January 2022 Announcements

January Mission Partner: Mosaic PHC transforms lives by providing free, life-affirming pregnancy & sexual health services, education and Christ-centered support. During the month of January, The Bridge will match your donations designated to Mosaic up to $500.

Communion: 1/16 and 1/30

Brunch at The Bridge: Ladies - Make plans to join us for brunch on Saturday, January 22 at 9 AM. This is a great opportunity to connect with friends and make new ones. RSVP through the Facebook event.

January Memory Verse:

Fliers with the monthly memory verse are now available at child check-in. Each week our Bridge Kids will work on the verse in class, but the best way to commit it to memory is practicing throughout the month. You can find a song to help here:

Children’s Ministry Updates: We are excited to use The Gospel Story for Kids curriculum beginning in 2022. Focusing on key Bible stories that highlight God’s plan of redemption, this curriculum will help our Bridge Kids see that the Bible is one story with Jesus as the hero!

Corresponding devotions to use at home throughout the week can be found in The Gospel Story Bible and Long Story Short. These are great resources to use with your kids to help them grow in their understanding of the Bible.

Find the Children's Ministry schedule HERE!

Looking for some kid friendly music to listen to in the car? Check out our Bridge Kids playlists! Featuring our monthly memory verses as well as lots of other fun songs, you can find these on both Spotify and Amazon.

IF:2022 is a two-day event where women all over the world gather together, get equipped, and discover the next step in their calling: to go and make disciples. Register for IF: The Bridge HERE!

Bridge Family Meeting: Mark your calendar for February 6 at 6:00 PM and come hear what is in store for The Bridge in 2022.

Freed-Up Financial Living - Saturdays Feb 12, Feb 19th and Feb 26th from 9am-noon in the Adult class room at The Bridge (cost for this course is FREE, registration deadline is Sunday, Feb 6th)

• Freed-Up from Debt - May TBD (one day)

• Freed-Up in Later Life - Aug TBD (one day)

• Raising Financially Freed-Up Kids - Nov TBD (one day)

Interested? Look for the Registration table in the Lobby beginning Sunday, January 16th!

As a church that is for our city, we want to encourage those who call The Bridge their home to check out and support local events and live missionally in our community.

January 8: Eagle Ice Fest @ The Audubon Center at Riverlands 

January 15: Community Clothes Swap @ Milton Schoolhouse

January 17: Moonlight Hike @ The Nature Institute

Welcome Team: Those on the Welcome Team are the first point of contact for people as they enter the building. We are looking for friendly greeters to serve once a month. Contact Nikki Fiedler if you would like to shadow and learn more.

Student Ministries: Middle and high school student ministries will resume on Sunday, January 16.

Women’s Bible Study: Imagine walking the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus of Nazareth—braving jostling crowds just to touch the edge of His cloak and hear Him say, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Those words, once meant to comfort a hurting woman’s soul thousands of years ago, were also meant for you.

Join us on Monday mornings beginning on January 10, 2022 as biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland transports us back to Jesus’ world, following in the footsteps of the women who came face-to-face with the Living God. Jesus and Women examines the historical and cultural climate of first-century Middle Eastern society to not only help us understand Jesus more deeply but to fuel our worship of Him today. Childcare is available for this study. See Natalie Runyon for details.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.

Announcements for December 2021

Prison Fellowship Gift Delivery: Thanks to the generosity of our Bridge Family, we have collected gifts for 35 local children who will spend their Christmas apart from a parent who is incarcerated. We have created a “party to go” bag for each family containing hot cocoa and cookie decorating kits, Christmas ornament crafts, and other activities, along with gospel centered material provided by Prison Fellowship. We will be delivering these, along with each child’s gift on Saturday, December 11. We are looking for cheerful volunteers to help deliver. If you’d like to participate, please contact Cathy Coffman. 

