A “Bridge” allows a person to move safely from one place to another. More than two decades ago, we began to build bridges for people living with significant disabilities, who because of their disabilities had become isolated from church, family and the community. Beginning with Chaplaincy visits we could simply “be present”, sharing God’s love with them. We began to come alongside to help them move from a place of isolation to a life filled with relationships, respect and dignity. Spiritual Care programs were later added to bring people with disabilities out into the community and into welcoming churches to “celebrate” life together. These Sunday Evening Celebrations provide a witness to our sameness, not our differences - where churches and community experience the joy of focusing on people first, not their disability. Our programs follow the call to “invite” found in Luke 14: 13-14, “When you give a banquet or reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. Then you will be blessed”. And indeed, many have been, and continue to be, blessed.

Bridge’s focus remains centered on Spiritual Care for adults with disabilities of all kinds. Whether Cerebral Palsy, Polio, Ataxia, Spinal Cord Injury, Down syndrome, Autism or other, we don’t serve labels that identify a disability or cure disability. We serve God’s people. Our mission: Because Bridge Disability Ministries honors the God-given dignity and giftedness of persons with disability, we build relationships to alleviate isolation and enrich our churches and community.

Through Chaplaincy connections, small groups and individual visits, programs like the Sunday Evening Celebrations, all are welcome to be “present” - share fellowship, a meal and friendship. Two additional Bridge ministries later developed. Out of a single volunteer and space in a garage, the Mobility Ministry addressed the isolation often caused by lack of equipment that would enable a person to leave their home for church and other community activity. Locally, this ministry provided free items such as wheelchairs, walkers and crutches to over 1,000 people last year. Moreover, the ministry shares items and surplus parts with eight other organizations for use in impoverished countries around the world including Eastern Europe, Africa, Mexico and the Philippines where wheelchairs, crutches and such items are unavailable locally.

Eventually, out of Chaplaincy visits to people living in state supported institutions such as Fircrest, our Guardianship Ministry grew. Through the caring oversight of Guardians, we were able to find independent living opportunities for a number of individuals who had lived much of their lives isolated, in an institutional setting. Today we serve 40 individuals through our Certified Professional Guardianship Agency who have no family able to oversee their care or living conditions.

Bridge staff, hundreds of volunteers and supporters are blessed to witness the ministries working together in service both near and distant from us. Sunday Celebrations, for example, bring many care-givers from other countries to church for the first time who witness prayer and fellowship and the likeness of Christ demonstrated by church members. During client visits, Guardians also experience how people are drawn closer to God as our ministries answer His call to serve. Here is one such story:

“What I remember most during one client visit was meeting a caring staff member in one of the homes supporting our client and hearing his story. Peter is from Kenya. He works two jobs “to pay the bills”. An extended family in Africa also depends on him. He has a little niece with paralysis by stroke that lives with his 70 year old mother. Peter was eager to share that he is also a believer. The droughts and excess rains in Kenya are causing death among the old and very young. His niece cannot use the walker obtained for her. Our mobility ministry volunteers built a child’s manual wheelchair for his niece which I delivered to Peter on my visit. Peter was so moved by the gift he had to look away to control his tears. “In Africa, they have nothing like here for the disabled”, said Peter. “It is my dream to return and build a place where the disabled can live,” whispered Peter. I know I was glimpsing a God-thing. I am prayerfully poised to nurture that dream by connecting Peter to other Bridge resources. “

Whether through our Spiritual Care Ministry, our Mobility Ministry or our Guardianship Ministry, we here at Bridge are blessed to serve people living with disabilities, and through them our Lord – for as He told us in Matthew 25:40, “…whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.”

We invite you to join us.

Bridge Ministries on-line: http://www.bridgemin.org/

To make a donation to the Ministry of the Month, please place donation in a pew envelope and mark the “Ministry of the Month” box. Donations may then be placed in the Offering.