SNAPSHOT:

BridgeChurch is looking for an experienced Kids Pastor who is engaging, a leader of leaders, and has a desire to influence a whole community for Jesus. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is looking to help lead volunteers into the Ephesians 4:12 model of ministry.

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Church attendance: 1,300 Before COVID (currently 500)

Services: 9am and 11am (Kids ministry at both services)

Children's ministry attendance: 250 before COVID (currently 80)

HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS

BridgeChurch of Fresno began in 1949 as a prayer meeting in the home of Malcom and Ruth Nelson. As the prayer meeting continued to grow, the small group realized a church building was in order. The first church building was established in 1950.

The Evangelical Free Church of Fresno was renamed BridgeChurch in 2006, as a reflection of their desire to be a useful connection point for people to find Jesus Christ and follow him fully. It is their hope that every person who connects with BridgeChurch will become a growing disciple of Christ, serving and reaching others.

In their 70 years of history, God has strategically used the people of BridgeChurch to be a blessing to the people of Fresno. In September of 2016, Pastor Andrew Smith, and his wife, Megan and their 3 boys moved to Fresno, so Andrew could fill the role of Lead Pastor of BridgeChurch. Andrew brought with him a fresh perspective and new vision to not only reach the people of Fresno but to reach the whole region and become “a church for the valley helping people discover and follow Jesus!” BridgeChurch is seeing new, young families joining the church and is reaching over 1,300 people on the weekends (prior to COVID-19). In 2020, BridgeChurch completed a rebranding strategy as it prepares for an exciting and preferable future.

MINISTRY SNAPSHOT

# of Kids: 80 (250 pre-COVID)

# of Volunteers: 60 serving on rotation (100 pre-COVID)

Curriculum: ThinkOrange.

Check-In System: Church Community Builder

Ministry Breakdown

• 
  Preschool - Birth - 5-year-old
• Elementary - 6-11 years old

Current Staff Structure:

• 
  Kids Pastor [OPEN]
• Preschool Director - 35-hours a week
• Check-in Assistant - Stipends
• Nursery Director - Stipends
• Childcare - Six, hourly workers

PRESCHOOL - INFANTS

PRESCHOOL - TODDLERS

ELEMENTARY

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Bridge Kids provides a quarterly volunteer in-person onboarding gathering. This is the main focus for recruiting and training new volunteers. Once a new volunteer is onboarded they join the online volunteer training community. The new Kids Pastor will have the opportunity to continue with this online training formate, or when it is appropriate, move back to an in-person meeting.

SECURE BUILDING

Bridge Church has taken the safety of its kids and youth very seriously. This has included a designated building. During youth and kids ministry, there are no adults in the building except those who are serving.

VBS

Each summer Bridge Kids hosts Vacation Bible Study for both church families and those from the community. Last year, in the middle of COVID over 100 kids attended the in-person VBS. BK has used Orange as their foundation for the curriculum.

CHILDCARE

Throughout the week, BK offers childcare for different events and other ministries. Currently, there are six childcare works who are on a consistent schedule.

BLOCK PARTY

Once a month The Bridge Church hosts a community outreach event attracting over 500 people. These events are focused on providing a safe place for young families who may not otherwise come to a church. These are all hands on deck as the whole staff joins together. The church parking lot is transformed with inflatables, food trucks, and live music. This truly is a community event that shows off the heart of who Bridge Church is, A Church for The Valley!