From Generation to Generation

Nik Ripken was asked by the International Mission Board before he was called to missions, “Nik when was you first called to missions?”

I read Matthew 28.

Come on… When did you feel the call to missions

I read Matthew 28.

The Great Commission

Commission:

an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.

Matthew 28:18–20 HCSB

18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Disciple:

A personal follower of Jesus during his life

I am passionate about making personal followers of Jesus. Easter messages were full of so much good news! Isaiah 61 Jesus reads this and says that he is bringing the year of Jubilee. He sets the captive free, He binds up the brokenhearted and brings good news to the poor!!

Our God is the one true God and He is a good and loving God. To follow him, is to know what it means to be truly human.

We Can’t Stay Here

Charts On regular church attendance in Missouri

Chart 1 2007

Chart 2 2014

Chart 3 2023/2024

Chart 4 Students engaged in learning

Chart 5 Top Five reasons church dropouts say they stopped attending church

Two-thirds (66 percent) of American young adults who attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22, according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Thirty-four percent say they continued to attend twice a month or more.

While the 66 percent may be troubling for many church leaders, the numbers may appear more hopeful when compared to a 2007 study from LifeWay Research. Previously, 70 percent of 18- to 22-year-olds left church for at least one year.

“The good news for Christian leaders is that churches don’t seem to be losing more students than they were 10 years ago. However, the difference in the dropout rate now and then is not large enough statistically to say it has actually improved,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.

Our current methods of learning are not working as well as I believe they can.

Opportunity for new methods and ways to dream about how to make more disciples and engage the church.

Generational Impact

Pic of my mom

Talk about her impact on developing my faith.

My grandma Amos

Sunday school teacher

My Grandma and Grandpa McGuire

Parents of other youth helping to lead our youth group had a lasting impact on my life.

Our goal at Bridge of Faith is to transform generations that transform communities through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What does it take to carry this out?

Psalm 145:1–7 HCSB

1 I exalt You, my God the King, and praise Your name forever and ever. 2 I will praise You every day; I will honor Your name forever and ever. 3 Yahweh is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts. 5 I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty and Your wonderful works. 6 They will proclaim the power of Your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare Your greatness. 7 They will give a testimony of Your great goodness and will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

One Generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts.

This Summer we are working to shape our Sunday Summers at the Beach to allow for one generation to declare your works to the next. One generation to proclaim the mighty acts of God to the next.

On many occasions, when people ask me how many people attend Bridge of Faith I will say that on Sundays we average 130-150 and then on Wednesdays we will push to 175 and often it is not the same group of people.

It can feel as though we have two separate churches that share the same space.

I am convinced that the church thrives with generations worship the Lord together. It reflects the Kingdom.

Here at Bridge of Faith we believe our children are one of the greatest assets we have. I would also say that adult generations are the greatest assets we have.

We don’t just want church for kids. We want church with kids.

We want to do life together.

When kids grow up in church where they are seen, valued, known, and loved by adults, they are far more likely to stay in the faith.

Bridge of Faith is in a great place to see this happen this Summer.

We will eat together

We will fellowship together

We will learn together

Our hope is to also draw parents into Bridge of Faith to live in the Kingdom together.

The Calling for ALL

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 HCSB

4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This calling is for All of us. This is to be in your heart.

Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you life down and when you get up.

Let them be a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.

This is for the whole of our community. Investment into the children of our community is never a waisted investment.

The shift from community parenting to competition parenting

Here at Bridge of Faith we want to make the shift away from competition parenting and into community parenting.

We want to see all children in our community thrive in Jesus which in turn causes them to thrive in all areas of their lives.

3 Practical ways you can pass on the faith this Summer.

Be present.

Be here, learn a new name, engage with others

Come to training

June 1st during Sunday school

Pray

Pray for this Summer at Bridge of Faith

Woke up in the middle of the night this week. I started stressing in the night and anxiety was hitting me.

My thoughts… What if these 4 Sundays in June this thing flops?

Here are the threats to the success of this that you can be praying about.

Students only attend Summers at the Beach on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and they don’t show up on Sundays because this is new. Pray that we keep getting the word out about program taking place on Sundays and parents want to come to church.

Adults choose not to attend because there is too much going on and don’t want to invest or devote themselves. My fear is that if you are new to Bridge of Faith then you won’t want to stick around during these Sundays.

My hope is that the Sundays will feel relaxed and that we came to hangout with family All Sunday.

WE have been commissioned to make disciples. My hope is to put us the church in the best position to carry this out.

This isn’t childcare. It’s discipleship.

This is a para church ministry or nonprofit. It is central to who we are

This isn’t just the job of staff or volunteers. It is for every single person at Bridge of Faith.