OUR date here SERVICE HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.
Sunday Services at:
Central Primary School
1400 Newcastle Road in Washington IL
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Mailing address:
The Bridge UMC, PO Box 591, Washington IL 61571
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Email: info@thebridgeumc.org
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Phone #: 309-306-1544
DAILY DEVOTIONAL
PASTOR TOM'S
Pastor Tom's Daily Devotional posts begin on January 1st! Check back daily!
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT
THE BRIDGE
Forums: Unhoused
We encourage you to join us in the coming weeks as we welcome guests who will be discussing the topic of the unhoused in our communities. Both will be held from 9-10 in the CPS library (in place of adult/youth Sunday School).
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December 3rd: A panel of area school teachers and administrators will lead our discussion on the unhoused in our schools. What are the unique challenges they face? What are the schools doing to help meet their needs? What can we do to help?
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December 10th: Daniel Bean from the Salvation Army will join us to speak on the topic of unhoused veterans and how we can support them in their mission.
TUE AUG 06: YOUNG ADULT GROUP / ASK
Our Young Adult Ministry, now called ASK, is open to those ages 18-26. This is in reference to Matthew 7:7 - “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you.” This reflects the genuine curiosity and inquisitive nature of our attendees, and their desire to dig deeper into God’s word.
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We meet every Tuesday at 7:00 pm (through August 6th) at 717 Patricia St in Washington, for discussion, fellowship and snacks. All those ages 18-26 are invited.
Have any questions? Contact us!
Griefshare: Surviving the holidays
Join us on Sunday November 19th from 2:00-4:00 for GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays. We'll meet at the Church office 112 S. Main St. (on the Washington Square).
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Facing this season while grieving can sometimes feel like taking one step forward and two steps back. But like a trusted guide, a 2-hour Surviving the Holidays event will prepare you to navigate the season’s changes.
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More than just practical tips, GriefShare Surviving the Holidays is a community of people who know what it’s like to walk through the holidays in grief. You will find connection and comfort in knowing you’re not alone this season. People who have attended repeatedly share how helpful this is.
Youth Instrument Ensemble
We're putting together an ensemble of 6th-12th grade band members to perform at our December 3rd service.
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This is a one-time performance - you are not committing to anything more. Our plan is to have something fairly simple that all age ranges can play with one practice the week before and one practice the morning of.
We have quite a few kids signed up already but would love to have more! If you're interested please sign up and we'll keep you in the loop.
3RD-5TH GRADERS: JOIN US FOR JAM!
JAM re-starts this Friday, January 5th! JAM is a youth group-like program designed for 3rd through 5th graders where they can have fun while learning more about Jesus and the Bible. A typical night consists of activities and games, snack time, a large group lesson, and small group discussion.
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JAM meets on the first and third Friday night of each month from 6:00-7:30pm at Sunnyland Christian Church - 2401 Washington Road in Sunnyland
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KINDMAS / Threads, HOPe & Love
Help spread some kindness for Christmas! This year Threads, Hope and Love will be celebrating their 14th annual Christmas giveaway - a giveaway that will bless over 400 children with gifts under the tree!
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We would love for you to join us as we celebrate this event with a potluck lunch! We'll be meeting at the American Legion (211 Legion Road in Washington) on December 3rd from 12-3. Please bring a dish to share and an unwrapped gift (per person) for under the tree! If you are unable to attend, monetary donations can be sent to: Threads, Hope and Love, 121 Zinser Place, Washington, IL 61571.
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Gift ideas include: Gift cards (including clothing stores, restaurants, gas cards, Visa gift cards, etc.), makeup sets, cologne or perfume sets, games, remote control cars, dolls, barbies, building sets, learning toys, beauty items (hair brushes, shampoo sets, body washes), toolboxes, tool sets, craft sets, skate boards, headphones, Xbox 360 games, CD’s, current DVD's, etc.).
ADVENT FAMILY KICKOFF
We invite you to an event that will help you and your kids think a little deeper about the Christmas story. Come join us for our Wondering to Bethlehem family event on December 3 from 2:30-4pm at Evangelical UMC where we will be using our wonder and imagination as we journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.
