Pastor Marty felt called by God to plant a church that would make a difference. A church that his friends who had given up on the church would love to attend. The vision for The Bridge was born. With a core team of 25 people, the first service of The Bridge was held at the Bridge View Center in September of 2007. The church has grown from that original launch team and location. In 2019 our Centerville Campus launched. In 2021, an additional campus started in Fairfield & in 2023, we launched our Oskaloosa Campus. Over the past 16 years, we’ve had the privilege of seeing lives changed, marriages restored, and addictions broken in our region!

More than practicing religion, God desires to have a personal relationship with us. Faith in Jesus changes everything! Our hope is to create moments where people encounter the living God and grow their belief, whether they are new to faith or have followed Jesus for decades.

We need people to help us along the journey. Friends that we can call at 2AM when life hits the fan to speak hope and encouragement over our life. When we find a place to belong within the church, we can experience true freedom.

We never truly arrive, but are imperfect people walking toward becoming the whole people God intended for us to be. This is discipleship! We believe every person has a next step to move closer to Jesus.

We believe that God has called our church to be a change agent in our region. Our vision is straight from this verse in Ezra- to be people that come together to rebuild, repair, and restore our region. We love how God has called us into rebuilding personal lives, repairing relationships, and restoring the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

“The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.”  -Ezra 4:12 NIV

Not just any god, but the God of the Universe. The same God who created this earth, who spoke light into existence, who created each and every star, and hung them in place. The same God who loves us so much that He eternally defeated death, not only ransoming us from our sins, but also giving us a rich and satisfying life. God is loving, fair, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing, and is eternally present in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Scripture References: Genesis 1; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 43:10-13; John 10:10; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2

Jesus is the Son of God. While being fully God and fully man he lived a sinless life and voluntarily died on the Cross in our place as full payment for our sins. But unlike anyone else throughout history, Jesus defeated the power of sin and death by rising from the dead. After he appeared to over 500 people, Jesus ascended into Heaven to provide access and reconciliation between God and people, and we now have hope through Him. When God has fulfilled His purpose with this earth, Jesus will return and reign as Lord of all.

Scripture References: John 3:16; 1 John 3:5; 1 Corinthians 15:6; Mark 16:9; Romans 5:10; Acts 1:11; Revelation 11:15

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, Counselor, and Helper sent for all believers.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to tell others about Jesus. He makes people aware of their need for God and draws people into this relationship. The Holy Spirit, who lives within us at the moment of salvation, provides guidance in righteous living and understanding for spiritual truth.

Scripture References: John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13-14

We believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and that men were moved by God to write the very words of Scripture. Therefore, we believe the Bible is without error, and is the source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. The Bible’s truth is timeless and speaks to our everyday lives.

Scripture References: Psalm 119:105, 160; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

We believe every person is disobedient to God’s desires and plans in varying degrees. Any disobedience to God, regardless of how large or small, is sin. Sin separates an individual from God, which is spiritual death, and is not God’s desire. People can be united with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and Him alone; Jesus died for sinners. Anyone who accepts and believes in Jesus’ death for their personal sins, and desires to have Him as King of their life, is forgiven for every sin.

Upon this personal decision, God re-establishes a personal relationship with that person and promises eternal life. And we believe salvation is not just for eternal life, but for this life, providing freedom and joy day to day. Therefore, every Christian should live for Christ and not for him or herself. By reading and applying Scripture, and yielding daily to the Holy Spirit, every believer should mature and be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Scripture References: John 1:12-13, 14:6-7; Romans 3:23, 5:1, 8, 10:9-10; Galatians 3:26; Titus 3:5; Deuteronomy 6:5; Proverbs 3:5-6; Mark 12:29-31; Acts 17:2; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 8 & 9, 10:23-11:1

We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the Church are those who have been trusted by faith to finish the work of Christ. The local church organizes Christians to reach unbelievers with the message of salvation, serve as a corporate body for worship of God, provide fellowship for Christians with each other, develop the gifts and talents of Christians for godly service, and practice baptism and communion.

Scripture References: Matthew 16:18, 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:32-41; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 12:12-13; Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:17