The Interweaving of Perdido Bay United Methodist with Bright Bridge
Peter King, Lay Leader and one of the teachers of the Seekers Sunday School Class at Perdido Bay United Methodist Church (PBUMC) was introduced to our ministries 15 years ago. Since then, the support of PBUMC has been an integral part of Bright Bridge Ministries, as its members are interwoven in every aspect of our outreach efforts in this community.
Helping our Food Ministry Thrive Through the Pandemic
When Peter and the other PBUMC members from the then Corner Class first began helping our ministries, they prepared a meal for our Food Ministry once a month. This meal supported the Sunday afternoon worship service, an evangelism effort to the community. With growing nutritional needs of our community during the pandemic, PBUMC and the Seekers Sunday School Class stepped up to prepare a meal for Bright Bridge’s Food Ministry once a week. Due to a grant PBUMC received from a generous family, they were also able to pay a local catering company called Culinary Productions to provide meals for a second day each week. This gave PBUMC members the opportunity to serve, sustained Culinary Productions with business during the pandemic, and aided the marginalized in Brownsville. We are so grateful for this increased support of our Food Ministry during the pandemic. PBUMC believes that all ages should be encouraged to love others in the name of Christ, which is why over the years their youth group and their families have been an integral part of the serving teams for the Sunday afternoon meal.
Making a Joyful Noise at Bright Bridge Ministries
In addition to their work with our Food Ministry, PBUMC has also been instrumental in the contemporary music provided at our worship services. Several PBUMC members volunteer their talent in our praise band, including Shawn Bowling, Kitty Stevens, and Meredith Somerset-Bumann. We truly appreciate these gifted individuals joining us in giving musical praises to the Lord.
A Loyal Donor Through the Years
Finally, PBUMC has been extremely generous over the years with both financial and in-kind donations to Bright Bridge Ministries. PBUMC has also been an avid financial supporter of Bright Bridge Ministries for over a decade through their Covenant Ministries grants. This funding has supported all Bright Bridge’s various outreach efforts from housing, to food, to hygiene products. Additionally, PBUMC’s Redemption Store ministries has made in-kind donations to Bright Bridge’s clothing ministry over the years. This strong donor relationship with PBUMC is something we will treasure for years to come.
Bright Bridge's Passion for Serving Our Community in Need
“The passion that Stanley and Pastor Robin bring to serving that community is why we support Bright Bridge Ministries."
On the diverse economic strata of the PBUMC members, Peter says, “You never know if you’re talking to a retired marine general or someone who cleans condos for a living.” When asked why PBUMC supports Bright Bridge, he referenced how our ministries serve impoverished people in Brownsville, saying, “The passion that Stanley and Pastor Robin bring to serving that community is why we support Bright Bridge Ministries, and it serves our Mission ‘To make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world’ and our Vision ‘To be the Heart of the Community.’ Serving others in the name of Jesus Christ is literally in the DNA of PBUMC.”
Elaborating on our organization’s role within this community, Peter says, “Bright Bridge does a lot of ‘up by the bootstraps’ work, with programs to provide for basic needs like clothing, or offering their clients bag lunches once they get a job, so they will have a good lunch at work. This multi-pronged approach and the ministries provided for the community is appropriate for the location of Bright Bridge.” Peter concludes that PBUMC appreciates this opportunity to be witnesses in the community of Brownsville through their work at Bright Bridge Ministries, as the bible says in Acts 1:8, “…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”