This event is based on an Advent devotional by Vanessa Myers called Wondering to Bethlehem. This 24-day devotional (plus 2 bonus devotions) will help your kids open their minds and begin to wonder about the True Wonder of Christmas, Jesus Christ! Each family will be going home with a copy of the book to use throughout the Advent season.
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We need volunteers to help host this Advent event. If you are available to host a station or help with set up/tear down, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/BridgeUMCAdventKickoff
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We also need donations. Please either ship donation items to Heather Garety or bring them to church and place them in the box near the Sunday School sign in space. Find the list here: https://tinyurl.com/BridgeUMCAdventWishList
Join Us For CAROLING
We hope you'll join us from 4-6 on December 10th as we bless some local friends with Christmas carols at their homes. We'll be meeting with some of the folks at Evangelical United Methodist Church in Washington at 4pm. From there we'll break into groups and head out to spread some holiday cheer! Once we're done we'll all come back to Evan UMC for fellowship, hot chocolate, and treats. No signup needed, just show up! We hope to see you there!
YOUTH - Heart House / Game night
6th-12th graders are invited to join us on Friday December 15th from 5-9pm as we serve at the Heart House in Eureka. We'll be sorting gifts for their annual Christmas giveaway. After we serve we'll head to the Kopinski's for a game night!
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Be sure you follow the Bridge Youth Facebook Group for all the latest!
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Questions: youth@thebridgeumc.org
christmas eve / New years eve
There is a lot going on as we enter our first Christmas season as The Bridge! Here are our plans for this Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. More will be shared on our Facebook page and weekly e-mail in the coming weeks!
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Christmas Eve: We will have 2 services on Christmas Eve. Our 10am service will be family-focused with carols, a children's lesson focused on "The Grinch," and sharing the joy of Christmas. Our 6pm service will be more traditional with worship, carols, and candles. This is a great time to invite family and friends!
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New Year's Eve: We will NOT be meeting at CPS on 12/31. Instead will be joining Willow Hill UMC (304 East Far Hills Dr in East Peoria) at 10am for their worship service.
Looking to Get involved?
Did you know it takes dozens of people each and every Sunday morning to make our worship service happen? From the very beginning we've been a church that rolls up its sleeves and gets it done.
We believe each and every one of us has God-given ways in which we can serve the church. If you'd like to serve and you're not sure how we would love to help you find your spot!
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Click the orange "Serve" button to learn more about the many opportunities we have to serve at The Bridge!
MOMS WHO CARE
Moms Who Care started in 2009 providing hygiene bags to the school nurse for distribution to qualifying students at East Peoria Community High School. In 2012, the school board approved a room to be operated by Moms Who Care. Because of generous donations from the community of hygiene products, gently used or new clothing, school supplies, and after-school snacks, the program has expanded to 12 surrounding schools.
Blurb about opportunities we have to get involved, leading into info below -
PANTHER PRO SHOP
Blurb about Panther Pro Shop.
SALVATION ARMY VETERANS AFFAIRS
Blurb about Salvation Army Veterans Affairs.
HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU TODAY?
We believe in the power of prayer. We also believe everyone is going through something. We want you to know you are not alone and it would be our honor to walk with you, whatever you're going through. Any time you have a prayer need just fill out this form and your request will be sent to a member of our Prayer Team who will pray on your behalf.
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Members of our Prayer Team are also available to meet with you personally. If you would like to meet for prayer encouragement please e-mail our Prayer Team and someone will get back to you.
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Note: Information shared here will be kept confidential to the extent possible but may be shared with our Pastor and Prayer Team.
In his last sermon, Jesus directed the mission of the church (Matthew 25). “When you see the hungry feed them. When you encounter the homeless give them shelter. When you are aware of those imprisoned or alone, visit them. When you do these things for others, you will meet me.”
Among our core values at The Bridge is being a community of believers who seek to live out this mission. We know that this requires we ask tough questions about faith and our lives. We believe that this compels us to be present in our communities among those who have been turned away from churches, or who do not believe the church cares about them. We are convicted that the church can be God’s agent for change in our world.
We are focusing a spotlight on issues that impact our communities. Housing issues, child poverty, equal rights for all, the crippling impact of debt on families. During the year we will look through the lens of this spotlight on these issues. We will learn, we will engage, and we will act.
As Jesus said, “When you do these things for others, you will meet me.”
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STAY TUNED... MORE TO COME!