Bridge Academy & Community Center
Featured Partnership Local Partners
Mission and Vision
The mission of The Bridge Academy and Community Center is to equip youth and families with the tools necessary for academic achievement, life skills, creative expression, spiritual growth and leadership. The vision is to be a safe and loving environment that demonstrates God's love in a relational way.
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https://www.thebridgeacademy.org/
The Bridge Academy and Community Center
578 Olive Street, Coatesville, PA 19320.
610-466-9505
Ministry Needs
The Bridge Academy & Community Center (The Bridge) is a faith-based community center that provides daily programming, along with genuine relationships, to the community members of Coatesville. The Bridge is located in the center of the Coatesville community. Our central location allows us to create a safe space for the ministry to work to address the needs of at-risk youth and their families. The Bridge focuses on students from the age of four to eighteen Monday – Thursday for various programming. The Bridge meets the needs of our youths and families in the following ways:
We are meeting needs by providing excellent programming, free of charge to the community. Programming provides the tools for academic achievement, learning various life and creative skills and providing opportunities to build relationships with caring adults, receive mentoring and discipleship from staff and volunteers. Programs mainly focus on K-12th grade students, yet The Bridge also has a thriving Mom's Club and connects intentionally with parents of our students, as well as other adult community members. The Bridge also comes alongside families holistically and walks through life's various circumstances outside of programming with an effort to continue to develop genuine relationships and opportunities to share Christ.
How is the Ministry sharing the gospel and making disciples:
The Bridge incorporates the Gospel into programming by prayer, age appropriate Bible lessons, creating small group atmospheres conducive to genuine connections and opportunities to open up confidentially. Staff work alongside people in life situations on a regular basis. Connecting outside of programs allows for continued opportunities to share Christ's love, freedom, victory, and joy. The leadership and staff pray to live out our own relationships with the Lord in genuine ways which will be evident to those around us.
Provide one story of life change directly from the ministry
A woman has been involved with The Bridge for many years. She was connected with The Camp at Old Mill as a child, and has been participating in Mom's Club since 2008. 15 years ago, she was coming to Mom's Club often high and unable to keep any responsibilities. Over the years there have been many ups and downs. She currently holds a consistent job and has been clean for many years. She lives on her own and supports her mother in her needs. The other week in Mom's Club, it was such an encouragement to hear her share how The Lord was working in her life. She desires to know Him more, to follow Him. When learning more about Him, she has such clarity that He is all that matters, and He is all she wants to be with. She recognizes her need to grow in her discipline in following through with growing deeper in her walk with the Lord. She has been bringing others to Mom's Club as well. We pray that The Lord continues to work in her life, she surrenders all to Him and grow in her walk with the Lord even more through this year.
Prayer Requests/ Praises:
1) Fruit - that seeds that have been planted for so many years (20 + years) bear fruit. Please pray that individuals would desire to know the Lord, to grow in the Lord, and experience transformed lives in ways we have never seen before!
2) Building- We are asking the Lord to provide the right facility that meets current and future needs of the ministry. Along with this- that The Lord would provide the funding for the property and bring all of the pieces together.
3) Leaders- grow our leaders, and bring in more leaders in the ministry to serve in the ways the Lord has gifted them.
4) Provision- we are so grateful for how the Lord provides in miraculous ways- we thank him for that and pray for His continued provision and connections with new people that may help the ministry grow.
2-3 ways Providence can tangibly get involved
1) Highlight that The Bridge needs volunteers for academic/ evening programs, people to provide food for programs, and people that may be able to help in other ways- cleaning, organizing, administrative help, connecting with resources, etc.
2) Look to the summer- The Bridge and Camp At Old Mill need churches/ small groups to commit to a meal during overnight camps at the end of June, as well as the rest of the summer. We are currently looking for counselors for overnight camps, and daytime programming.
3) Connecting The Bridge with those that may be interested in what the Lord is doing in Coatesville- as potential prayer partners, funding partners, can share their resources and networks (this will grow with opportunities that congregants are seeing what The Bridge is doing, having us come to a small group, a service, or any other group opportunities- giving congregants opportunities to sign up for a newsletter or see updates via your emails/ other platforms.