The Idea/Values
Our Creed
‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ There is no commandment greater than these.”
(It may not seem all that complex, but the more you try to live this out, the deeper and richer you’ll find this to be.)
9 Things We Try To Do
(Inspired by Gibbs & Bolger, Emerging Churches, SPCK, 2006, p45)
1. Identify with Jesus (and his way of life)
2. Transform space (overcoming the secular/sacred split)
3. Live as a community (not strangers in proximity at a church service)
4. Welcome the stranger (radical and gentle hospitality that is inclusive)
5. Serve with generosity (not serving the institution called “church,” but people)
6. Participate as producers (not widgets in the church program)
7. Create as created beings
8. Lead as a group (beyond control and the CEO model of leadership)
9. Merge ancient and contemporary spiritualities.
The Idea of LifeBridge (Inspired from the idea of Revolution)
To show all people the unconditional love and grace of Jesus without any reservations because of their lifestyle or religious background, past or future. This love has no agenda behind it (I Cor. 13:5). This grace sets no time line on personal change or standards for spiritual growth (Romans 4:4-5). The idea is to be a part of people’s lives because we truly care for them rather than to fulfill a religious duty; to walk with them through all their struggles as a part of their life, not as a religious outsider.
The desire at the heart of LifeBridge is to see this idea spread to other communities and churches. We aspire to see people from other communities and churches taking to heart the true message of the grace and love of Christ, and in turn to see them spread this message to those in their community, building relationships and sharing in the life experiences of those around them (Gal. 6:2-3), and living out the grace, hope and love that God has blessed them with.
RELIGION KILLS
Religion is a false perception of holiness that focuses on law and kills the true message of Christ. Jesus had much to say about the religious who put the law before his true message:
“…How terrible it will be for you experts of religious law! For you crush people beneath impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.” Luke 11:46
“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law- justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the most important things. Blind Guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:23-24
Jesus came and declared that the most important law was “You must love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37.39) Religion ignores the reasons behind this being the most important commandment and only focuses on the exterior and works as a way to get close to God. It is religion that not only kills the true message of hope Christ taught but also has held back the lost from understanding the true meaning of Christianity.
JESUS IS THE SAVIOR NOT CHRISTIANITY
Are we defending Christ or Christianity? Will enforcing the ideals of a pre-packaged Christian lifestyle help people feel the love of Christ? Do we believe that our lifestyles hold more truths than Jesus? Are we driving people to Christianity or leading them to Christ?
EQUAL RIGHTS ARE A MORAL ISSUE
In order to truly live the moral life presented in the gospel we are called to stand up for a better quality of life for others. Whether it be a child working for pennies a day in a distant land or two people desiring to pledge eternal love to one another, all should be guaranteed equal rights regardless of sexual orientation, background, belief or country of residence.
People Stuff
At the end of the day, people is at the very core of what we are doing. We believe that not only did Jesus love us, but He also likes us. Jesus gave us a great commission. That was to share the Gospel. We have not always done a good job explaining what that word means and we sometimes forget the greatest commandment when we share our faith. Some people would never want to go near a church because of the behavior of Christians. Others yearn to find a home in a church, but for various reasons never feel quite welcome, sometimes they have felt scorned and judged and betrayed.
We need to be advocates for the hurt, lonely, poor, destitute and the desperate before we can begin to talk to them about how they lead their lives. We are not an advocate as a bait and switch and we should never put conditions to unconditional love. When Jesus knelt before the woman about to be stoned, He did not advocate for her on the condition she went and sinned no more. He stood by her side and stopped stones from being thrown against her skull and dispersed the crowd.
In our neighborhood we have people who are suffering. Single moms, abused spouses and children, people in financial ruin, forgotten elderly sitting in homes with no one to visit, young people who are scared for their futures and ashamed of their pasts when they should be embracing a future full of dreams. The list goes on. People who come to us looking for the sunrise will not only find it, but have someone to hold their hand in the darkness and the twilight of their lives. The church of LifeBridge may not grow when we reach out to these people and stand by their sides, but people’s lives will be enriched in a real and meaningful way. Those people may never think to come to us, that is why we intend to come out to them.