Communion: 12/12 and 12/19 at the Candlelight Service

Christmas Caroling and Cocoa: Whether you are a skilled singer or can hardly carry a tune, we need you! On Sunday, December 12 at 6:00 PM we will be caroling through the Middletown neighborhood. The more, the merrier! We will carol for about an hour and then enjoy hot cocoa in the Fellowship Hall. 

Christmas Candlelight Service: The Candlelight Service is a special night of worship at The Bridge. Bring your friends and family and join us Sunday, December 19 at 6:00 PM. This service fills up quickly, so plan to arrive early.

December Memory Verse:

Fliers with the monthly memory verse are now available at child check-in. Each week our Bridge Kids will work on the verse in class, but the best way to commit it to memory is practicing throughout the month. You can find a song to help here:

Children’s Ministry Updates: We are excited to use The Gospel Story for Kids curriculum beginning in 2022. Focusing on key Bible stories that highlight God’s plan of redemption, this curriculum will help our Bridge Kids see that the Bible is one story with Jesus as the hero!

Corresponding devotions to use at home throughout the week can be found in The Gospel Story Bible and Long Story Short. These are great resources to use with your kids to help them grow in their understanding of the Bible

Looking for some kid friendly music to listen to in the car? Check out our Bridge Kids playlists! Featuring our monthly memory verses as well as lots of other fun songs, you can find these on both Spotify and Amazon.

As a church that is for our city, we want to encourage those who call The Bridge their home to check out and support local events and live missionally in our community.

December 3: First Fridays Late Night Art and Shopping Experience in Downtown Alton

December 3: Towata: A Celebration of Art // Opening at Jacoby Arts Center

December 4-5: ABOB Olde Alton Arts & Craft Fair @ Alton High School

December 17-18: Espwa Collective Fair Trade Pop-Up @ Post Commons

December 19: Anchor Co. Night of Worship at 7PM @ Post Commons

Student Ministries: Students are invited to participate in the Christmas Caroling and Cocoa on 12/12. Middle and high school student ministries will resume on Sunday, January 9.

Women’s Bible Study: Imagine walking the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus of Nazareth—braving jostling crowds just to touch the edge of His cloak and hear Him say, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Those words, once meant to comfort a hurting woman’s soul thousands of years ago, were also meant for you.

Join us on Monday mornings beginning on January 10, 2022 as biblical culturalist Kristi McLelland transports us back to Jesus’ world, following in the footsteps of the women who came face-to-face with the Living God. Jesus and Women examines the historical and cultural climate of first-century Middle Eastern society to not only help us understand Jesus more deeply but to fuel our worship of Him today. Childcare is available for this study. See Natalie Runyon for details.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.

Announcements for November 2021

November Mission Partner: Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Ministry

One in 28 children in the U.S. has a parent behind bars - equal to one child in each classroom. Incarceration can strain family ties to the breaking point. Prison Fellowship Angel Tree provides an opportunity for local congregations to extend the hope of the Gospel and enfold Angel Tree families into church life through delivering Christmas gifts, and more.

The Bridge Christmas tree will be decorated with more than lights and ornaments this year! You’ll soon see 35 angel gift tags for area children. Through the month of November, rather than donating to our mission partner, please take a tag from the tree and purchase a gift for a child on behalf of their incarcerated parent. Place your gift under our tree and we will deliver them in December. If you’d like to help deliver, or have questions, contact Cathy Coffman or Natalie Runyon.

Communion: November 21

If you are tuning in via livestream and would like the elements delivered to you, please contact Natalie Runyon or Nikki Fiedler.

21 Days of Prayer: From November 1 - November 21 we are asking each person who calls The Bridge their home to join us in focused and intentional prayer. Below are some details on our 21 day prayer initiative. We will be utilizing an app called Pray First. The app has prayer plans, music, and areas for you to record your prayers. There are a lot of resources! Feel free to use them as you feel led. For this particular initiative, we will use the following schedule:

11/1-11/7 - Lord's Prayer
11/8-11/14 - Prayer of Jabez and Psalm 23 (11/12), James 4:8 (11/13), Romans 8:38-39 (11/14)
11/15-11/21 - Those Who Need God and Jeremiah 29:11-13 (11/20), Hebrews 13:5 (11/21)

