The cornerstone of our community life is Shabbat.
As a Messianic congregation, we enjoy a relaxed, God-and-community focused Shabbat. We come on Saturday without an agenda, simply a desire to meet with HaShem and His body on His appointed time of gathering and rest.
Torah Study
Our Shabbat day begins with Torah Study at 9:30am.
Synagogues all over the world read through the Torah annually, divided into readings that traditionally date back to Ezra. In our study, we take turns reading sections of the Torah portion and discussing what it means and how it applies to our lives today. If you have the desire and ability to study the portion ahead of time, that's great - but if not, that's fine too. You will get a lot out of the study either way. For the weekly portion, click -here-.
We do not currently have nursery or children's care during the Torah Study.
On the first week of each month, we encorporate the Torah study and discussion into our regular Shabbat service. On those weeks, we do not have Torah Study at 9:30am. See more details below.
Shabbat Worship Service
At 10:30am, between Torah Study and our main service, we have an open prayer time. During this time, the sanctuary is open for prayer in whatever way you feel most comfortable.
We begin our main Shabbat worship service at 11:00am. Our Shabbat service combines some of the traditional liturgy and Torah service of the synagogue with a worship service and a message. The result is a kind of hybrid service that includes some of the richest and most powerful dynamics of both the traditional and modern.
Shabbat service begins with Modeh Ani and the Sh'ma, and then we sing or read a few liturgical blessings. After that we have our kids and adults drash (a short sharing/teaching) on the weekly Torah portion from one of our members, and a blessing prayed over the children.
After this, we have a contemporary worship time and main message, during which the children have their own class. We end our service around 1pm.
On the first week of each month, we have our Torah Service. This fun service is a bit more Jewish in style, with a focus on the Torah. We have a Torah processional, a short reading in Hebrew, and an in-service discussion on the weekly portion. Many in our community really look forward to this service each month because of it's traditional and interactive style. We do not have a children's class the first week of the month. Kids are welcome in the service and we have coloring sheets & crayons available.
Oneg
After service, we enjoy a meal, traditionally called "Oneg" which means delight. This is done potluck-style, and everyone is welcome to attend. Please read here for more information and dietary guidelines.
Oneg is one of the best times to get to know our community, so if you're visiting to check us out and see if we're a good fit for you, make sure to plan on staying! We want to get to know you!
Here at The Bridge, we enjoy the unrushed spirit of Shabbat. We come together on Saturday with no agenda except to rest in the presence of the Lord, learn more about Him, and enjoy fellowship with each other. That said, we understand that everyone is at a different place in life, and sometimes lingering on Shabbat isn't an option. You are welcome to stay as long as you'd like - whether that means leaving before or after lunch, and staying for Torah study or just service.
We look forward to getting to know you!