1) Donate canned and non-perishable food items to the Dorcas Ministries Food Pantry. Dorcas Ministries of Cary (serving both Cary and Morrisville) gave away over $220,000 worth of food to needy families in our area in 2013. Their Christ-centered ministry has a thrift store, food pantry, and crisis ministry for financial support. They are a vital resource to every church in our area to serve and assist the needy in an effective and accountable way. Help us reach our goal of donating 1000 pounds of food this Easter. Bring your canned good and non-perishables on Easter Sunday, and invite your neighbors to participate as well!

2) Make a monetary donation to support Compassion International  and North American Mission Board (NAMB) missions. Our monetary donations this Easter will go to support mother's and young children through Compassion and domestic missionaries here in the United States through the NAMB. More than an "adopt a child" program, Compassion also has a "Child Survivor Program" (CSP) that supports young women from the earliest stages of pregnancy to when their children reach the age of 5 (and can then enter the "child sponsorship program). Pastor Mike was able to see the CSP program at work first hand on his trip to El Salvador last fall. The CSP serves the poorest of the poor in countries all over the world, providing medical care, support, and spiritual growth to young mothers and their children in impoverished conditions. Only $20 a month is needed to support a mother and child. That amounts to $240 a year. Our goal is to raise enough to support 5 mothers and their children for one year.

In addition, we also want to support missionaries here in the United States. The US is quickly  becoming a "post-Christian" nation and is more in need of the gospel than ever. NAMB sends hundreds of missionaries throughout the United States to plant and support churches in reaching our communities with the good news of God's love in Christ.

Our goal is to raise $1200 for NAMB and $1200 for Compassion for a total of $2400. Please prayerfully consider making a special offering this Easter to support these causes. Give online by clicking here, or make a special offering on a Sunday at The Bridge and designate your offering as an "Easter Offering."

3) Partner WITH our neighbors. Instead of "outreach" to your friends and neighbors, practice "withreach" by inviting them to participate with us in our food drive. We will provide food donation bags and flyers for you to share with your neighbors. The plan is pretty simple: on the weekend of April 10,11, 12, distribute as many bags with attached promotional flyer to your neighbors (or whoever you'd like). The flyer explains that you are helping to gather food for the Dorcas Food Pantry and that you are inviting them to help. The flyer lets your neighbors know what they can donate, and to place the filled bag on their porch for pick up on Saturday, April 19th.  It's a great to invest WITH your neighbors instead of viewing them as OUTREACH projects!

Then, on Saturday, April 19th, you and your family return to pick up your neighbors donated items, and leave a "thank you" door hanger (that The Bridge will provide for you) that also invites your neighbor to join with the Bridge for our Easter Sunday celebration.