If you do not have the capability to download an app, or prefer not to, you can find much of the same information here: https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/files/2021/2021-pray-first.pdf

The church sanctuary will be open for prayer at the following times during the initiative:
Monday - 12-12:21 PM
Tuesday - 8-8:21 AM
Wed. - 12-12:21 PM
Thursday - 8-8:21 AM
Friday - 8-8:21 AM
Each Sunday morning, the building will be open at 9 AM for anyone who wants to come inside and pray. We encourage you to prayer walk around and through the building from 9-9:21 AM.

Should you desire specific prayer during these twenty-one days, we will have an intercessory prayer team available to pray for and with you. If you would like to uphold others in prayer and join the intercessory prayer team, please contact Pastor Steven or Natalie Runyon. Follow The Bridge on FB and IG as we share personal stories of those whose lives have been impacted through prayer.

Advent: During the Advent season, which begins November 28, our Children’s Ministry teachers will be using a curriculum called Prepare Him Room. This will also be the title of our Advent sermon series. There is a corresponding family devotional and music that we want to encourage our Bridge family to utilize during this season.

The family devotional can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Prepare-Him-Room-Celebrating-Devotional/dp/1939946530/ref=nodl_

And the album here: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2S4hScXPQwHVngKf46D9WW6tuBp1Wtro

November Memory Verse:

Our November memory verse is the first of our two scripture memory passages for Advent. As you memorize these verses, dwell on what they tell us about Jesus. Which of these names most ministers to your heart right now and why? Ask your kids the same. Listen to the song throughout the month and you’ll find memorizing scripture is easier than you thought!

Bridge Family Movie Night: “Just keep swimming!” Swim (or drive!) on down to the Roxana Nazarene Theater, Saturday, November 13 at 6:00 PM. We will be watching Finding Nemo and Pastor Steven will share how we can see hints of the gospel in every good story. The movie is free and concessions will be available for purchase.

Mountain TOP Parent Meeting: Is your middle or high school student interested in attending the Mountain TOP mission trip in July 2022? There will be a parent meeting on Sunday, November 14 at 11:45 AM that will cover details such as the financial obligations of participants, information on dates and deadlines, and some changes to next summer's trip, as well as a time for Q&A.

High School Friendsgiving: Who doesn’t love Friendsgiving?! High school students - bring a dish that represents your family in some way, invite your friends and meet us in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, November 28 from 6-8 PM.

The Gospel Coalition’s 2022 Women’s Conference: When the trials of life weigh us down, meditating on our great salvation helps restore our joy. This hope is the theme of our upcoming women’s conference, Remember Your Joy. Over three days we will gather with women from around the world to consider how seven Old Testament stories point to our greater salvation in Christ—and lead us to greater joy. From June 16-18, 2022, The Gospel Coalition will be holding a conference for women in Indianapolis. If you’d like to attend along with other women from The Bridge, please contact Natalie Runyon or Jacquelyn Cato. For more details, check out https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/tgcw22/#theme

Save the Date:

Christmas Caroling and Cookies: Sunday, December 12 at 6:00 PM

Christmas Candlelight Service: Sunday, December 19 at 6:00 PM

IF: Gathering- March 4-5, 2022

Women’s Advent Study: Our Hope Has Come - In this 5-session Advent study, we will take a closer look at the Christmas story and the hope revealed in the lives of people in the Bible whose obedience and yeses to God’s plans, even in difficult times, gave them great joy and led to God’s glory in their lives and generations to come. As we explore the hope that Jesus brings, we'll learn to trust God's care for us as His beloved children in both times of abundance and times of lament.

No matter what you’re facing, at just the right time, in the fullness of time, God will act on your behalf too. In fact, He already has. In the advent season, we celebrate God’s kindness to us, even as we wait on the future hope to come.

Join us on Mondays from 10-11:30 AM beginning November 15. To order a book, contact Natalie Runyon this week.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.

Announcements for October 2021

October Mission Partner: Overnight Warming Centers - Alton

This month The Bridge will match up to $500 in donations for Overnight Warming Centers - Alton. To receive the match, include OWC in the memo of your check, or click HERE to give online and select OWC as the donation purpose.

OWC Mission Statement:

Get Inside — The first part of the strategy is simple: provide a warm place for those most vulnerable to dangerously cold weather in our city to seek refuge. If our neighbors can survive the night, they get another chance to heal and live the life they are meant for.

Get Connected — Next, we bring the wider community together to learn from one another, be transformed by one another’s stories, and to become a social support system for each other as our mutual neediness is uncovered.

Get Well — Lastly, we actively build partnerships with area organizations and service providers so that through the relationships we build we can appropriately connect individuals to resources they need to move towards stability and flourishing. We also know our city’s systems need to get well, so we identify gaps in services and advocate for more effective and just solutions for housing and employment.

Communion: October 10th, 31st

If you are tuning in via livestream and would like the elements delivered to you, please contact Natalie Runyon or Nikki Fiedler.

Children's Ministry: There will be no children's church for 4th and 5th grade on Sunday, October 31st.

October Memory Verse: Our Bridge Family memory verse for October is Acts 17:24-25. 

InterVarsity: God is opening doors for InterVarsity to begin a ministry at Lewis and Clark College! Annie McCormick from InterVarsity will be hosting a prayer walk on Monday, October 4th at 6:00pm on LCCC's campus. This gathering is for anyone interested in being a part of the support team. If you are willing to pray for this campus and ministry, or are a potential student, we would love for you to join us! For more details, email connect@bridgetograce.org

Healing Haiti: Gather your friends and get your running/walking shoes laced up for our annual Run/Walk for Haiti! This year’s theme, “Miles for Meals”’ leverages your passion for running/walking to impact vulnerable families in Cite Soleil. In the wake of COVID-19 and political instability, the residents of Cite Soleil face unprecedented food shortages. Over the past 15 years, we’ve developed a reputation for meeting the physical and spiritual needs of Cite Soleil through sustainable practices. For just $0.27, we can provide a child, elder, or mother living in Cite Soleil with a locally-sourced meal while connecting them to the ongoing work of the local church. At Healing Haiti, we’re about feeding body and soul. So join us Saturday, October 9th for our Virtual Run/Walk and turn your miles into meals for Haitian families: https://bit.ly/2X2QWBC

Womens' Bible Study: In the fall, we will take an in-depth look at the Book of Jude. While often overlooked, the Book of Jude remains as relevant today as the time it was written. God has commanded His beloved church to do the necessary work of contending for the faith in a world of unbelief, and as we do, He will keep us from falling into the same deception. Using a 7-session study from Jackie Hill Perry, we will dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts deemed attractive by our culture. We will meet on Mondays from 10:00-11:30 AM beginning on 9/13. For more info, contact Martha Pfister or Abby Barham.

Cultural Apologetics: “Why does God Allow Evil, Pain and Suffering?” It is a timeless question we all wrestle with in our lives and during difficult times like the pandemic. The question is one of the most pressing challenges to Christianity. Please join us at 9:00 am to discuss some compelling answers and examine scripture regarding a tough subject. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Nickel.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.

Announcements for September 2021

September Mission Partner: African Christian Outreach

With discipleship as the intentional foundation, African Christian Outreach continues to mold young men and women into change agents, with the mindset of investing their lives in those God puts them around. Stretched across four countries in East Africa, ACO disciples college students, equips churches to minister to youth, and runs several community initiatives including a crisis pregnancy center. This month The Bridge will match up to $500 in donations African Christian Outreach. To receive the match, include ACO in the memo of your check.

Communion: September 19th

If you are tuning in via livestream and would like the elements delivered to you, please contact Natalie Runyon or Nikki Fiedler.

9/11 Day of Remembrance and Prayer: On the 20th anniversary of 9/11 we will be opening the doors of the church for anyone who wants to pray or receive prayer. Especially for our veterans and military, the last few months have been difficult and we want to uphold them in prayer. Please come to pray anytime between 9-11 AM. For more details, contact Nikki Fiedler.

Alpha Youth: Beginning September 12, middle and high school students will have the opportunity to share dinner together, watch a talk about faith, and then participate in discussion through the Alpha Youth course. This course will be offered in the fall in place of our regular Youth Ministry program. For more details, check out this video. Please register for the course HERE. Alpha Youth will meet in lieu of youth group for the next nine weeks.

September Memory Verse: Our Bridge Family memory verse for September is Matthew 28:19-20. As we study the remainder of Acts 15 and into chapter 16, notice how often the words “sent”, “send” and “went” are used. Though the first part of the Great Commission tells us to “go”, and gives us a command to follow, I think what gives us courage to go is the promise from Jesus- He is with us always- even to the end of the age. I’m sure that brought comfort to Paul and Silas in prison, and it reassures us as well. The world seems chaotic and uncertain, but our Savior still calls us to go and tell others that there is one who holds us secure- today, tomorrow, and through to the end. No matter what, He is with us, and that brings peace like nothing else can.

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The Bridge - Stories of Community:

The Lord always knows what we need, often laying the groundwork long before we’re aware of the deficiency. Martha and I were wanting to be more involved at church and having recently moved to Alton, we also were in need of some friends. Enter the Community Groups at The Bridge, which fulfilled spiritual and personal needs in our lives.

The most immediate impact was the new friendships we made. Our group is geared toward families with younger kids, so our energetic boys were welcomed and had other kids to play with. This allowed us to get to know our Community Group members, and we could quickly bond over parenting and current stages of life.

We appreciate these friendships as well as the substance of our weekly conversations. We’ve been struck by how much we needed this mid-week spiritual pick-me-up. The lesson from Sunday morning can get drowned out by the noise of the day; having a mid-week Bible study and discussing the upcoming week’s scripture passage provides several benefits. It allows us to go into church having done our prep work, and we’ve found the sermons to be more impactful. It also breaks up that noise and gives dedicated Bible study time when it’s easy to be focusing on some mid-week chore.

Last and certainly not least, it’s connected us with families who genuinely and frequently pray for one another. We’ve had loss and illness, joys and celebrations, and it’s special to share those with believers of Jesus Christ, who you know will continually lift you up in prayer as a group but also in their own prayer life.

God wants us to fellowship, so if your Community Group has an open spot, reach out to someone at church and if you’re not in a Community Group, drop a line to The Bridge leadership team as they care deeply about this ministry and will get you connected.

-Alex Pfister

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Pro Presenter: We need 2-3 people who would like to learn how to use Pro Presenter and be on a monthly rotation to run the words on the screen during worship. If this is somewhere you would like to serve, send an email to James.schulz@bridgetograce.org.

Special Event Planning: Are you a creative who loves planning events? If you'd like to be part of a team that helps organize events like the Back to School Bash and Pool Party please contact Natalie Runyon.

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Womens' Bible Study: In the fall, we will take an in-depth look at the Book of Jude. While often overlooked, the Book of Jude remains as relevant today as the time it was written. God has commanded His beloved church to do the necessary work of contending for the faith in a world of unbelief, and as we do, He will keep us from falling into the same deception. Using a 7-session study from Jackie Hill Perry, we will dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts deemed attractive by our culture. We will meet on Mondays from 10:00-11:30 AM beginning on 9/13. For more info, contact Martha Pfister at or Abby Barham.

Cultural Apologetics: “Why does God Allow Evil, Pain and Suffering?” It is a timeless question we all wrestle with in our lives and during difficult times like the pandemic. The question is one of the most pressing challenges to Christianity. Please join us at 9:00 am to discuss some compelling answers and examine scripture regarding a tough subject. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Nickel.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.

