The Bridge 2013 Young Adults Beach Retreat!!

 

All young adults {single or married couples age 18-30} are invited to attend a special weekend beach retreat at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort near Ventura/Oxnard. This event is hosted by the CCSB Bridge ministry and will be joined by Calvary Coastline {Venice}.

 

Our retreat theme is "COME AWAY" which is taken from Mark 6:31 where Jesus says, "Come away...be by yourselves and rest"

The heart of the retreat is for you to COME AWAY!!!

 

Away from the distractions that the enemy has been placing before you

Away from the cares and concerns that come with being a young adult and the feelings of being overwhelmed and burnt out

Away from your everyday routine, school, work, etc. and the fast pace of the world

 

 

Our worship for the weekend will be led by Wilfredo {remember him??}, along with special guest speakers. The cost is $99 with a $30 deposit down payment. Space is very limited, so be sure to sign up. Sign ups will be taken at the Bridge on Friday nights or at Coastline on Sunday mornings. For more information email at thebridge@ccsouthbay.org

 

 

(Image from: Typographic verses site)

 

Hello friends ~ hoping your week is going well, happy Tuesday!

We are NOT meeting this Wednesday for Discipleship.

 

Our next small group discipleship time will be

Wednesday, February 6th @ 7:30 in Children's classroom 3A.

 

See you this Friday night at 7pm in the Jr. High room!

Friday fellowship, food & fun!

Friday was a COOL night. Thank you to everyone who came out. This might have been one of our best potlucks yet! We had a surplus of delicious entries and desserts and were even able to make to-go containers. Wow.

One highlight of the night was ministry booth sign ups. We had the opportunity to share about each ministry and encourage folks to sign up for an area of interest: worship, prayer, fellowship, outreach, welcome committee, set-up crew, bookstore, multi-media/design, etc. Please let us know if you are interested and know that God loves a willing heart!

We also had a few "ice-breaker" games that allowed everyone to intermingle, chat a bit, meet one another and have a few laughs. The worship set was beautiful, as we lifted up our hands, voices and hearts to God in response to Who He is in our lives. Pastor D gave a short devotional and we wrapped up the night with more fellowship. It was a blessed night!

MMMMMM!!!

KEEP THE BALLOONS UP!!!! (IT WAS QUITE A WORKOUT)

Join us Friday night. Bring a dish or snack to share. We'll have ministry tables set up which you can visit to learn more about the many ministries you can be involved in. We'll have worship and games, and a devotional from God's Word.  Bring a friend!

Go Do a Nu Thang...!

Last Friday, Jose talked more about the theme of discipleship. We studied specific instructions Jesus gave his new followers before sending them out to preach, heal, and teach in different cities. In Matthew 10: 5-10, Jesus said "Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

When Jesus calls his disciples (that's us!) to go out and minister to whom He leads us to, we can trust him to supply us with every need. We don't have to worry if we've left something at home or need an extra jacket in case the weather changes. After the disciples had returned from their journey, Luke 22:35 records the Lord asking them if they lacked anything, and they all replied "Nothing."  By faith, we do as the Lord tells us and He will provide every time.
After Jose closed with this in mind, guys and girls split up into small study groups to dig deeper into the particular passage. It was a blessed night, praying for each other and seeing others grow in their walk with the Lord. Pray to see you next time!

             

Come out tonight!

Had a hard week?
Had a fabulous week?
Had a busy week?

Come join us tonight to be refreshed!

We're meeting tonight Friday, January 18th at 6pm for prayer and 7:30pm for worship and hearing God's Word.

See you soon!

Discipleship kick off!

Wednesday night we started off our semester of discipleship. We'll be meeting every first and third Wed nights to practice being faithful in following Jesus and 'raising the bar'. Pastor Dennis presented us with CASE : commitment, accountability, servant hood, example as our personal challenge this semester.

After a time of sharing food potluck style and singing worship songs, the guys and girls met in separate rooms for small groups. We reviewed 1 Thessalonians from last semester, to prepare for our upcoming study of 2 Thessalonians. What a great turn out. But more than a high volume of people, our prayer is for each individual to walk closer with God and experience Him deeper. God bless! Our next discipleship meeting is Feb 6th!

Discipleship Kick Off! {Wed, Jan 16th}

Tomorrow, WEDNESDAY Jan 16th we kick off this semester of small groups, better known as discipleship groups. We meet every other WED night for a potluck, fellowship, worship and Bible study. Come join us! You can bring a dish to share or just come enjoy the fine spread of yummy flavors we have for dinner/dessert. We meet in Children's classroom 3A.

