For more information on any events or announcements,
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**Time Change for In-Person Worship Service** |
Please note that our outdoor in-person worship service on Sunday mornings will now begin at 9:30AM.
For more information about our new service, please see "Join us Outdoors for In-Person Worship!" under This Week's News below.
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An Encouraging Note from Pastor Dave & Bernice Gudgel |
This is a BIG month in our lives and in the lIfe of Bridges Community Church. It's a month that we have been indirectly thinking and praying about since God brought us to BCC almost eleven years ago. It's a month that we have been directly praying about for the past year or so. This month, we as a church are seeking God's will together. Is it God's will for Dan to become the new Lead Pastor of Bridges Community Church? We believe it is. The Elders believe it is. But now it's time for God to confirm that through the Body of Christ here at BCC. We hope you are giving much thought and prayer to that question.
Dan and Beth have come into this month and this confirmation process with open hands. They are excited about the possibilities, but more than anything else, they want God to clearly show them His plan for their lives, and for BCC. We know from experience that when you are in full-time vocational ministry, it's really important that you know you are right where God wants you to be. That you are there, not because it's where you want to be, but because it's where God wants you to be. And we can testify from firsthand experience that God's way is always better than our way. His plans are always better than our plans.
Having experienced in the past what Dan and Beth are experiencing this month, here is what we know:
- They really do need your prayers for strength and wisdom and peace through this process.
- They need your expressions of love and support for them personally, no matter how you feel about the possibility of Dan becoming the next Lead Pastor here at BCC.
- They would love for you to come to one of the scheduled meetings, or contact them personally, to ask whatever questions you need to ask.
- They need you to come before God with open minds and hands, seeking His will and listening to His voice.
So if you haven't already, please jump into this process with us this month. Three all-church Zoom meetings with Dan have been scheduled. The primary reason we've planned three is so hopefully everyone can make it to at least one. The meeting links are different, and can be found on the Succession Meetings Calendar found at the top of THIS page.
We also want to encourage you to click HERE to listen to Dan's message from this past Sunday (Oct. 18), if you haven't already. It's the first of two messages where he is sharing his heart regarding what he believes "the church" should be all about. We both loved it, and we're really looking forward to this week's message!
This is a big month. One that is already passing by quickly. And we personally are so excited to see where God leads us--and Dan and Beth, and Bridges Community Church--in the days ahead, as together we all seek His will.
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Join Us Outdoors for In-Person Worship! |
Praise the Lord! Santa Clara County has cleared churches to gather for in-person worship! Since state and county regulations still prohibit indoor singing, we will begin with an outdoor gathering on Sundays at 9:30AM on the BCC patio (or parking lot, depending on group size). Online worship will continue at the same level of quality we've been enjoying together for the past several months, so please join us for worship in whichever style you choose*.
Nursery care and preschool will be offered by pre-registration. To request a spot, email [email protected].
We are continually working to provide a safe worship environment by following all of the state and county guidelines for social distancing and sanitization. In order to be safe and keep each other healthy, the following apply to all in-person gatherings:
- Please stay home if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or recent loss of taste or smell)
- Maintain 6 feet of social distance at all times
- Masks will be required at all times (except for those on the platform leading the service, who will increase social distancing accordingly)
- All areas will be sanitized before services (including high touch surfaces and restrooms)
- Chairs will be sanitized before your arrival, but feel free to bring your own chair if you're more comfortable
*In order to comply with local contact tracing guidelines, we ask that you pre-register if you plan to join us in person this: Click here to register. We cannot wait to worship together as a BCC family--in person!
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Dan Stockum Will Preach Again This Sun., Oct. 25 |
This Sun., Oct. 25, Pastor Dan will preach the second of two messages that focus on his desires and passion for the future of BCC. If Dan is confirmed as our next Lead Pastor, what beliefs and practices would be at the heart of his ministry? Please pray for Pastor Dan as he prepares and preaches what God is laying on his heart. |
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Lead Pastor Transition Updates |
Is God calling Pastor Dan to be our next Lead Pastor? Up-to-date information on the Lead Pastor transition and confirmation process can be found HERE.
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Succession Meetings Continue |
From now through Oct. 28, the BCC family has many opportunities to talk to Pastor Dan over Zoom as part of our Lead Pastor transition and confirmation process. At these meetings you will have the chance to ask Pastor Dan questions and hear his heart. You can find a calendar of the meetings at the top of this page. Most of the meetings are for specific groups, so we encourage you to find the one(s) you are a part of and attend those. If you are not part of any of the specific groups, there are a number of Open Zoom Meetings that are for anyone to attend. If you have questions, please email [email protected].
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New Women's Bible Study -- Mondays with Missie |
All women are invited to join Director of Women's Ministries Missie Fennell for a new Bible study! Mondays with Missie starts on Oct. 26 at 7:00PM on Zoom, and we'll spend 6 weeks discussing Max Lucado's Life Lessons from Philippians. If you're interested in participating, please order a book (from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) and email Missie for the Zoom meeting ID and passcode: [email protected].
