About Us
Our Story
Planted in 2005 by Pastor Dale Schaeffer and a team from the parent church Pekin First Church of the Nazarene (Pastor Greg Mason and District Superintendent Crawford Howell), Bridgeway was established as a church planting church whose vision was to specifically connect with those disconnected from God and a community of faith. For the first seven years of Bridgeway's life, it was mobile, meeting in an auditorium and theater in Morton, Illinois and a school in Tremont. In 2013, Bridgeway was relocated to Pekin on the second busiest intersection in Tazewell County. Throughout it's first 10 years, Bridgeway witnessed 806 professions of faith and 309 baptisms. In addition, the culture of Bridgeway encouraged and empowered the church plant Second Chance Church in Fishers, Indiana, led by Pastor Matt Robinson. In 2015, Pastor Jeff Stark joined the team to lead Bridgeway into its next chapter. Central to Bridgeway's effectiveness has been the tireless work of the pastoral staff, ministry leaders, and volunteers, the investments of both Pekin First Church of the Nazarene and the Northwest Illinois District Church of the Nazarene, and the consistent, guiding power of its Mission, Vision, and Values. On January 3rd, 2016, Bridgeway launched its second campus in Marquette Heights led by Pastor Nate Morrison.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission
To connect people to Jesus Christ, each other, and God's purpose for their lives.
Vision
To be a community where people who are disconnected from God and the church are encouraged and equipped to discover and fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
What makes our Vision unique?
Bridgeway does not seek to grow large in one location. Instead, we seek to spread out across Central Illinois through a network of new churches and campuses. We are currently exploring opportunities in Tazewell County, Illinois and those counties surrounding.
Our Distinctive DNA
Respond - (Come and See…) We seek to create an authentic, unconditionally loving atmosphere where people can respond to the call of God on their lives.
Realign - (Follow Me…) We seek to connect to Jesus Christ in transformative ways through intentional discipleship. Through Commitment to Jesus, our hearts, attitudes, words, actions and relationships are realigned to the Kingdom of God.
Restore - (You will be…) We believe that God’s work in us restores us to God’s original purposes for our lives. We believe restoration takes place in each person, families, relationships, and communities.
Reproduce - (Go and Make...) We are committed to living out the faith in compelling ways, trusting God will take what we offer and reproduce His goodness in this world through humble servanthood, grace-giving, heart-mending, disciple-making, and church planting ministry.
OUR CORE STRATEGIES
1. Equipping and Developing Servant Leaders
We intentionally develop leaders at every level and of every age. Jesus modeled this by not only developing leaders, but by demonstrating servant leadership. We believe the best leaders are servant leaders.
2. Practical Biblical Teaching and Preaching
We work hard to make the Bible easy to understand and make sure that our teaching applies it to life in a way that makes sense to everyone.
3. Sharing Faith through Relationships
We believe the gospel travels best across relationships. We won't be knocking on your door or shoving a tract in your hand.
4. Inviting People into their Potential
We believe that people were created to do good works. It is the work of the church to encourage people to fulfill God's good plans and purposes for their lives.
5. Church Reproduction
We are a church planting church. We hold everything with an open hand and refuse to build our kingdom, rather we will build Jesus' kingdom through starting new churches to reach people disconnected from the church.
6. Cultural Relevance
The church should be more like 2015 than 1915. We play music that is modern. We speak in language that can be understood. And we teach in creative ways in all of our environments.