Thank you for checking out Bridges! I hope the information you find here gives you a good sense of who we are. In short, Bridges is all about unwrapping and embracing the incredible life offered by Jesus Christ.I believe Bridges is a place where you can experience the love God has for you in Jesus Christ. I invite you to join us for worship on Sunday morning. I hope to meet you soon.
Embracing Jesus, Mike Kleven, Lead Pastor
Culturally relevant
It doesn't make sense to bind the message of Jesus Christ in language, music, and traditions people don't understand. In fact, failing to communicate God's love in a way people can understand is irreverant. Why? Because people matter to God. That's why God sent us Jesus! And because people matter to God people matter to us too. At Bridges we are building a church where people can explore God's love in culturally relevant and understandable ways.
Biblical messages
Practical Bible-based teaching that deals with real life issues describes the preaching of Bridges' Lead Pastor Mike Kleven. With more than 20 years of experience as a pastor, Mike understands the challenges, triumphs, and frustrations we face in our modern culture. Beginning with a deep understanding of the Bible, Mike addresses real life issues helping people make deeper connections with God through Jesus Christ in meaningful and practical ways.
Modern worship
Worship draws people into the presence of God to celebrate who He is and what He's done. As with any celebration, music is an important element of worshiping God. At Bridges we seek to enter God's presence in ways that speak from the heart of the worshiper. Doug Shea, Bridges Music Director, combines his love for God, his love for music, and more than a decade touring with the band Spirit Creek, into a worship experience that is modern and passionate with a solid rock edge.
Community focus
Bridges' slogan, Church for the Community, reflects our outward focus. Jesus didn't hide cloistered in some building. He spent his time with people in the community. He met people at their point of need and sought to meet it. That's what Bridges is seeking to do. We want to bless the community just like Jesus blessed the people around him. That means getting out into the community. It means finding out where the community has need and meeting it.
Bridges' float in last Saturday's (June 27th) Mequon-Thiensville Family Fun Before the Fourth Parade was a crowd favorite again this year. The float featured NeumaVox, the Bridges worship band. Bridgers also walked along with the float handing out generous amounts of candy and nearly 1000 Music of Bridges CDswith invitations to a free cookout and concert following the parade.
The response from the crowd to the free CD was enthusiastic. Bridgers had a hard time keeping up with the demand. In fact several hundred more CDs could have been distributed.
During the parade a number of Bridgers cooked burgers, brats, and hotdogs and set up for the cookout and concert. Many people stopped by to see what was going on before the parade was even over. Members of the worship band expressed delighted when they arrived at the cookout location. Lots of people were in line for food and more already eating and waiting for the concert. In all, approximately 350-375 enjoyed a free picnic lunch on Bridges in addition to a great concert. It was a great opportunity for Bridges to express the love of God to the people of Thiensville and Mequon.
And, Bridges' parade season isn't over. This Friday evening, July 3rd, Bridges will take part in the Grafton Holidaze Parade. This is Bridges' first time in the Grafton parade. Bridgers and friends of Bridges are welcome to walk in the parade and hand out candy and NeumaVox CD's. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. The worship band will set up at 2:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Elementary School parking lot (1629 11th Avenue, Grafton). If you are available at 2:30 p.m. please come help set up the float and put stickers on CDs with information about a cookout and concert at Veterans Memorial Park in Grafton on August 14th. Otherwise be at Kennedy Elementary School by 4:30 p.m. Don't forget to bring some candy to pass out at the parade.
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"I Want To Hear A Sermon About ...," a new series of messages at Bridges, begins this Sunday, April 26. Based on suggestions submitted by people in the community, the series addresses topics about what is true and how to live out one's faith.
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A wide variety of people suggested topics including college students, business professionals, a principle, mothers, and many others. Compiling suggestions produced more than a dozen message topics for the series. The first five messages in the series are:
4/26
Why should I believe the Bible really is the Word of God?
5/03
What's the deal with denominations and how do I know what to believe?
5/10
Does God have a master plan for my life and what happens if I "mess up" God's plan?
5/17
Does God know the choices I make before I make them?
5/24
Where does tolerance belong in a life of faith?
5/31
How do I sustain faith in Christ in a broken and corrupt world?
6/7
Aren't all religions just different paths to God? And, I'm a good person. Isn't that enough to get me to heaven?
6/14
How do current events line up with the signs of the end times in the Bible?
