The Bridge began as a dream in 2002. One couple began praying and asking the questions, "God, what are you doing? How can we join you?"
Through a time of praying and listening, they felt impressed to begin praying for a new church in Kamloops.

At the same time, Potter's House Community Church in Westbank, BC began praying and trusting that God would lead them on a church planting journey.

After a series of events, a small group of people began the initial stages of church planting. In 2005, Pastor Donnie Spivey and his family moved to Kamloops from Florida to provide leadership to what would soon be called The Bridge Community Church.

The Bridge started meeting regularly in homes throughout Kamloops and in November 2007, they started gathering on a weekly basis at the Cineplex Odeon.

IN ESSENTIAL BELIEFS - we have unity

"There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all..." Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)

IN NONESSENTIAL BELIEFS - we have liberty

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls...So then each of us will give an account of himself to God... So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God." Romans 14:1,4,12,22 (NIV)
IN ALL OUR BELIEFS - we show charity

"...if I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains - but have no love, I am nothing at all." 1 Corinthians 13:2

The ways of God lead to life and true joy. It is our desire to obey what we believe He is asking of us. We seek to continue to grow as a church body as we covenant together to live for Him and His ways.

1) About God

God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14

2) About Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13

3) About the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right, He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily. 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18

4) About the Bible

The Bible is God's word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, it is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living without mixture of error. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5 The Bible is the standard that provides the basis for our faith and our practice. If you see something happening in our church which does not have a clear-cut biblical basis, then we should examine the practice in light of the Bible. By Scripture we also will examine all other beliefs and practices. If they do not measure up, they are called a "cult" or "sect" which teaches heresy. As Baptists, our sole authority for faith and practice = The Bible.

5) About Human Beings

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2

6) About Salvation

Salvation is God's free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives/trusted Jesus Christ into his life by faith. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26

7) About Eternal Security

Because God gives eternal life through jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot "lose" it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. it is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. John 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14: 1 Peter 1:3-5

8) About Eternity

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 1:8; Matthew 2:44,46

Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly about the following core values. These are constant, passionate, Biblical, values that drive our relationships: with God, others, and the world.

LOVE: We will relate to the world and to one another through the ultimate expression of God's character.
1 John 4:7-8,16, John 3:16

AUTHENTICITY: We are in the process of becoming genuine followers of Christ, living real in all ways.
Matthew 22:36-40

COMMUNITY: We will build relationships and share life together. Acts 2:41-47, Galatians 5:13-15, Hebrews 10:24-25

EXCELLENCE: We are committed to presenting our very best to God with the resources He has provided. Colossians 3:17, Luke 21:1-4

SERVICE: We have a desire to serve our community through acts of kindness. Galatians 5:13-15, Romans 13:8, Proverbs 3:28, Matthew 25:34-36, Luke 10:25-37, James 2:8

CONNECTING: We are intentionally providing opportunities for people to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20, John 3:16, Acts 3:19, Romans 10:14, 2 Timothy 2:10, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Matthew 11:28

PASSION: We hunger to engage the heart of God in times of corporate and individual worship. John 4:19-26, Psalm 96:9, Psalm 57:7-8, Psalm 33:3, Romans 12:1, Acts 2:47

At The Bridge, we try to keep it simple. Therefore, our mission and vision are really evident in our process. That is, we have a desire to see people thrive in authentic relationships: God, others, and the world.

In so doing, we trust that people will be characterized by:

A loving heart

A transformed mind

Hands that serve

Feet that bring good news

Everything we do revolves around these simple statements.

More Info.

The Bridge Community Church is an independent church that has chosen to strategically cooperate with the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptist (CCSB).

CCSB churches are autonomous and hold the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. Each congregation is made up of baptized believers who covenant together in obedience to Jesus Christ, the head of the church.

Although churches are autonomous, they voluntarily choose to cooperate together to achieve what would be impossible were they to attempt it alone. Congregations contribute to the Cooperative program to provide a funding channel to take the good news around the world.

Every year, CCSB churches elect messengers who are seated at the annual convention and prayerfully deliberate on convention business and critical issues. Convention staff are available to help churches accomplish their God-given mission and to serve them in a variety of ministries.

The Baptist Contribution

Some of the things that Canadian Southern Baptists bring to the table of Christian expression in Canada stem from general "Baptist" distinctives, others from unique "Canadian Southern Baptist" values. We seek to maintain a precarious balance between individual freedom and cooperative responsibility.

