APRIL 2017
FAMILY NEWS

Beholding the Lamb of God  and the  Risen King
by Pastor Steve Lively
Luke 18:31-33
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
 
This passage is good for us to reflect upon as we ready ourselves for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We see Him as both the Lamb that was slain and the Victorious King over sin and death! Jesus was completely prepared for the Cross. It was not a surprise. He prayed to the Father to give Him the strength to endure and He prayed for His Disciples as well. He tried to inform them many times of what was to come in Jerusalem. But they didn't understand the painful gravity or the joyous, life-changing results of what lay ahead.

Is it possible that we, too, have become so familiar with "Easter" that we aren't fully understanding the wonder of it anymore? Perhaps it's because we know "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say. Or maybe it's because we have forgotten the deep, deep mercy and grace that we have received through Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. This is the one time during the year that we, as Christians, have the opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel and celebrate what it means for mankind.  I imagine that most non-believers actually expect this of us and are not offended by it. So, as believers, what are we doing to prepare for this opportunity? Here are some ideas:
  1. Read the account of the Resurrection and the events leading up to it in the Gospels. You may have forgotten some of the details or have never before noticed something that may rekindle your anticipation of the Passion Week.
  2. Pray and ask God to prepare your heart. Also, pray for those of us who will be preparing the worship services during this time. Pray that God's Spirit will spur people on to receiving Christ or renewing their relationship with Him.
  3. Remember and meditate on the Gift of salvation that You have received.
  4. Consider who you might invite to join you at one of the services.
As a reminder, our Good Friday Service will be on Friday evening, April 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Worship Center. It will be an intimate and introspective time of worship and consideration of Christ's sacrifice. Communion will be shared. Our time of teaching and music will be presented by Jeff Thomas and his family, as well as other members of our Worship Ministry.

On Resurrection Sunday, April 16, we will have TWO services, at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., also in the Worship Center. These services will feature our Bridge Chorale and soloists, our Worship Band, a testimony from one of our own about how God has worked in their life, and a clear Gospel message from Pastor Paul. We encourage you to COME early to whichever service you choose. This will give you plenty of time to park and find your seats. We will also enjoy a great time of fellowship at The Bridge Café which will be open between the two services.

Let's all set our minds and our hearts to PREPARE for this Glorious Celebration!
Randy's Top 10 List
by Pastor Randy Leinen

Each month, I am going to provide a list of the top 10 news items for TBBF. These news items will address facility changes/improvements, ministry updates, technology improvements, and a host of other things that I think will be of interest to our church congregation. These posts will give you some really helpful information. Enjoy!
  1. New DrivewayAs of last Sunday, we opened our new 2-way driveway on the south side of the Bridge Kids building. The installation of a new gate and rod iron fencing are currently being finished. We are also planning to make some visual improvements in the near future, such as planting a row of trees between the driveway and the house on the south side of the driveway.  
  2. Old DrivewayThe old driveway on the north side of the Bridge Kids building is now gone. The old entrance is now a curb along Yolanda. Rod iron fencing is being installed to completely close in the area to match the rest of the property along Yolanda.
  3. Bridge Cafe ExpansionWe have some major plans to expand and beautify the Bridge Cafe. Initially, we are removing the rod iron fencing along the old driveway. Next we will be taking down the cement brick wall that surrounds the Bridge Cafe. This will create a large open area. Stay tuned for more details on other future changes.
  4. Exterior PaintWe have been in the process of painting the exterior of Burch Hall, C-Bldg, D-Bldg, E-Bldg, G-Bldg, I-Bldg, J-Bldg, and K-Bldg. That's a lot of buildings and a lot of paint! Some have asked how we determined the color scheme. Good question. A little less than a year ago, we hired an architectural design firm to help us with our campus remodel. They are a well-known company called PlainJoe Studios that has worked on over 300 churches nationwide. We are happy that they have been helping design a master color scheme that allows each of our buildings with differing styles and architecture to have a more cohesive feel to them. We hope everyone enjoys the new look!   
  5. SignsWe are continuing to add signage around the campus to help with navigation, wayfinding, and to provide an overall welcoming atmosphere. Due to some of the high winds we have to replace a number of signs that have been blown away, literally. 
  6. Bridge Cafe CoffeeWe have a new coffee maker! It is high tech and makes good, hot coffee that stays hot! Make sure you tell Briana how much you love it. 
  7. Diane BrownOur wonderful pastor's wife has long desired to assist in making TBBF a more desirable place for people to attend and to serve. In order to place more emphasis on these areas, we have decided to bring Diane on staff as Director of Special Projects. She will be focusing on hospitality and volunteerism. Please look forward to hearing more from her about these things in the weeks and months ahead!  
  8. New CarpetOur Worship Center has now been completely re-carpeted. We hope you enjoy the new look!
  9. Live StreamOur Worship Services on Sunday morning can now be seen live if you are unable to make it in person. Please go to our website (www.tbbfchurch.org) to watch live or recorded services. You can also listen to audio versions of our services as well as our new radio program on KKLA (The Bridge Radio Episodes). 
  10. Master Plan: PlainJoe Studios has presented us with a vision/plan for the future of our campus. It is a long term, master plan. They will be working with the City of Los Angeles to obtain approval for the long term development of our property. Along the way, we will have some great visuals to present, showing the potential opportunities to make our campus even better. State tuned!
 
© 2016 The Bridge Bible Fellowship
18644 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
phone: 818.776.1500 | fax: 818.881.0327