October 2025 Update
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
Rooted Together: Moving Forward by God’s Grace
Greetings, Bridge!
We Closed!!!
In case you haven’t heard, we are delighted to announce that we officially closed on our new church home in Oreland on October 22, 2025! We give thanks to God for His generous care and for the faithful prayers and hands that carried us to this milestone.
It’s important to stop here for a moment and recognize how much work, how many discussions, how much prayer went into this milestone!! Rejoice with us. We are so thankful for each of you.
You may be asking, what else happened this month? And how did we get here?! Hopefully this update fills in the gaps!
October in Review: How did we get here?
As autumn took hold, we saw God’s hand shaping and strengthening his work in our midst. From new connections in Springfield and prayerful walks through Oreland to church workdays, celebrations, and even a holiday neighborhood event — this season overflowed with reminders of his presence with us. Let’s take a look back on all that happened this month.
Community Beginnings: Presence and Partnership
In early October, Bridge took part in the Springfield Township Community Day—our first major outreach event since beginning this new chapter in Oreland. Liz Bustos shared: “Community Day was really great. We had a great time meeting new people and engaging with those we already know from the community. The rock painting craft turned out to be a huge hit with the kids! The best part was telling people about our new space and hearing their excitement. There was a palpable energy in the air, and it made us even more hopeful for what’s to come.”
We’re so thankful for the team that came out to serve, including several Springfield-area families like the Bustos’, Snyders, and the Kinnairds. Seasonal opportunities for more connection with the community are already been planned—if you’d like to join the neighborhood outreach efforts, Liz would love to connect with you! Contact her at: elizabethbustos@comcast.net.
Continued Walking and Praying Together
Eloise Briscoe shared a beautiful glimpse of one of our recent prayer walks through Oreland: “As I was sitting on the steps of the church reading before we started, a woman stopped and said, ‘It’s so nice to see someone reading the Bible.’ We had a lovely conversation, and I got to tell her about the building purchase and upcoming move-in. She said she’ll be watching for signs of life as we work.”
Eloise, Jeremy Suggs, and Dave Briscoe walked (with Pippa the dog, of course!) and prayed through local landmarks—from the parking lot on Integrity Road to the Little League fields to Oreland Pizza—asking that in all these gathering places, Bridge might truly be “heralds of good news” (Isaiah 40).
Building Steps: From Plans to Progress to Ownership!
Meanwhile, it felt like October went from zero to one hundred. We went from selecting our architect and waiting on the ALTA survey to early giving and closing on our new church home!!
October Progress:
ALTA Survey completed! This was needed to complete our closing. Praise!
Architect Selected. Our architect was chosen, and we are meeting with him to approve of plans and head toward permits. He is awesome!
Early giving. Even before our campaign officially began, early commitments surpassed $90,000
Pastor Josh began to meet with Bridge folks for purposes of encouragement and invitation to this whole process of moving to Oreland.
Important Financial Update: as of the end of October, we have currently received financial commitments totaling $320,000–—a testament to God’s provision and your kindness!
Right after closing, we quickly had two opportunities to celebrate together:
1. Saturday, October 25 | 9 AM – 2 PM at St. Philip’s: We had our first work day! We cleaned flower beds, cleared brush, and cared for our new property together. Thirty eight (38!!) people showed up to excitedly work together. It was awesome.
2. Sunday, October 26th, after worship: We gathered downstairs for desserts and lemonade as we celebrated God’s goodness in providing St. Philip’s as our new home.
New Hire and New Building Ownership: A Sneak Peek at Week One
We’re excited to welcome Steve Brandenburg as our NEW Facilities Manager—a true gift to Bridge! Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished in our first week of ownership.
Verizon installed our internet and phone service, and we now have WiFi in the Sunday School building.
Dan Weigner is helping us set up the network for the new building—his expertise is a big blessing!
Our main sewer line in the sanctuary was checked; it’s blocked and needs repair before we upgrade the bathrooms. Please pray for wisdom on next steps.
Tim Stonehouse helped with internet lines and fixed the sanctuary’s front door.
Architect Matt Anderson met with us to review renovation plans. Next, his team will fine-tune the drawings.
The old tree out front will be removed soon due to disease.
Our heating oil company will service the house’s heater Monday.
Hirschberg Mechanical will check the sanctuary boiler next Thursday to ensure reliable heat this winter.
We’re grateful for everyone helping in these early days. Thanks for your prayers and support!
Lastly, on October 31, 2025, we handed out candy and snack goody bags at our new church home. There was live music (Darryl Rearson and Lawrence Bower!), costumes, and fun! What a joy and a fun way to both meet and bless folks! Thanks especially to Amy Martin, Nancy Bower, Liz and Marco Bustos, Eloise Briscoe, and Cheryl Sumitra on the Neighborhood Outreach team. Come and join them in planning for more fun!
Halloween Holiday Outreach
Looking Ahead: Join Us!
Our next Work Day will be November 8, 2025 from 9am - 1pm at St Philip’s in Oreland. Please join us! We will be moving furniture and objects from one building to another and continuing landscaping.
Keep praying for our community walks and outreach efforts—that we would meet neighbors, listen well, and share Christ’s love with gentleness and joy. You are invited to take part.
For those who haven’t yet had a chance to meet yet with Pastor Josh about the capital campaign, invitations to schedule a meeting with him or a member of the leadership are coming. If you haven’t scheduled a time yet and would like to, please contact rachel@liberti.org. We’re grateful for the growing spirit of trust and generosity God is cultivating among us.
If you haven’t been able to join in as much as you’d like, don’t worry—we are just getting started! We need you. Please let us know how you’d like to get involved. We’re who we are because of you, and we want to support and unite with you as we follow what God is doing in this season. Come and talk to Josh, Cheryl, or Allie with any ideas or ways to support the work!!
Praises!
WE CLOSED ON OCTOBER 22! We are church owners!!
We hired Steve Brandenburg as our new Facilities Manager! We are grateful.
Sweet community connections at Springfield Township Community Day and on local prayer walks.
Successful selection of a wonderful architect to begin renovation planning.
October 31, 2025 - Halloween Trick or Treating in Oreland!! We handed out candy and snack goody bags at our new church home. Good fun.
Capital campaign commitments totaling $320,000!!!!
Conversations with neighbors who have expressed interest and encouragement about our new space.
Prayer Needs
Wisdom for upcoming renovation decisions and contractor partnerships.
Please pray for wisdom on next steps to repair our main sewer line.
Continued fruit from outreach events such as Halloween goody bag distribution and neighborhood prayer walks.
Encouragement and clarity for us all as we have capital campaign conversations.
Pray that we would care for one another well—remaining rooted in Christ even in a busy season. (Do you have ideas here? Come talk to Allie or email her at allie@liberti.org)
Pray that we’re able to get to $500,000 by the end of November.
Pray for wisdom and endurance for our staff as we carry many needs and walk through this busy season together.