Special Offering: Bridge Street Ministries

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Bridge Street Ministries (BSM) is an urban Christian Community Development organization in the West Side of Grand Rapids emphasizing discipleship and youth development.

WEST SIDE RESURGENCE
At the heart of our ministry, is this Christ-centered, high quality, after-school programming to support the academic, spiritual, social/emotional, and community development of urban youth. At the start of the school year, we had a goal of having 30 students registered for the program.  Currently, we have around 60 registered with 30+ in regular attendance!  Each day kids find a beautiful, safe place in our drop in center, and then have the opportunity to engage in a variety of learning labs. This past semester, kids got to learn at the zoo, play baseball with the Grace Christian University baseball team, study the Bible, and learn about money management with Young Money Finances.  Oh, and we opened up a youth café as a drop in center for kids after school.

Recently, while dropping off the kids after Resurgence, one of the girls looked back as she walked away and said “you guys are like my real family!” Bless God for the opportunity to invest in these future leaders. We are currently looking for volunteers that can help with driving and tutoring.  Email sharalle@bsmgr.org if you are interested in helping out.

GRAND RAPIDS IMMERSION

Each year Grand Rapids Immersion proves to be a transformational experience as we work to connect local youth with local mission. This year we are hosting upwards of 75 students from 6 local churches and ministries for one week this summer. On Immersion we spend two nights camping in the wilderness, helping students connect with God and connect with each other.  Then we come into the city to learn, serve, and celebrate what God is doing in our city. We are excited about what God is going to do this summer through Immersion!

GRAND RAPIDS BRIDGE YEAR

While we have a smaller cohort of students this year, there has been a deep community that has formed, and our Bridge Year students have grown in their understanding of God’s character and his kingdom. It has been so fun watching our Grand Rapids Bridge Year (GRBY) students help lead in our Resurgence program every day. Every day our GRBY students help our kids know that they are loved, welcomed, and valued.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 Grand Rapids Bridge Year cohort. If you or a young person that you know would benefit from devoting a year to seeking God and engaging in his mission in the city, e-mail adam@bsmgr.org for more information. We would love to have you come for a visit.

Derek Sterenberg
Operations Director
Bridge Street Ministries
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Covid Guidelines and Communion Update

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The Regathering Team is pleased to announce that due to the decrease in cases of Covid-19, and the loosening of restrictions on a state and county basis, that our Covid-19 Guidelines will no longer be in effect. In Leu of those we offer a few best practices in order to continue to respect one another and promote health and safety.

  • If you feel ill, or are in the beginning stages of coming down with an illness, please stay home.
  • Please be diligent in personal hygiene, there will continue to be hand sanitizer available in various locations throughout the building.
  • Please be respectful of and attentive to people’s need for personal space.

The Regathering Team has now been disbanded, since we have been gathered as a church since last June, and there are no more Covid Guidelines to uphold. The church Ministry Staff along with the Admin Elders will continue to monitor the Covid situation and plan accordingly for various setups and ministries. Even though Covid has not gone away completely, at its current level this seems like the best way forward.

This change enables us to return to practicing communion much like we did before the pandemic, this Sunday will be our return to having people come up to the front to receive the bread and juice. The Elders will give the bread with small tongs in an effort to promote health and safety practices that we’ve become accustomed to in the last two years. There will be pre-packaged communion elements available for anyone who feels more comfortable continuing to use those.

We are thankful for the Lord’s provision, and that he is always with us, even in difficult times such as we’ve experienced over the last two years. Thank you for your continued diligence in promoting health and safety, which ultimately flow from the love that we receive from our savior Jesus!  Let’s continue to show that love to each other and all those around us.

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