In increasing intensity, churches are irrelevant and Christians are invisible. The traditions of "doing church" hold no value to those struggling with the cares of the world. God Himself is distant at best, non-existant at worst. And by association, Christians are out-of-touch with the pulse of the community. So, the prevailing thought is to "keep those church people at arms-length, and let us get
on with our lives." JBC gets it. How can one possibly understand the passions, the loves, the loneliness, the needs, of the community if he or she hides inside the church building hoping a visitor walks in? That's not how relationships are built; that's not how trust is earned. Jericho Bridge does not "do church"; we ARE the Church. Just as Jesus Christ walked among the people, was moved by their calls for help, and met those needs through practical and spiritual means, our purpose - why we exist - is to help bridge the gaps in people's lives. We connect. We build bridges. We foster and develop relationships between people and Jesus, between people in the church and those not in a church, between generations, between communities, and even between churches. Our passion is to come alongside poeple in our community, serve with them in their passions. Only through the building of relationship bridges will we in the church be able to show Christ's love for all. Watch for us! We'll be out and about in the community... tending the gardens, working the trails, cleaning up the beaches, setting the orchestra chairs and risers in place, and... just helping. The Meaning of our Name:
Jericho, as you may know, was the first city on the other side of the Jordan that the Israelites came to. To us, it represents God’s promises. From the mountain on the other side of the Jordan, the Lord showed Moses the whole land of Canaan, and told him that was the Israelites’ inheritance. And God showed His faithfulness and His strength by going before Joshua and the Israelites, delivering Jericho to them by destroying the walls of the city with mere marching and a loud shout. With Jericho in our name, we are to always remember and proclaim God’s promises, and that it is He who delivers on those promises in His timing. Bridge, is significant because JBC is to be a bridge, helping people cross divides they cannot span.
• a bridge between people and God, by pointing them to Jesus Christ;
• a bridge between Christians and the lost, by extending the same grace and love Jesus gives us;
• a bridge between the Church and the community, through serving and caring about the things that are important to them;
• a bridge between churches, by recognizing and appreciating each other for the heart we all have for our community. Church, to acknowledge and proclaim that we were bought for a price, that Jesus Christ is the head of The Church, and that we are His bride.
