The BridgeThe BridgeNews and Information from Bridge Chapel & Centre

Welcome to our Winter edition of The Bridge. Read on for an

update on the progress of the South Liverpool Foodbank,

an insight into our activities for children, information about our

special Christmas events as well as the regular activities, and

more. We begin with a special Christmas message written

by Pastor Bill Bygroves.

WISE CHOICES FOR CHRISTMAS

They were three Wise Men: men of history anddestiny, men of character and competence,

men of science and scholarship.

Wise Man number one was William Thomson Kelvin,called the Father of Physics. He was credited with60 scientific papers, 21 degrees and 70 patentedinventions, including the Kelvin temperature scale.

Wise Man number two was Michael Faraday, theworld famous scientist who became known as theFather of Electricity.

Wise Man number three was James Simpson, thediscoverer of Chloroform and the mind behind theanaesthetic. We in the 21st century owe much tothese men.

Wisdom has been called the right use of knowledge,and we all know that it is possible to be clever yetnot wise! The wisdom of these men is seen bytheir choices. Each of these men made greatscientific discoveries, yet each of them claimedthat the greatest discovery they ever made wasfinding in Jesus Christ light for their darkness,peace for their minds and joy for their souls.

The Bible says that to all who believe, Jesus becomes to us wisdom.

Remember that when Jesus was still an infant,wise men visited Him and offered gifts of gold,frankincense and myrrh. The gold spoke of Christ’skingship, the frankincense spoke of His deity andpriesthood, the myrrh spoke of His coming to dieon the cross that we might live.

Wise men and women still seek Jesus, still followJesus and still worship Jesus, because in Him is foundforgiveness, love, joy, peace and everlasting life.Surely you must agree that such things would bereally wise choices to make for Christmas.

CommunityEditionWinter 2009-10 This booklet, explaining the real meaning of Christmas,

is available FREE from Bridge Chapel & Centre reception.

CommunityEditionWinter 2009-10

Michael FaradayWilliam ThomsonKelvin

James Simpson

2

We had many expressions of support andinterest for the Foodbank launch on

1 October, and the generosity of members of thepublic was unbelievable. The weather wasperfect, the supermarket busy, and another halfton of food was collected!!

There was a real celebratory atmosphere as MikeStorey, Mayor of Liverpool, cut our cake and stayedto chat to everyone. Several local councillorsturned up to give their support and a whole classfrom Woolton Junior School, who have chosen usas their local charity, came along to join in the fun.All at Sainsbury’s were friendly and helpful,providing the perfect venue for our launch, andthe publicity given to us by BBC North West News,‘The A Team’ and Wayne Clark from RadioMerseyside resulted in many new contacts.

Our vouchers are now available from a total of 24 agencies including schools, doctors’ surgeries,churches, women’s refuges, Surestart and familycentres, C.A.B’s, Education and Training Servicesand a large charity which works alongside theProbation Service. To date, we have given outfood to 35 adults and 30 children, some of whomhave had to leave home with literally nothingbecause of unbearable domestic circumstances.

We are really grateful to our fantastic volunteerswho have helped us with administration, publicity,the website, food collections, bag packs, transport,sorting and packing in the warehouse and thedistribution of food. Two ladies from the localcommunity became interested in volunteeringafter reading about the Foodbank in our lastnewsletter and they are enjoying helping in the warehouse.

We are already thinking about the future. It wouldbe good to open for an extra session on Fridayafternoon, as that seems to be a time of realconcern before the weekend. We would also dearlylove to be able to afford to run a van of our ownand to see additional Foodbanks opened in Centraland North Liverpool.

Watch this space!

LAUNCH OF

In the Autumn 2009 issue of The Bridge, we ran a feature on our Discover Christianity course. This course will be

repeated in the New Year, and if you are interested in finding out moreabout the Christian faith, you are welcome to come along. Jeff Orme is oneof those who completed the course, and you can read about his experiencein the interview below.

Jeff – tell us a little about yourself, e.g. your family, work and interests.I’m 46 years of age and married to Lisa, who is my second wife. I have fourboys, two from each marriage. I am a qualified accountant, and currentlywork as a director of a manufacturing company based in Deeside, NorthWales. I love all sports, both playing and watching, and have been a seasonticket holder at Anfield for 35 years.

Why did you do the Discover Christianity course?As a child I was taken to church every Sunday, but during my teens, footballbecame more important to me. When I married for the first time, we bothwanted to bring up our children in church, but my 30s were a dark periodending in divorce, and my church attendance became virtually non-existent.

Despite all this, if you had asked me if I was a Christian and believed in God, I would have said “yes”. However, when I met Lisa, who had been a Christianfor many years, she encouraged me to go to Bridge Chapel. There I metordinary people of all ages and from all walks of life, yet they were different.Later I realised that this was a result of their faith, and as time went on Irealised something was missing from my life. I was desperate to change fromsome of the excesses of my life such as drinking, swearing and living my lifeby the fixture list, so when a friend invited me to the Discover Christianitycourse I decided to go, because I was hungry for knowledge.

