Raise up. Feed. Build. Plant.
Our vision comes from Isaiah 58, a promise to people who give themselves away for others. We’ve put it into four words. Each one is about what we want to be for Bulwark, Thornwell, Chepstow and the communities around us.
Raise up | Every generation raises the next
“You shall raise up the foundations of many generations.” Isaiah 58:12
We want every child and young person in this town to grow up knowing they are loved, that they matter and that they have something to give. So we invest in each generation coming up behind us. We start with the youngest, in Bridge Tots, Bridge Kids, Relentless and Unite. We work alongside Thornwell Primary, Pembroke Primary and Chepstow School. And we keep handing real responsibility to younger leaders, giving them the coaching to grow and room to try.
Early in 2027, Seedlings will bring parents and carers with little ones together around a family breakfast.
Feed | A meal, a conversation, and good news
“If you pour yourself out for the hungry… your light shall rise in the darkness.” Isaiah 58:10
We meet needs practically, and we meet them spiritually. Sometimes that’s a hot meal. Sometimes it’s company for someone who’s on their own, or help through a hard season. A meal leads to a conversation, and a conversation can lead to Jesus, but nobody has to believe anything to sit at our table.
Lads’ Lunch has served 2,000 meals in two years, with 15–18 around the table every week. Our men’s and women’s breakfasts and community pop-ups bring that same table out into Bulwark and Thornwell.
Build | A home the whole community can walk into
“You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” Isaiah 58:12
We’re not interested in bricks and mortar for their own sake. We believe a town needs a church it can see and walk into: somewhere to go for help, for truth and for practical support. We are believing for a permanent home for the church and the community, designed from the first drawing around worship and the needs of the people around it.
- On the high street, where anyone passing can come in
- Worship you can hear from the street on a Sunday
- A kitchen open through the week, so you can pop in for lunch
- Practical help for those who need it most, from somewhere to wash to somewhere warm to be
Plant | A spring, not a reservoir
“You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11
A reservoir collects water and keeps it. A spring gives it away, and is constantly refilled from its source. We want to be a spring. That means sending people out, not holding on to them. When God calls people from among us to start something new, we want to see churches planted in the communities around Chepstow, so more places have a church that is there for them.
Want to find out more, or get involved? Join us on a Sunday at 10am, or email admin@thebridgechurch.online