Our lives are full of many types of relationships:
Some are fleeting, others are lifelong.
Some are mere acquaintances, others are intimate.
Some require moments of our day, in others we invest hours.
And there is everything in between.
We have such relationships with spouses, children, parents, other family members, friends, neighbours,
co-workers, church members, community groups and many others.
But above all we are called to have a relationship with God.
Our relationship with God is closely connected with our other relationships.
I John 4:21
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Most of the time, we interact with others in “small groups”:
At home with our family, or in a truck on the way to the job site,
having coffee with a friend or two, or even chatting with someone while waiting in line.
God has called us to this:
To have a beneficial and meaningful impact on those around us, those we find in small groups.
Our calling connects seamlessly with many of our daily routines.
By effectively fulfilling our call:
- We are useful to God,
- We find deeper joy in life,
- We obtain eternal reward,
- We receive many other blessings.
However, none of us naturally or instinctively knows how to do this, not in the manner that God has envisioned for us.
He has called us to be like Jesus:
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
For each of us, this requires teaching, training, demonstration and practice.
Some of this happens in church services.
However, we also learn (and maybe learn best) in a social way, in relationships:
- Interactively, discussing what the Bible says, why it says what it says and how to do what it says,
- Observing how others put God’s Word into practice,
- Hearing how others have done it wrong and also hearing how others have done it right,
- Encouraging others and being encouraged,
- Caring for others and being cared for,
- Learning what it means to have an honest heart,
- And, in a measured and appropriate way, learning to trust.
We understand many have been wounded in relationships that have gone badly.
Some spend their lifetimes shying away from close relationships.
Some may feel they have something to hide.
It’s equally true, though, that many have been healed and made whole in relationships done right.
These relationships can be anywhere and everywhere. Families, for example, ought to be like this.
In fact, it is our goal to create such relationships everywhere we go.
We have come to the conclusion, though, that we cannot just expect these relationships to happen, even with the assistance of good preaching.
Good preaching is essential. We also need the help of good relational environments.
For this reason we have Bridge to Life Groups.
These are church-organized small groups.
They are designed to empower us in all the “small groups” of our lives.
We believe God has said to us, “Be the bridge that I have called you to be.”
Our Bridge to Life Groups have a dual purpose:
- To provide the learning, relationship-building and spiritual growth that happens within the group itself.
In a small group, we make a relational environment for discipleship. - To provide the inspiration, training and practice useful in all our relationships, so that we can fulfill God’s purpose in our lives.
We make relational environments for discipleship everywhere.
We would love for you to be involved with Bridge to Life. Let us know if you are interested.
We will help connect you with an existing group or perhaps begin a new group. (The main requirement for a new group is a church-trained leader.)