What was your opinion of Jesus Christ before you did the course?I was fully aware of Jesus – His life, miracles and parables – and believed thatHe was the Son of God. But I definitely hadn’t lived my life for Him, and hadmanaged to conveniently ignore all I knew of Him as I went about my daily life.

How did your opinion change?Through the course I learned that the only way to become a Christian is toform a personal relationship with Jesus and live a life that pleases Him. It wassome time afterwards that I took that step of faith, but the course was amajor factor in leading me to that point.

What would you say to people who feel nervous about doing somethinglike this?Give it a go. It’s one night a week for nine weeks; it’s really relaxed and there’sno pressure put on you at all. You’ll definitely get something out of it, maybemore than you’d bargained for. If nothing else, the cakes are great!

The next Discover Christianity course starts with a Welcome Meal onMonday 18 January 2010, and then runs over eight weeks. It is held from7.30pm – 9.15pm in the Lloyds Room at Bridge Chapel & Centre.

Do let us know for catering purposes if you are planning to attend the Welcome Meal by telephoning the church office on: 0151 281 9716. If you have any queries about

the Discover Christianity course please contact Steve Evans at the church office.

SOUTH LIVERPOOL

3

MEET JOHN CRAWFORD

John Crawford is a local lad raised in theStamfordham Road area, where he lived with

his Mum, two brothers and sister. Now in his latetwenties, he works for an insurance company,and is married with two young children.

As a boy, John came to ‘Lift-Off’ – a weekly activityfor children held at the Bridge Chapel & Centre. ”I absolutely loved it”, says John. “It was so muchfun, and I loved the singing, the games and thestories. I did everything I could to make sure I wasthere on Friday.”

When the opportunity came to go to camp withother Lift-Off kids in the summer, John wentalong, and it turned out to be a life-changingexperience. “It was a brilliant week”, says John,“and for the first time I really understood whoJesus was and what He had done for me.” John responded by committing his life to followingJesus, and getting involved later as a worker inBridge Kids (which followed on from Lift-Off)seemed a natural thing for him to do.

You could say John has had quite a long‘apprenticeship’ for his current role as leader ofBridge Kids. He joined the team of workers at theage of 16, and supported a number of formerleaders before taking over himself. A natural‘people person’, John finds work with childrengreat fun. “I’ve never known a child to come andnot enjoy Bridge Kids. We have such a great time,and there is something for everyone. Parents canstay too, if they wish, and enjoy a cup of tea orcoffee in a separate room.”

It’s Friday night, and the Bridge Chapel & Centre is a hive of activity aschildren and young people aged from four upwards come and go for their

various activities.

As children arrive for Bridge Kids they are put into opposing teams for a game.Tonight’s game vaguely resembles netball. Two workers stand on chairs ateither end of the hall, with arms formed into a hoop or ‘net’, and coax the ballthrough by helpfully turning to meet it. By 6.30pm all of the children havearrived and it is time to sit down.

Some of the children have come proudly bearing completed worksheets fromlast week. They are rewarded with sweets, and have their work displayed ona board at the front. Prizes are also awarded to those who have broughtfriends along for the first time, and the new children are officially welcomedto the group. Now it is time for some lively singing accompanied by a guitar.It’s a song the children know well, and they belt it out enthusiastically.

The next activity is the ‘Memory Verse’. Some words and expressions in theBible can be hard to understand, but by means of a sketch tonight’s verse fromthe Bible is carefully explained, and then sung to lively, contemporary music.

Soon it will be time for the Bible story, and by way of preparation there is anopportunity for everyone to let off steam by participating in some energeticgames. Some weeks, there are also opportunities to be creative. Workers inthe team present the story in a variety of ways, using drama, costumes andsound effects to make it lively and memorable. This week the children arelearning about Moses and the burning bush, and the ‘voice of God’ booms outacross the room. In the following quiz, a forest of hands go up as childrencompete with each other to answer questions based on the story.

Bridge Kids is nearly over, but there is one final act to complete – the award oftrophies for this week’s ‘best boy’ and ‘best girl’. Winners are allowed to keepthe cup for one week. In another part of the building, younger children havejust enjoyed their own version of Bridge Kids, called Mini Kids. Here, theyexperience the same kind of activities and the same stories, but they areprepared and presented in a way that is more appropriate for their age.

Finally, parents begin to appear, and it is time for lots of children with happy,smiling faces to go home...

New children are always welcome at Mini Kids and Bridge Kids. Just bring them along at6.15pm on a Friday night during school term times. In addition to the weekly activitieson Friday, we arrange an annual Holiday Bible Club during the Easter holidays, and asummer camp. Look out for more details nearer the time.