1. Roots

Baptist stem from Christians in England and Europe who sought freedom from a church that was wedded to the state. This is why issues of individual freedom and church autonomy are so important to Baptists. Many of these "separatists" saw an opportunity for religious freedom in the New World of North America. The development of the ideas of Western democracy and Baptist church experience grew up together.

2. Personal Response to God

We are convinced that every person has the opportunity to know God directly through Jesus Christ. This is sometimes expressed by the terms 'priesthood of all believers' and 'soul competency.' We believe that what God has done for us in Jesus Christ is so profound and complete that every believer can know and follow God. They have been made competent in Christ and no other priestly mediation is necessary.

3. Freedom

This freedom enjoyed by individuals is extended also to our churches, associations, and conventions. the autonomy of the local church allows the membership of each church opportunity to discern and follow the Lord without uninvited involvement from any other ecclesiastical body or representative. Each congregation is encouraged to live directly under the Headship of Christ. The voluntary working together in local associations and a national convention is an important part of our freedom and each of these bodies also enjoys the same democratic freedom and autonomy.

4. Authority

As the freedoms of Western democracies are guided by constitutions, Baptist are guided by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. All of our freedoms are guaranteed and shaped by the authority of the Bible. Southern Baptist have found it helpful to summarize biblical teachings through Confessions of Faith. Confessions, however, are never held on the same authoritative level as the inspired (God-breathed) Scriptures. The Baptist Faith and Message adopted in 1985 by the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists is the Confession used by most CCSB churches.

5. Cooperation

The Scriptures make clear every believer's and church's freedom in Christ Jesus also calls his followers to work together in love for the sake of the Gospel. Interdependence, then, is as important a value as independence. The unique contribution of Southern Baptists to working together for the spread of the Gospel is the Cooperative Program. Each congregation, no matter the size, can contribute to this mission fund that pools money together which is then used to support missionaries, staff and projects that could never be supported by a single congregation. this is really the primary purpose for us working together as a denomination. We also seek to be cooperative with other Christian groups in living out and declaring the love of God as revealed by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Vision of the Canadian Convention

"A church for every person across Canada and around the world."

We see the day when healthy churches directed by God's word and the Holy Spirit cooperate to reach all people and reproduce congregations across Canada and around the world through Jesus Christ.

* 100,000 baptisms
* 10,000 on mission volunteers per year
* 1,000 churches
* 100 international missionaries by the year 2020

We have a different view of what "church" is:

Consumer Church

Church is seen as a dispenser of religious goods and services. People come to church to be fed, to have their needs met through quality programs, and to have the professionals teach their children about God.
"WE GO TO CHURCH"

Missional Church

Church is seen as a body of people sent on a mission who gather in community for worship, encouragement, and teaching from the Bible that supplements what they are feeding themselves throughout the week.
"WE ARE THE CHURCH

"We desire to "BE" the church. We trust God to develop a vibrant, healthy and ever-growing community of believers who love God and have a passion to be on mission with Him. This is why, at this time, we do not have a building. Not to say that we are against buildings, but we don't want to be defined by a building. We want to be defined by our relationship with Christ and the mission that He has each of us on. We long to be a missional church, on mission with Him.

Picture with us a growing community of Christ Followers who are individually and corporately walking with Jesus who gather on a regular basis to worship and celebrate God, who regularly invest in friends and invite them to connect with Jesus, and who are actively seeking to be on mission with God. Imagine being a part of a body of Believers who create engaging environments for people to cross the line of faith, who actively serve their community and who regularly show the kindness of God to the culture around them

Please notice that we are not just talking about a worship experience on Sunday mornings. No, we are talking about a church that desires to live their relationship with Jesus Christ in a holistic way. However, we do enjoy gathering together for regular, passionate worship that includes both heartfelt praise and engaging, practical Bible teaching. We see the day when God fills the auditorium with over 300 people. We can hear the stories of husband and wives, mothers and fathers, children and parents, teens and seniors who tell of God's marvelous grace. We hear the sounds of heartfelt worship as instruments play and voices resound with joyful and passionate music. We see broken lives restored, relationships reconciled, sickness healed, sins forgiven, and grace abounding as God's people are set free to love and serve Him.

We trust God to develop a Great Commission church which "births" Christians who have God's heart for the world. Picture with us a church which reproduces itself at least every three years as community after community is impacted by the Gospel ministry of a local body of believers. We see a church that serves as a catalyst for church planting within Canada.