Mission USA -- Basic Description

For most of us, “church shopping” can be a slow, weary, and sometimes unpleasant effort. Trying to find a church that meets our needs, with a pastor that preaches in a style we prefer, with the doctrine we believe, and a good geographic location, can often be burdensome to the point of defeat. For inmates being released into our communities, it can prove fatal to the health of their walk. How are these former inmates to know where they can find a church in their neighborhood that wants them? How are pastors to know about well-discipled ex-inmates who are passionate about their walk for the Lord?

Now, with a single weekly meeting called THE BRIDGE, Mission:USA is bringing everything together. We’re bridging that gap, and giving these men and women a wide variety of options, creating a new community to replace their previous relationships in the gangs, and on the prison decks.

Quick facts on the weekly meetings of THE BRIDGE:

•	Three pastors each bring a 10-minute sermon on the same pre-selected situational topic to give the attendees a sense of how each pastor brings the Word.
•	These pastors are from a variety of denominations and represent churches from key strategic geographic areas. As a group, they are also ethnically diverse.
•	Participating pastors and their corresponding churches are hand-picked by Mission:USA staff, who attend services and conduct on-site evaluation of the service and congregation to ensure quality and their commitment to “the least of these”.
•	We feature our own House Band, with music written specifically for our BRIDGE services.
•	A different church provides childcare, refreshments, greeting and ushering each week, acting as a “host team”.
•	Information regarding jobs and housing needs can be obtained from a special booth set up after the service, during the food and fellowship time.

Response since the kickoff of THE BRIDGE:

•	Attendees report a strong sense of welcome; and they find the preaching to be high quality and relevant to their specific struggles
•	Pastors have eagerly recruited well-discipled ex-offenders to their churches, and are coming back for more
•	Pastors report that they have been fed during the meetings, and have returned to be fed
•	Host teams report having a “short-term missions” type of experience
•	The multi-racial makeup of the service turns out to be a source of excitement