All children’s workers are required to complete a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.

Mini Kids is for children from YR to Y2.

Bridge Kids is for children from Y3 to Y6.

They run from 6.15pm – 7.30pm every Friday during term time.

EXPERIENCE

THE

Bridge Chapel & Centre Heath Road Liverpool L19 4XRT 0151 281 9716 F 0151 281 9717 CARE MINISTRY 0151 281 9500

E admin@bridgechapel.com I www.bridgechapel.com

Designed &

Produced by

Tel: 07752 581 554W

ords: Lynn Bass &

Steve E

vans

At Bridge Chapel & Centre there is something for everyone, from babiesand toddlers to adults of all ages. You don’t need to be a member of

Bridge Chapel or any other church – all are welcome to come along andtake part in this wide range of activities.

PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES

SUNDAY9.30am Family Service

Worship service with separate provision forchildren up to age 14

11.30am Morning ServiceWorship service with crèche only

6.30pm Evening ServiceWorship service with no separate provision for children

MONDAY9.30am Bridge Tots

Parent and toddler group

9.30am Atelier de CoutureWorkshop of fashion, incorporating pattern cutting

1.00pm Bridge TotsParent and toddler group

5.00pm Bridge Kids FootballFree (adult to sign in) at New Heys Sports Field.For children in school years 3–6

7.30pm Self DefenceStyles are Wing Chun and Eskrima. £4 per session

7.30pm Discover ChristianityExplore the Christian faith

TUESDAY10.30am Barnabas Bible Class

Bible teaching for adults

1.30pm Film ClubEnjoy a range of classic and more recent filmson our big screen free of charge (Second Tuesday of every month)

6.15pm Weight WatchersFriendly meeting providing support to controlcravings, eat well and feel full, lose weight andkeep it off

8.00pm PilatesGentle form of exercise designed to tone coremuscles. £3 per session

WEDNESDAY 10.30am The Stroke Association

For details, call Daisy on 0151 529 3122

1.15pm Facing Life In PainSelf-help group for chronic pain sufferers

THURSDAY9.30am Bridge Tots

Parent and toddler group

1.00pm Young At HeartSocial activities for the over 55’s(Last Thursday of every month)

7.00pm Thursday ClubFor adults with learning disabilities

FRIDAY9.30am Atelier de Couture

Workshop of fashion, incorporating pattern cutting

6.15pm Mini Kids (YR-Y2)Games, singing, crafts and Bible stories

Bridge Kids (Y3-Y6)Games, quizzes, singing and Bible stories

7.45pm Target (Y7-Y9)Games, activities and Bible teaching

Quest (Y10-Y13)Games, activities and Bible teaching

SATURDAY2.00pm Tea Dance

An afternoon of fellowship, music and dance.(First Saturday of every month)

If you would like more information about these activities,please telephone the centre or browse our website.

Christmas at the Bridge Chapel & Centre

At Christmas we celebrate the good news of God’s gift of His Son Jesus,and we warmly invite you to join us at any of the following events.

Ladies’ Carols by CandlelightMonday, 14 December, 7.30pmA fun, festive event for women of all ages! Why not take time out during thisbusy season to remember the real story of Christmas? There’s no charge –just arrive in good time to be sure of getting a seat!

Community Carol ConcertsMonday, 14 – Thursday, 17 DecemberThere will be a short Christmas themed event in the Bridge Chapel & Centrereception each day. Why not come along and join in? Please see the noticesin the reception area or browse our website for further details.

Junior Church ServiceSunday, 20 December, 10.30amAn all age service in which the Christmas story will be presented by childrenof Junior Church.

Christmas Carol ServiceSunday, 20 December, 6.30pmJoin us for singing of traditional and modern carols, readings, musical itemsand a clear Christmas message. Discover the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas Day ServiceFriday, 25 December, 10.30am This is a real ‘family’ occasion, when children stay with the adults to celebratethe original Christmas present – God’s gift of His Son to us.

Sunday Worship ServicesSunday, 27 December, 10.30am and Sunday, 3 January, 10.30am

Watch Night ServiceThursday, 31 December, 11.15pm A time of reflection, prayer and praise.

Other Events in DecemberPolice Community MeetingThursday, 17 December, 6.00pm – 8.00pmAn opportunity for anyone in the community to come and talk about theissues that concern them with local police and councillors.

At Bridge Chapel & Centre, we are trying to do all we can to accommodatethe needs of people who suffer from various disabilities. If you come

here, you will find the following facilities.Disabled parking baysWheelchair access to all ground floor roomsBraille signs on all ground floor roomsDisabled toilet facilitiesLoop hearing systems in both main meeting roomsLarge print words for hymns on Sundays

FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED