Stealing in Church

Here at the Bridge Network, we practice House Church. And House Church necessitates EVERYONE participate. Church is not a service that is observed, but a gathering where we give and minister to each other. I was recently convicted because I had been acting as a receiver during church—not a giver. During the week, I started to neglect praying for my brothers and sisters. I neglected to ask God how I could serve them and build them up. I started to keep my spiritual gifts to myself and not give them to Christ’s children. In this . . . Read More »

Bathtub Baptism

Huddling in the narrow hallway of a NYC apartment, I stood on my tiptoes to see into the bathroom at the end of the hall. A group of people stood in front of me, all smiling and all straining to get a good view. Just beyond them, sitting in the tub, was Zhen*, a Chinese national that had just come to faith. Beside her on the floor, her Bible study leader, Carol*. Small tears slipped down Carol’s face as she spoke with Zhen right before she baptized her. After Zhen professed her faith and Carol . . . Read More »

Living Out Loud

Living out loud. It is one of the key values of the Bridge Church. What do we mean by “living out loud?” To answer this question, we are going to take a look at the Old Testament. In the book of Deuteronomy, there is a key passage known as the Shema. It goes as follows, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This prayer—a declaration of God’s unity and sovereignty—is uttered by millions of Jews each day. Following the Shema, there is a section telling the Israelites how, in light of that declaration, they should . . . Read More »