A Bridge has Two-Way Traffic

“I don’t know if he’s getting anything out of this,” our volunteer mentors often say, “but this has been a growth experience for me!” 

The kids are getting something out of it, but what our mentors are communicating is that mentoring is not just giving; it’s giving and receiving. They’re building a bridge, and bridges have two-way traffic. That is why our ministry is called The Bridge. 

Gary Greer caught this vision two years ago at Breakfast for The Bridge. A friend had invited him and Gary heard about Lunch Buddies for the first time. Driving home from the event, he later reported, “I kept trying to think of ways not to do it, but I saw...this is something we could do, as a small congregation, and we could do it well.” As a pastor, Gary could see the magic of Lunch Buddies. Before long he reached out to ask if we would be willing to partner with his church, located thirty-five minutes away in Lawrence.  

From the beginning we have been The Bridge of Topeka, but we wondered if God might be leading us to become The Bridge of Northeast Kansas.  

We wondered. So, we prayed. And we decided that God’s people scatter seeds, we don’t hoard them. So, The Bridge of Lawrence was founded.