This semester we are studying 2 Thessalonians, please read the first chapter to prepare your heart and mind for hearing God's Word. See you there! Email Pastor Dennis with any questions, thanks!

The Cost of Discipleship (It ain't free!!)

What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Is it raising your hand in church or saying grace before dinner? If it were so easy, there'd be more disciples than we could count. The fact is, while salvation has been given freely, discipleship comes with a tremendous cost. 

In Luke 14: 25 - 35, Jesus spoke strong, uncomfortable words to the large crowd following him. He said "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." Hate meaning "to love less" in Greek. The way we love God must be radically different from the way we love anyone else. Our friends, family, and most inner desires must take a backseat when it comes to loving the Lord and serving his people. No one may understand why we choose church over football games, movie nights, or family barbecues. But God requires these things of his disciples if having a deeper, satisfying relationship with Him is more important.

His question is:   Are you ready to do that?

God, ever so gracious, gives prospective disciples time to "sit down and count the cost" before making the decision. Are you willing to: 

- Carry your own cross?

- Endure hardship, ridicule, and stress in relationships?

- Give up everything, and He means EVERYTHING, to follow Him?

Elizabeth Elliot once wrote "We give all, because He gave all."

What would you give up for a life of following Jesus? What would you gain, if you did?

Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.' " 

                      

                        

                                            

                        

Homework for Friday, January 11th!

Homework? What's this you say? My semester just started and I've got enough, or I've finished school and remember not favoring homework assignments. Haha. Not to worry, this homework won't take hours of your time, won't cause you stress and certainly won't be graded. To prepare for this Friday's meeting, we are simply asking you and encouraging you to read a passage from the Bible to prepare your mind and your heart for what God has for you.

The passage this week is from Luke chapter 14 verses 25-35. You can find it here May you be blessed as you read God's Word. This type of "homework" produces a result that is better than an A+ and beyond extra credit: you gain insight and instruction directly from the heart of God. We can all participate in His plan for our lives as we learn of His love, and what it takes to follow it. Count the cost!

See you this Friday, January 11th at 7:30pm in the Jr. High room for worship, a message from Pastor Dennis and fellowship with one another. See you there! God bless you this week. Psalm 103!

New Thing aka "Nu Thang" Isaiah 43:18-19

We had a wonderful meeting last night as we welcomed in the new year with new faces, excellent worship and a message by Pastor Dennis proclaiming that God's going to do a New Thing! He challenged us with two take away points: #1 Max out your life [Eph 5:16] and #2 Make Jesus Famous [Psalm 8:1]

Check out the faces of the Bridge for 2013! Jesus will be seen in 2013! Come join us every Friday night at 7:30.

First meeting of 2013! Get set free in 2-0-1-3!!!

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Isaiah 43:18-19

It's a brand new year and in the midst of the resolutions and commitments to exercising more, saving money and getting involved, there's one thing we need to be faithful in and that's our relationship to GOD! Join us on Friday nights at THE BRIDGE, as we pray for God to challenge and change us, to guide and use us in 2013.

We'll be focusing on following Jesus and what that truly means for us. So, guess what? It's time to let go of the past because the past is over and it's time for us to move on, move ahead and move forward into all that God has in store for us. It says in Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or thing, according to the power that works in us." Get ready for this new season at the Bridge! God is doing a "NU THANG" (New Thing) in 2013, come and be a part of it and don't miss out.

First meeting of the year: Friday night study, January 4th @ 7:30pm in the Jr. High Room.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Upcoming Bridge events and outreaches!

***Friday, January 4th @ 6pm in the HIS Club Office...look for the signs.
2 or More Bridge Prayer Time: Join us as we pray for the Bridge and one another. Please let us know if you have a prayer request or a praise report.

***Wednesday, January 16th @ 7pm in Children's classroom 3A
Bridge Discipleship! So, what is Bridge discipleship? We're so glad you asked. Our young adult ministry meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday night of every month. We gather together in small groups and break down the Word of God to make it applicable for our daily life. It's a time for us to "keep it real" and share what's going on in our walk with God and keep each other accountable. There will be a time of worship, the Word, food and fellowship!

There's a group for the guys: Dude's Discipleship
And a group for the ladies: Daughter's of the King

This semester, we will be going through the book of 2 Thessalonians! It's a book about being an "example" and RAISING THE BAR in our lives. Bring your Bible and read through 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Also, please bring a main dish or side dish to share with all. And bring your appetite! See you soon, God bless!

If you have any questions, please email thebridgeccsb@gmail.com

Happy New Years Everyone !! May God continue to bless you and your family exceedingly and abundantly. We look forward to spending another amazing year with you!!

Love,
-The Team

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12