The Bridge App - March 23, 2023
What’s Going On? The Bridge App
I have had some fun ideas come to my mind about the Bridge App.
I don’t know about you, but I find this App very handy. I use it as my main telephone directory because when I find your name, I just have to touch your phone number and I am calling you. And this directory is constantly updated so that it is never out of date. The Bridge App also helps when I am making a visit. I touch your address and it gives me a map to your home. Furthermore, there are prayer requests made and sent during the week directly to this App. Finally, when I first came to Mountainview I tried out the Bridge App as a method of giving and have found it to be incredibly simple and straightforward.
I am curious how many others find this tool as useful as I do. I wonder this because there is one feature of the Bridge App that I don’t find particularly helpful. That is the picture directory. Especially when I first came, I would scroll through the pictures and figure out who I had already met – who I knew and who I did not yet. Pretty soon, however, I realized that the pictures I was looking at did not correlate to reality. Families with four children would have a picture with only three and somehow everyone looked suspiciously younger in the photo than in person. Recently we have been campaigning to help those new to Mountainview to have their picture taken and put in the Bridge App as well as on the Welcome to Mountainview bulletin board in the foyer. While this is going on, I am wondering if those who have been around a while might want to take a look at their Bridge App photo and update it. I have even thought of a great motivator to help you. How about we start showing photos on the screen on Sunday morning? Okay, we won’t do that…but if the very idea makes you nervous that might just be the sign it is time to update the photo. Like with most things on the App, it is really quite easy.
Recently we have also added birthdays to the Bridge App. As I am sure you know, we also publish the birthdays of the upcoming week with the information email sent out on Fridays. I have noticed that we seem to have a birthday on almost every day of the year. It is quite amazing how well spread out our birthdays are. I am wondering if we are interested in a campaign where we find the few dates where there is no Mountainview birthday and see if we can bring in some people whose birthday fills a gap. Just think, it would give you a great opening line with people you meet. You ask “when is your birthday?” When they answer, you can say “we don’t have anyone with that birthday in our church, you should come join us!” Trust me, crazier openings have led to meaningful engagement.
Seriously though, the Bridge App and all of it’s tools is one way we can stay connected, informed and aware. And that is the main thing. Whatever tools you use, make a point of finding ways into new connections and find ways to deepen the connections you have. That is what loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself is all about.
Pastor Erick Schuringa
PS. A note from Karin in the office
Not only can you update photos as you change... CONTACT INFORMATION can be updated (then I can approve it and correct it in all the right data collection places) AND you can share PRAYERS AND PRAISES any time you would like to!
All information remains private within our church community.
All users have to register and be approved.