable sense of where we must be.  It is in the waiting and silence, however, when I am most tempted to pursue my own design.  I have a feeling waiting isn’t nearly as hard as the alternative of moving on our own terms and then expecting God’s blessing to follow…

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My Prayer for this Week

August 23, 2010 — Leave a comment

As we prepare for our free Family Fun Day (this Saturday!), I have found myself laboring in prayer on behalf of the people who will be in attendance.  My prayer for the week/weekend has been something like this:

Father Dear,
I know your Spirit is working even now drawing hearts and lives to you.  Thank you for your incredible faithfulness and love–without you we have no hope.  As we do our part of ‘meeting you halfway’ for Family Fun Day and preparing for our PreView service, help us to remain faithful and focused on sharing your love and hope with those around us; give us eyes like yours and courage to speak, act, and love when prompted.  God, we have asked you for twenty people to come to know you this Summer as a result of your interaction with them through The Bridge–help us to be a vessel you can use this weekend and as we make connections; would you please invade lives, families, and communities this week?  We are asking that children conceived in a home far from you would be raised in a home radically changed by you.  We are asking that people who have long ignored you would hear and heed your call.  We are asking for your light, hope, love, and power to be made undeniably known this week, this weekend, and consistently through The Bridge.

We want none of the credit for what you alone will do; we desire none of the glory that is only yours; help us to seek nothing but your Kingdom.  We are desparate for you to move.

Break us and use us.  Please.

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August JourneyNote, Part 2

August 12, 2010 — Leave a comment

Good evening, fellow Sojourners!

Yesterday, we sent out a brief update about some of the exciting things happening with The Bridge; we also shared our need for financial support.  As promised, here are a few of the ways you can help:

Pray for God’s continued and unique provision; ask him to stir the hearts of donors and to create income opportunities for us.  We know God alone is our provider and has proven himself more than faithful time after time.  The way he provides often surprises us, and we’re thankful for the ‘willing vessels’ he is already using.  Please also pray that we would have eyes that see the opportunities which come our way and the courage to jump into them!

If you have committed to give but have not yet followed-through on that commitment as an individual, group, or church, please do so now; if you will be unable to fulfill what was promised, please let us know.  Many of our issues with shortfall have to do with the fact that promised support has not yet been delivered.  Just having those who already said they would give do just that would be a tremendous blessing.

If you have been waiting for the right opportunity to give, genuinely seek the Holy Spirit to see if now is that time–the Spirit of God is moving and we could use your help!

If you have been looking for a different way of providing resources to The Bridge, perhaps you can use our ministry catalog to give practical gifts toward our ministry.  The catalog can also be downloaded from The Bridge’s website here.

As you provide personal support, please make sure “Gomez” is in the memo line of your check and that it is sent to our bookkeeper at:
The Bridge
c/o 264 Shawville Hwy
Woodland, PA 16881

Thanks, again, for taking this journey with us.

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Doing the right thing…

October 27, 2009 — Leave a comment

…isn’t always easy.  There are times and circumstances that we face which when right and wrong are more like shades of gray than they are black and white.  There are those moments when a choice presents itself when both (or all!) options seem more than ‘okay;’ times when we have to decide about jobs, health procedures, organizational strategy, whether to stay or go in any number of things, or the best course of action for a loved one and their future… and the details, options, and consequences are anything but simple.

In Joshua 9 & 10, there are principles demonstrated to the reader about how to handle those times when we don’t know what the ‘right thing to do’ is.  The people of Israel are in the midst of a progressive military campaign as they work to conquer & claim land promised in generations past.  They have faced and overcome many obstacles; individuals have risked their own lives and families for the sake of a greater cause; all the while God has shown he alone is the Leader, Provider, and Conqueror.

Word comes to these same people that an army unlike anything they had faced thus far had amassed… and is heading directly toward their position.  Israel’s battle tacticians and warrior-leader, Joshua, begin planning strategy, knowing there are many battles which still lie ahead… and that if they can’t deal with the obstacle heading their way, all will be lost.

In this midst of this, a band of tired, road-weary, seemingly desperate travelers comes their way seeking a treaty of peace.  And the Joshua, the Israelites, (and us, too!) learn some hard lessons in doing the right thing.  Over the next few Joshua posts, we’ll discover what some of those lessons are.

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