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Like everything in 2020, Family Fun Night will look different this year—but we’ll still share God’s love, grace, kindness, and hope with our guests! By ensuring everyone’s safety and minimizing chances of virus transmission, we can keep the tradition going. And we can give kids something familiar in this year of craziness and change. FFN on Oct. 30 will be an entirely DRIVE-THRU “Trick-Car-Treat” event, all done from the safety of cars. We will practice social distancing and masks will be required by all volunteers and participants. But we need your help to make it a success! We typically ask for 12-15 decorated Trick-CAR-Treat cars, but this year we’ll need 30. And, as always, we need LOTS of candy and small toys. Join us as we PRAY for the planning and the people God will bring to our campus that night.
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Make Sure You're Registered to Vote! |
God created three institutions: the family, church, and government. Voting is a fundamental way for Christians to have their voices heard in the government, and the BCC Elder Board encourages everyone to be an informed voter. If you want to check the status of your voter registration, go to: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
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Supporting Mount Hermon in a Difficult Year |
For many years now, members of our BCC family have enjoyed the restful, natural atmosphere that Mount Hermon provides at its yearlong schedule of Christian conferences in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They’ve even been a wonderful host to our past several Women’s Retreats! Mount Hermon joins so many of our local businesses and ministries that have had to pause during the difficulties this year has seen, from the coronavirus pandemic to the California wildfires. Because of this, Mount Hermon had to cancel all of their conferences and group camps since March 8, which means that they have had no income during that time. Even so, they have generously housed many people who were displaced by the recent fires. To enable this incredible ministry to continue serving our community, would you consider giving a financial gift? Their goal is to raise $1.3 million by this year’s end. Please visit mounthermon.org/give to make a donation.
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Finance Update as of October 18, 2020 |
These are our current year-to-date giving figures: Actual is $197,045; budgeted is $211,570; shortfall is $14,525. We are now 6.9% below General Fund budgeted contributions for the church year, which runs Sept. 1 - Aug. 31.
We thank God for your faithful giving to the Lord through our BCC ministries. If you're not giving online yet but would like to, click HERE. If you prefer to give by check, please mail it to 625 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94024.
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Speaker: Pastor Dan Stockum
Scripture Focus: Galatians 2:9-15
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Some churches emphasize truth and doctrine. Other churches emphasize service to the community, the marginalized, and the world. The fully biblical church will be passionately committed to both. Neither can be minimized for the sake of the other. And while BCC certainly has room to grow, perhaps we will discover the most significant growth must first happen in our own hearts. Join us this Sunday for the conclusion of this 2-part series. |
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Use YouVersion Live This Sunday |
"YouVersion Bible" is a free app available on most smart phones and mobile devices. Each week, we upload our message notes to YouVersion so you can connect more deeply with the day's teaching. Download the app from Apple's App Store or wherever applications for your device are available. |
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Last Sunday's Message Online Now |
Missed last week's message? Click to watch October 18: "Word & Deed, Part 1" by Pastor Dan Stockum. All past Sunday messages are available on our Sermons page.
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In place of our on-campus worship services, click HERE to access our online services.
You can also listen to our entire worship service on your phone by calling 650-209-7367 anytime after 9:00AM on Sundays. The service will be accessible all week.
Families of kids in preschool through grade 5 are invited to online Sunday School and family devotions HERE!
Connect with one of our BCC pastors at Coffee with a Pastor on Zoom on Sundays at 3:00PM. Click HERE to join us. The passcode is: Pastor.
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Our BCC family prays together on Wednesdays at noon. We'd love to have you join us, even if you can only get away from other things for five minutes. When we come before God's throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need, God hears our prayers and always answers. And we have many things to pray about right now, including our Lead Pastor transition and confirmation process that just got underway. We invite you to join our prayer time HERE on Zoom every Wednesday at noon. The passcode is: Prayer.
If you can't make the noon meeting, a new prayer group also meets on Wednesdays at 7:00PM on Zoom. Please use the same Zoom link and passcode as above.
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Some of our BCC Life Groups and ministries are meeting virtually using Zoom, an online video conferencing tool. Click HERE to see the groups that are meeting regularly. To join one of our Zoom groups, please contact the group leader. For help setting up a BCC Zoom group of your own, email [email protected]. For ideas on more ways to keep in touch and continue our great connections, check out connectbcc.org/stayconnected.
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Are You Receiving Our Other Informative Emails? |
Every week, we communicate important updates to our BCC family via email. In addition to the eNewsletter you're reading now, we send a Friday Video Roundup from Pastor Dave on Fridays and a Weekend Watch on Saturdays to recap what's going on in the BCC community. If you're not yet getting these weekly updates, sign up HERE.
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BCC Office Has Gone Virtual |
Although the BCC office is physically closed, we're still here to help. Email any staff member using the format [email protected], or send a general email to [email protected]. You can also leave a message at 650-948-5698, and one of our staff or pastors will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Need help picking up groceries, setting up tech tools or equipment, running errands, etc.? We have a team of people who are ready and willing to help. Just click HERE to let us know your need, and we will make sure you're taken care of.
If you're able and willing to help others during this time, especially those who cannot leave their homes, please click HERE.
Our BCC Pantry offers items like toilet paper, paper towels, soap, disposable gloves, face masks, and disinfectant sprays. If you or someone you know is in need of an item listed, email Sujana Panthulu ([email protected]) or Mark Liu ([email protected]). The Pantry is open by appointment only.
If you have a prayer request that our BCC staff can pray over, please email it to [email protected].
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Connect with Us on Facebook |
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Bridges Community Church
625 Magdalena Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94024
Ph: 650.948.5698 Fax: 650.949.6052
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