OUR MISSION
We are a community of believers centered on Jesus, affirming and welcoming to all, committed to dialogue and questioning, focused on service to others, and driven by love.
CELEBRATE AND RELIVE
OUR FIRST YEAR
THIS WEEK'S
SERMON
Sermon 1-12 Pastor Tom Goodell
A link to our livestream will be posted prior to 10am each Sunday morning on our Facebook page. Archives are available on Facebook Video, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.​
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT
THE BRIDGE
JAN 26 (SUN) | 9:00-9:50
SUNDAY SCHOOL - YOUTH
6th through 12th graders are invited to join us for Sunday School each week at 9am in the youth space. A typical week will kick off with a quick game or ice breaker, followed by a large group lesson, and then small group discussion. ​
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You can learn more about Bridge Youth by clicking here!
JAN 26 (SUN) | 9:00-9:45
SUNDAY SCHOOL - YOUNG ADULT
Our young adult ministry - ASK, is open to those aged 18-26. We meet for Sunday School each week from 9:00am-9:45am in room 414.
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ASK also meets occasionally outside of Sunday mornings for studies, social events, and service projects. We hope you'll join us!
JAN 26 (SUN) | 9AM or 4PM
SUNDAY SCHOOL - ADULT
Join us Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for Adult Sunday School! We meet just outside of the CPS library. If Sunday morning doesn't quite work for you, we also meet from 4:00-5:30 PM at the Bridge office - 401 S Walnut ST. Childcare is provided.
We'll be going back to basics and discussing the Sermon on the Mount! Not only will we be covering this in Sunday School but we'll also have a sermon series and small group lessons to go along with it!
JAN 26 (SUN) | 5:30-7:30
TRIVIA NIGHT & POTLUCK
Our first trivia night was a big hit so we thought we'd plan another! This event is being hosted by the Bridge's Young Adult and Youth ministries but is open to everyone! Questions will span the generations so well-rounded teams may have an advantage! No need to form teams in advance, we will do that the night of.
This event will be held at The Bridge office - 401 Walnut St. in Washington - on January 26th from 5:30-7:30pm. We'll enjoy a potluck dinner at 5:30 with trivia starting at 6:00. ​RSVP'ing is not required but will help us plan for the event, you can sign up to attend- here. If you would like to bring food for our potluck, you can sign up- here. If you're bringing food you can come as early as 5:15pm to start setting up.
JAN 26 (SUN) | 6:00-7:30
JAM - JESUS & ME
JAM is our youth group-like program for 3rd through 5th graders - a safe and fun environment where they can learn more about Jesus and the Bible. A typical night will consist of activities and games, snack time, a large group lesson, and small group discussion.
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JAM is held from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the Bridge office, 401 S. Walnut in Washington. Here are our remaining dates for the 2024-2025 school year:
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January 26th
February 2nd and 23rd
March 9th - End of year party!
JAN 31 (FRI) | 7:00-9:00
JACKBOX GAME NIGHT
Youth in 6th-12th grade are invited to join us for a Jackbox game night! We'll be meeting on Friday January 31st from 7:00-9:00PM at the James residence - 1431 Austin AVE in Washington.
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Youth will need a phone or tablet with WIFI to participate (we'll have a couple extra on hand). You can learn more about how top play Jackbox games here.
FEB 2 (SUN)
MONTHLY COLLECTION - KIDS BOOKS
Our monthly collection for February will be a fun one! We'll be collecting new kids books for - Look. It's My Book! - which provides free books to children in the Peoria area. According to their website, 75% of children in Peoria public schools live in poverty and 61% of children living in poverty do not have a single book at home. They've given away 300,000 books since 2008 and their goal is to provide each child with 35 books of their own by the time they finish 4th grade. ​
You can learn more about Look. It's My Book! at https://www.lookitsmybook.org/​​
FEB 7 & 8 | 7:00-7:00
BRIDGE YOUTH LOCK-IN
6th-12th graders are invited to join us for our first ever Bridge Youth Winter Lock-In! We'll kick things off at 7:00PM on Friday February 7th and finish up around 7:00AM on Saturday February 8th. Please fill out this form to register to attend.
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We can also use a few more parent volunteers, if you're interested in helping please let us know!
FEB 8 (SAT) | 4:00
WASHINGTON SENIOR LIVING
All are encouraged to join us as we spread the love to the residents of Washington Senior Living. We'll be spending a few minutes with each resident and leaving them with a valentine and word search book.
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We'll be meeting in the Central Primary School parking lot at 4:00 and expect to be done around 5:00. Please let us know you can join us by filling out this form.
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FEB 9 (SUN) | TBD
BRIDGE YOUTH SUPER BOWL PARTY
Bridge Youth (6th-12th graders) will once again be getting together for the big game! Details are TBD but you can bet we'll have plenty of tailgate snacks and games throughout the night. It'll be a lot of fun - even if you're not a sports fan! Keep an eye on this space or our Bridge Youth Facebook Group for more info.
FEB 16 (SUN) | 9:00
INTERGENERATIONAL BREAKFAST
Bridge senior adults, save the date, February 16th! Bridge Youth is inviting you to an intergenerational breakfast at 9:00 during the Sunday School hour.
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For this breakfast, we've been inspired by the legacy of Gloria McNett. She never stopped learning and asking questions and she was always quick to share the wisdom she had accrued. We are going to ask everyone (seniors and youth) to write down one question they have about life and one thing they know to be true. These can be serious or funny, light hearted or deep. We'll share them at breakfast and get to know each other better.
FEB 17 (MON) | 9:00
THE BABY FOLD SERVICE PROJECT
6th-12th graders are invited to join us on Monday February 17th (no school - Presidents Day) as we serve at The Baby Fold in Normal. We'll also be doing another fun, TBD, activity. We'll be leaving at 9:00AM and will return in the early afternoon. Some money will be needed to cover lunch and the activity - more info to come. Please e-mail youth@thebridgeumc.org with any questions.
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JUN 7-13
REDBIRD MISSION
We will once again be sending a team of volunteers on a Red Bird Mission Trip to southeastern Kentucky - one of the poorest regions in the US. Volunteers will provide much needed home repairs for low-income community residents as well as maintenance on the mission buildings and grounds. This is a great opportunity for young adults or those who enjoy home improvement projects - and if neither applies to you, there's a job for everyone!
We'll announce more as the trip grows closer, including a brief presentation during our church service on February 9th. In the meantime, please e-mail pershingmichael@gmail.com if you're interested or have any questions.
BRANCHES
OF WASHINGTON
The Bridge UMC is proud to partner with several local churches and members of our community to form Branches of Washington. Our mission is to help the children and youth of our community arrive at school each day ready to learn.
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Our primary means of accomplishing this is through our monthly Care Closets. Students who receive free or reduced lunch are given the opportunity to "shop" for free clothing and personal care products. Branches will also be providing breakfast and snack items for schools to distribute to those in need.
Care Closets are now being offered in all D50, D51, and D52 schools! This is a huge undertaking and we need your help!