6/21
Is fish meat? And does it really matter to God what I eat on Fridays?
6/28
If God is good and all powerful why is there so much suffering?
Some other messages in the series continuing this summer include:
What happens to people who don't know Jesus?
How do I mend broken relationships?
How can parents help their children navigate the land mines of alcohol and drugs?
Front row: Cynde Kleven, Maggie Barr, Leslie Memmel, Deb Wojnarowski; Second row: Mike Kleven, Bruce Barr, Paul Rowlett, Kerry Wilger, Brian Wilger
Thank you to the ten Bridgers who picked up bottles, cans, cigarette liters, numerous tennis balls, massive quantities of Styrofoam insulation, a tire, a chase lounge, and all sorts of discarded metal along the Milwaukee River in Mequon on Saturday, April 18. The team of volunteers from Bridges gathered with other people from the community at Thiensville Village Park at 8:30 a.m. for the annual Milwaukee Rivers and Parks Spring Clean-up. The Bridges crew then headed out to their assignment along the Milwaukee River just south of Highland Road. After filling nearly ten bags of trash and stacking several piles of discarded metal and construction materials the team headed back to Thiensville Village Park for lunch.
This was the second year Bridges took part in the clean-up. Other volunteers and event organizers remembered Bridges participation last year and expressed appreciation for the care Bridges shows for the community. In addition a number of people approached team members to find out more about Bridges.
Participating in service projects like the River and Parks Clean-up is a great way to demonstrate to the community that Bridges really is a church for the community. Only three of the ten Bridges volunteers actually live in Mequon or Thiensville. The fact that seven people from other communities served in the clean-up says alot about them and the heart of Bridges! So again, thank you to all those who took part in this great service project! See you next year at the River and Parks Clean-up. Click here to see more pictures from the clean-up day.
Project Clear View II participants (left to right): Brian Wilger, Mike Jakubiak, Lissa McDonald, Jennifer Kern, Maggie Barr, Paul Rowlett, Doug Shea, Lupe Duenas, and Mike Kleven (behind the camera).
A team of Bridgers provided free washer fluid refills at three area filling stations on Saturday, March 14. Bridges simple-act-of-kindness projects like this provide a way for Bridgers to say, "God loves you!" to people in the community.
Bridgers used more than 40 gallons of washer fluid to fill vehicle washer fluid resevoirs at Citgo Super Sales in Cedarburg, Citgo Super Sales in Grafton, and Towne Market Mobile in Mequon. In addition to providing free washer fluid refills Bridgers also gave away 175 NeumaVox CD's. The CD features music from Bridges Sunday morning worship gatherings.
The response by customers at the three filling stations varied from suspicious of the free offer to gratitude for the free gift. Once people learned the washer fluid really was free most gladly accepted the simple act of kindness.
It doesn't make sense to bind the message of Jesus Christ in language, music, and traditions people don't understand. In fact, failing to communicate God's love in a way people can understand is irreverant. Why? Because people matter to God. That's why God sent us Jesus! And because people matter to God people matter to us too. At Bridges we are building a church where people can explore God's love in culturally relevant and understandable ways.
Practical Bible-based teaching that deals with real life issues describes the preaching of Bridges' Lead Pastor Mike Kleven. With more than 20 years of experience as a pastor, Mike understands the challenges, triumphs, and frustrations we face in our modern culture. Beginning with a deep understanding of the Bible, Mike addresses real life issues helping people make deeper connections with God through Jesus Christ in meaningful and practical ways. 
Worship draws people into the presence of God to celebrate who He is and what He's done. As with any celebration, music is an important element of worshiping God. At Bridges we seek to enter God's presence in ways that speak from the heart of the worshiper. Doug Shea, Bridges Music Director, combines his love for God, his love for music, and more than a decade touring with the band Spirit Creek, into a worship experience that is modern and passionate with a solid rock edge.
Bridges' slogan, Church for the Community, reflects our outward focus. Jesus didn't hide cloistered in some building. He spent his time with people in the community. He met people at their point of need and sought to meet it. That's what Bridges is seeking to do. We want to bless the community just like Jesus blessed the people around him. That means getting out into the community. It means finding out where the community has need and meeting it.
This was the second year Bridges took part in the clean-up. Other volunteers and event organizers remembered Bridges participation last year and expressed appreciation for the care Bridges shows for the community. In addition a number of people approached team members to find out more about Bridges.