Elevator Speech??? That's a common phrase in business. If you are in the elevator with the CEO of your company, and he or she asks you what you do for the company, you need to respond in 30 seconds or less... before they get off the elevator. :-) Here's JBC's "Elevator Speech":
We have a heart specifically for Old Town, and we want to build relationships with our neighbors there by serving alongside them in the areas important to them, such as Japanese Gulch, Community Garden, Lighthouse Park, etc. Through service, we build bridges with those we come alongside. We have people, time, and energy: whatever they need help with, we’ll come over and help. I guess that’s what makes Jericho Bridge a little different, unconventional. After all, Jesus Himself didn’t try to drag people into a building so He could hit them over the head with the Bible. He went where they were, getting personal and building relationships. At Jericho Bridge, we are all about building bridges: between people and God, between community members, between generations, and between churches.
Our Sundays differ significantly from almost all other churches you’ve been to. First thing we do is go to the Red Cup Café for a half-hour of Coffee & Conversation. Red Cup is the “in” place to be in Old Town Mukilteo… and they of course have the best coffee around.
Next thing you’ll notice is that we hold our Sunday services in Mukilteo’s Community Center. It’s a gorgeous facility, and our room has windows on two sides, facing the water, so most people sit where they can see the ocean (but don’t tell Don!). Pretty much every Sunday is accented with the ferry horn.
Then, you’ll discover that our Pastor wears shorts almost all year long (he’s from Minnesota). Yes, we’re pretty casual; come as you are. Jesus Christ knows we’re not perfect or polished (we’re all “works in progress”), so, we shouldn’t pretend to be. We are all in various stages of walking-out the path God has for us. We have talents and skills that are constantly being learned and practiced, so JBC gives us opportunity and grace to try. That’s why you’ll see all of us participating in many areas of the church, because we’re all learning and doing… together. No worship band yet, though (hint, hint), so we use technology with a sound system. We always have biblical teaching & lively fellowship – before, during, and after. Our goal is for believers and seekers alike to connect with God and enjoy community and social interaction with one another.
Our tables have paper and colored pencils for doodling. Some people need to draw or write to stay focused and engaged. Oh, and it’s not just for kids!
And finally, you’ll see that our services are just about an hour long, but we do tend to chat longer in the parking lot or at Red Cup Café afterward!
Wow! I had to look those words up. Yes, sometimes we do have sermons with well-written-out notes, explaining Biblical passages, line by line, in practical and relevant words… and Don likes surprises, so many “punch lines” are at the end. However, we also have a probably equal amount of “application” messages: sermons of hope and encouragement for life’s struggles, using Biblical truths as foundational support.
Sunday Morning Service
10:30 AM, Pacific time
via Zoom
Proverbs Place
Sunday mornings
10:00 AM, Pacific time
via Zoom
Psalms Bible Study
Wednesdays
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM, Pacific time
via Zoom
The Mukilteo Food Bank
2nd and 4th Sunday
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM, Pacific time
4514 84th St SW, Mukilteo, WA 98275
2 Corinthians 9:6-13 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (NIV)
We believe in being good stewards of what God has given us. We also believe in being cheerful, and giving with those resources. God wants us to be faithful, no matter how little or much we have. The New Testament teaches over and over about being faithful with what you have been given. Giving is sacrificial, both for individuals and the church. Jericho Bridge gives a portion of its donations to its affiliation and accountability partner, the TrueBridge Family of Churches.
Tithe means “tenth.” In the Old Testament, the tithe referred to God’s people giving the first 10% of their gross income (also called “first-fruits”) to God to fund the Levite priests’ ministry (Num. 18:21–29; 27:30). In addition to that, there were other tithes and offerings required of God’s people, including 10% paid for festivals to build community and for celebration (Deut. 12:10–11, 17–18; 14:22–27), 3% given to help the poor (Deut. 14:28–29), crop gleanings collected for the poor and aliens (Lev. 19:9–10), and other occasional additional tithes above and beyond regular giving (Neh. 10:32–33). All total, the “mandatory” Old Testament tithe resulted in over 25 percent of a family’s gross income going to God and ministry. In the New Testament, financial giving among God’s people focuses on grace, generosity, and the heart, and not actual percentages of one’s income. The word “tithe” is rarely used in the New Testament, and when it is, it is usually mentioned negatively in rebuking religious types such as the Pharisees who gave their money to God but not their hearts and lives.
Offerings are non-mandated donations and giving, over-and-above the amount given for tithes. Offerings can be given for a particular need, event, or ministry.
When we give to God, we are not deciding how much of our wealth to give; rather, we are determining how much of God’s wealth to keep for our own uses. God’s people today are not required to tithe. But, like everything else in the new covenant, grace is extended to us for giving.
At a church service
We do not set time aside during a service to take an offering. Instead, there is an offering basket on the Information table. When people have tithes and offerings to give, they place them in this basket, which is collected and counted by staff members after the service.
Online
We have the ability to accept and collect tithes and offerings online, through our partner, PayPal. You do not have to have a PayPal account to donate. When you click on the "Donate" link below, you are directed to a PayPal company page, which securely processes your credit or debit transaction. No card information is transmitted to Jericho Bridge. Name, address, and amount information is all that is passed to us. The donation is credited to the church's PayPal account, which is then periodically transferred over the church's bank account by one of our staff members.
If you would like to securely donate to Jericho Bridge, through our partner PayPal, please click on the
"PayPal Donate Now" button, below.