Here Come the College Students!

It Starts with College Lunch This Sunday 

We have invited students to join us for lunch this Sunday after 2nd service.  It is meant to be a time to serve them, get to know them, and to build relationships.  This week's main dish is hot dogs and burgers.

Here's how you can help:

The Baptistery is Here!

It's here!  It's here!

Perhaps you saw the pictures on Facebook months ago - people moving a baptistery into the Life Bridge Building.  Well, that baptistery wasn't the correct one.  The steps were on the opposite side from those called for in the building plans.

What is Happening for Your Kids this Weekend

Pizza Party this Sunday at 11am Service for K-5th Grade!

All summer your children have been learning about love!  As they have answered questions, participated in activities, and modeled good behavior, they have earned "dots" toward a pizza party!  So this week it is here!  Children will be going on a "Love Journey" as they review all the things they have learned about love and then we will top it off with pizza!

Students Serve Weekend!

Intentional Valparaiso Joined Ministry Monday!

Nearly every Monday night at Life Bridge, you can find a group of people who desire to serve God in ministry.   We take time to hone our skills and think about how we can serve the body here better, as well as our community.  We coordinate for upcoming events, and we pray together asking God to guide us and go before us.

Occasionally, we get to hear from other Christian organizations in our community and discuss how we can work together to have a Kingdom impact.

Operation Christmas Child Rummage "No Sale" Success!

This past weekend, we hosted our first ever Rummage Sale to benefit Operation Christmas Child.

The OCC team has set a goal of preparing 150 boxes, and covering the shipping fees involved in getting these to the kids.  The goals of this event were to raise awareness of OCC and money to help cover the shipping.  Additionally, by not putting prices on anything, the OCC team trusted God to both provide for the needs of people in our community and meet the financial needs of sending shoe boxes to children around the world.

Encounter Student Camp Out 2014 in Review

Showing off her temporary "home."

Imagine cardboard boxes dotting a one acre yard, setup as shelters for our teenagers.  It began as students arrived Friday evening and were informed that they were homeless for the weekend.  They had to find their shelter along the road.  A quarter mile down the road they found large appliance boxes which they then brought back and figured out how to make their structure livable for the night.

Children's Ministry Pizza Party Aug 31st!

LBKids Summer Series on Love

Double Dot Sunday -Aug. 24th

Children's Ministry has been learning about love all summer!  We have been following a group of High School Movie Makers as they learn what it means to love in different circumstances.  Each week as we go through our lesson kids are encouraged to participate in activities and answering questions.  As they do these things, model good behavior or a characteristic of love that we are learning about, they are awarded dots (warm fuzzies or pom poms).  These are collected and counted at the end of each week and added to our running total.  At the beginning of the summer the kids were told if they earned 750 dots by the end of the series, we would have a pizza party!  Currently we have 563, and this Sunday, our last in the series, is Double Dot Sunday!  I look forward to having the kids come out, and ready to earn dots as we learn about how "Love changes everything!"

Rummage and Bake "No Sale" This Saturday!

It's time! It's time!

Time to bring items!

Time to bring those gently used items... large or small, recreational, hobby items, haven't been used since "I don't remember when" items...

Simply drop them off at Life Bridge TODAY!  People will be there after work or give Cathy Mann (219-608-5410) a call for other arrangements.

Operation Christmas Child Family Movie Night

This past Friday, August 1st, Life Bridge hosted a Family Movie Night to support a world-wide outreach called Operation Christmas Child (OCC).  Families were asked to donate school supplies, toys, or personal care items to be used to fill shoe boxes that will be shipped to kids around the world this Christmas.  Goals for the evening were to raise awareness of OCC and its impact on kids around the world, collect items for shoe boxes, and to have fun together!

Coordinators, Teresa Cervik and Cathy Mann, were joined by Deanna Heslin, Sharon Qualkenbush, and Stephanie Gladney succeeded in putting together a fun-filled evening that met these goals.  Adults and kids alike learned about how kids around the world are both experiencing God's love through these shoe boxes, and learning about God personally as the read books and have the opportunity to attend classes that teach them about Jesus - God's gift to them.  After a dinner, everyone participated in Bingo for prizes, and then movie and popcorn time!

A special thanks goes out, not only to these ladies, but also to Jason Gladney, our bingo caller, and Dave Grassl, our expert popcorn maker (what movie is complete without popcorn?), and everyone who supplied items for Operation Christmas Child!

Life Bridge's goal is to put together 150 boxes.  If you missed this event, and would still like to contribute to this outreach project, collections are ongoing.  Simply collect items from the list below, and drop them in the marked receptacles in the cafe at your convenience.

Great Job Team!!  I can't wait for the Rummage "No Sale" on August 23rd, which also supports OCC.  I love seeing how God works!


