Chuck Bridges Blog

In November 2007 we Unveiled a New Vision plan for the 21st Century ministries of Washington Avenue Church. God has blessed in and through the ministries of this great church for many years. After a “near-death” experience, God has blessed the efforts of those who hung on to a dream that this could one day be a thriving ministry again. While we have had many ups and downs over the past 6 years, I can honestly say that we have charted a course that can take this church into this challenging segment of what the Bible calls “The Last Days!”

To quickly and concisely identify our Vision Strategy we formulated a Vision Statement. That statement is…

“Do Whatever It Takes to reach Whoever We Can with the HOPE we have found in Christ.” (1Cor.9:22)

One of the key phrases in this Vision Statement is “Whatever It Takes!” This phrase speaks volumes about what we are willing to do to help people who are Far From God come near and experience His salvation, hope and love! The question I have is this: “What does it take?” What can churches in our mixed-up culture do to really show those who are tired of the empty lifestyles they are living that Jesus has something better planned for them?

I have often said and heard it said that there is no limit to what God can do with a group of people who are madly in love with Jesus, sincerely loving each other, and who will “DO WHATEVER TI TAKES” to bring others into our gatherings with the hope and prayer that they too will be TRANSFORMED!

For years there was an unwritten rule (sometimes it was more overt) that you had to “dress up” to go to church. Therefore, many people outside the church said they couldn’t come because they didn’t have the right kind of  clothes. So, we made it the norm to dress casually and comfortably in the hopes that some would come knowing that they will be welcome no matter how they are dressed (of course this is not an “anything goes” policy — decency and holiness are very important!)

Some people don’t go because of music styles or conventional seating or long sermons that aren’t really connected to where we live. So, we try to format the Biblical Messages with current themes that help people — both our saved people and others who may decide to come — apply Biblical truth to the way we live each and every day. Through the years I have heard many times from people who go to visit a church and no one speaks to them (or they “feel” like an outsider). So, it is our goal to make everyone feel like an “INSIDER” no matter how many times they have been! We saturate our entry ways and parking lots with smiling Guest Ministry Assistants (GMAs) to help people feel loved!

You also notice in our statement that we are willing to Do Whatever It Takes to REACH WHOEVER WE CAN. We know how difficult it is to get people in our part of the world to come to a church service. After all, most of them have been and don’t really want to go back. Our heart is to continue to DO whatever it takes knowing that we will not reach everybody! But, if we just reach one, it is all worth it.

This Sunday we begin a series called “Whatever It Takes” that will take us into Easter. We will examine a few of the multiple examples in Scripture of how God has been willing to Do Whatever It Takes to redeem us since the very beginning of the world! I hope you will come and join us. Make plans now to be here on Easter Sunday (April 12) and invite others to come with you!