Announcements for August 2021

August Mission Partner: First Fruits

First Fruits is a local Christian discipleship ministry that helps people break free of addiction. To learn more about First Fruits, and their mission of ministering the Gospel to those who struggle with life controlling issues, join us on Sunday, August 15. Following church we will share a meal with the men and women from First Fruits in the Fellowship Hall. Fried chicken will be provided. If you attend, please bring a side dish or dessert to share. In addition to regular monthly support, The Bridge matches up to $500 in donations for our monthly mission partners. To receive the match, include First Fruits in the memo of your check.

Communion: August 8th, August 29th

If you are tuning in via livestream and would like the elements delivered to you, please contact Natalie Runyon or Nikki Fiedler.

Bridge Family Pool Party: Friday, August 13 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Roxana Pool. The Bridge will provide hot dogs, chips, drinks and sno cones. Please RSVP HERE!

Back to School Bash: Food, games, bounce houses, and free school supplies. This event is for Bridge kids and neighborhood kids alike! Let's welcome the new school year together on Saturday, August 14 from 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM, here on The Bridge lawn. If you can help with games, set-up, tear down, etc. please contact Natalie Runyon. Click HERE for the Facebook event.

Baptism: Buried with Christ in his death, and raised to new life in Him. We love to celebrate baptisms at The Bridge! Our next baptism service is coming up on Sunday, August 15. If you'd like to take this step in your faith journey, contact Pastor Steven at pastor@bridgetograce.org.

Promotion Sunday: With the start of the new school year, it's time for our Bridge kids to move up to the next grade in Children's Ministry. On Sunday August 22, we will send our students to their new classes with a prayer of blessing. We will have a special gift for all children who attend that day. 

August has five Sundays. On fifth Sundays, our 4th-5th graders do not have class, but remain in worship.

Alpha Youth: Beginning September 12, middle and high school students will have the opportunity to share dinner together, watch a talk about faith, and then participate in discussion through the Alpha Youth course. This course will be offered in the fall in place of our regular Youth Ministry program. For more details, check out this video. Please register for the course HERE.

August Memory Verse: Romans 10:14-15 

In August we will walk through Paul's first missionary journey. The Spirit of God sent Paul to share the good news, and He is also sending us to share the Gospel with those in our lives. What a privilege it is to be His ambassadors and make His name known.

Pro Presenter: We need 2-3 people who would like to learn how to use Pro Presenter and be on a monthly rotation to run the words on the screen during worship. If this is somewhere you would like to serve, send an email to James.schulz@bridgetograce.org.

Special Event Planning: Are you a creative who loves planning events? If you'd like to be part of a team that helps organize events like the Back to School Bash and Pool Party please contact Natalie Runyon.

Compass: Navigating life in Christian community. Compass will finish their study of 1,2,3 John on 8/9.

Womens' Bible Study: Women's Study wraps up the study of James on 8/16. In the fall, we will take an in-depth look at the Book of Jude. While often overlooked, the Book of Jude remains as relevant today as the time it was written. God has commanded His beloved church to do the necessary work of contending for the faith in a world of unbelief, and as we do, He will keep us from falling into the same deception. Using a 7-session study from Jackie Hill Perry, we will dive into themes of being called, loved, and kept, and learn how to point others to Jesus in grace and truth. We serve others well when we share the whole gospel with them, not just the parts deemed attractive by our culture. We will meet on Mondays from 10:00-11:30 AM beginning on 9/13. For more info, contact Natalie Runyon at or Martha Pfister.

Cultural Apologetics:  Starting on August 1, the Sunday morning small community group will start a short series studying and discussing the question “Why does God Allow Evil, Pain and Suffering?” It is a timeless question we all wrestle with in our lives and during difficult times like the pandemic. The question is one of the most pressing challenges to Christianity. Please join us at 9:00 am starting August 1 to discuss some compelling answers and examine scripture regarding a tough subject. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Nickel.

Youth Ministry: Middle and high school students meet on Sunday nights from 7:00-8:15 at the church building.

Community Groups: Interested in connecting with a Community Group? Email jon.davis@bridgetograce.org for more information about community group opportunities.