Gift Suggestions
TOYS: Include items that children will immediately embrace such as dolls, toy cars, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, toys that light up and make noise (with extra batteries), etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

NON-LIQUID HYGIENE ITEMS: toothbrushes, bar soap, combs, washcloths, etc.

ACCESSORIES: t-shirts, socks, hats, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), etc.

A PERSONAL NOTE: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may be able to write back.

DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

Ramen Noodles (College Lunches)

This series, we are being challenged by the teachings of Jesus, including one where he reminds us to "feed the hungry."  We do that well.  Dozens of homeless men are fed breakfast after sleeping here on Thursday nights.  Hundreds of families are fed every Thanksgiving simply because they need food to eat.  God has clearly shown us how to effectively feed the hungry.  Now we He is giving us the opportunity to feed another group of hungry people: College Students.

Any of us who are past the just-finished-high-school stage of life can identify: free food was good.  Whether in college or looking for a job right out of High School, money was always tight and food was always welcome.  Free pizza had the most important word in it: FREE.  When we had to pay for it ourselves, we would find creative ways to eat off the $1.37 in our pocket.  Now, Life Bridge will have the opportunity to serve these ramen-noodle-eating young adults throughout the next school year.

This year, Valparaiso University will be providing planners to all incoming Freshmen and for all students and faculty who want them.  In the back of this planner, there will be advertisements for local businesses and organizations.  Life Bridge will have the ad you see above.  This will go out to thousands of people.

In addition to the announcement in the back of the planner, their weekly planning page will have a reminder at the bottom of the page every three weeks.  That week, they can eat more than ramen noodles for lunch...and it's free.

The lunches are not just for Valparaiso University Students.  All College Students and young adults are invited.  In fact, we are working on printing business-card sized refrigerator magnets with the reminder below so we can distribute them to our student-aged family, friends, and neighbors.  Let's pack this place with people enjoying lunch together!

These lunches are, of course, about more than food.  This age group is more likely than any other age group to stop their walk together with God.  As we eat together, we build relationships with people who may be away from home, but we can help them feel at home with people who desire to walk together with God.  What a great way to build His Kingdom - enjoying a meal together and empowering one more.

Interested in helping?

Contact Pete@ImagineLifeDifferently.com or (219) 707-0285 for details.

First Planning Meeting: Sunday, August 3rd @ 4:00p.m @ Life Bridge.

Pay It Forward

Imagine opening day of Life Bridge Christian Church.  September 23, 2003 is quickly approaching and the building is not ready.  Electric needs to be run, lights need to be installed, carpet needs to be laid, and tables need to be assembled. We simply don't have the people to get it all done.

That week, the week before grand opening, Suncrest Christian Church (another church plant started 8 years before us in St. John, IN) sent a team of workers to be the "hands and feet of Jesus" to us.  Amazingly, all the work was completed and the church opening was a great success.  "How can we thank you," we asked.  "Give the glory to God," they responded.  And, "Pay it forward."

Now, Impact Christian Church (another church plant that started 4 years after us in Merrillville, IN) needs our help.  They have navigated the early start-up years and many more challenges than any church should have to overcome.  They continue to glorify God and reach new people for Him.  Now, they need our help.

This Saturday, August 9th, Impact will be hosting a Back to School Block Party to reach out to the families in Merrillville, IN.  They need people to be the "hands and feet of Jesus" at this event.  Popcorn needs popping, snow cones need freezing, cotton candy needs twisting, and a watermelon eating contest needs coordinating.  

Are you willing to help Life Bridge "pay it forward" to another church that needs our help?  Let's glorify God by working together as His Church.

Contact Pete@ImagineLifeDifferently.com or (219) 707-0285 to participate.

Family Fun Night - Tonight!

Learn More

Family Fun Night is Tonight!

Friday, Aug 1st - 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Join us for a fun night of

Food, Games, and a Movie

Admission is Free

Donations accepted for Operation Christmas Child

(Shoebox items and/or a love offerings.)

Bring your family and help a child!

Help "and Steve"

Steve Campbell, whom you may know from the guitar duo named Frank and Steve, has blessed the family of Life Bridge with his own family and all their ministries for different seasons over our past almost-eleven years.  Now they are moving on to bless another church community.  Steve is now the Senior Pastor at Summitview Christian Church in Hoffman Estates, IL and, while we will miss them dearly, we are excited that he is answering God's call to empower one more.

Now that they have a new home in Illinois, it's time for his family to move.  Will you help a family who has blessed so many of us at Life Bridge?  Here's how.  Moving day(s) will be Friday and Saturday, August 8th and 9th.  They will be loading the truck(s) at their home here in Hobart, IN on Friday evening after 5pm and Saturday morning (time TBD).  Will you be the hands and feet of Jesus to them?

Contact Steve via email (srcampbell43@frontier.com) or cell phone (219-384-1895) to coordinate your help.  Thank you for helping "and Steve."