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Building a Church from the Ground Zero Up
As a professional firefighter the reality that life is short and that tragedy can strike without warning is a daily one. After sixteen years of being at the ready for calls and responding to various situations from fires to hazardous spills or car accidents I felt very confident that I was ready for any emergency…that is until September 11, 2001. I kept gazing in disbelief across the river while packing up the fire engine we were testing as we watched the smoke rise from the Twin Towers. My stomach turned as I thought of the enormity of the task of evacuating those monstrous buildings. You see, as a firefighter on Lindens Truck Co. 1, rescue is my first concern.
We feverishly finished the work we were doing at the waterfront and headed back to our station. We knew there was a chance our truck company would be called to help with that evacuation. As I formulated my mental pre-plan it truly never crossed my mind that those buildings could fall. Then they did. There would be no more preplanning by myself or anyone at our firehouse for the rest of the day. We all stared endlessly at the news coverage on TV and felt helpless. I knew I had to finish writing a term paper in order to complete by Bachelor’s Degree in Bible during my free hours that evening but I couldn’t focus on anything but the World Trade Center disaster. Although it was the very last term paper I would need to write for Philadelphia Biblical University I couldn’t focus on it. My firefighter half was engaged.
Little did I realize but as the Towers came down the vision of Westbridge Community Church was rising in my heart. The event highlighted a lack of hope my fellow fire fighters had in the wake of the tragedy coupled with a newfound sense of how fragile life is and ultimately triggered my determination to birth Westbridge. With so many churches around it may seem silly to go ahead and begin a new one, but God had placed a desire in my heart to do church very differently than I had experienced in the past.
I dreamed of providing a place where people could come and experience hope through coming to know God without all the hindrances that can often take place in a typical church service. I wanted a place where people would feel welcomed the minute they walked though the door, no matter what their race, social standing or background. I wanted Westbridge to be a church that made people feel comfortable as they honestly connected with God and with each other, a true place of safety and community. A place where externals are not important.
In order to help people feel comfortable I thought it might be great to give people Starbucks coffee free of charge as they come into the church and gourmet desserts to enjoy as they take in the service. The music I desired to provide would be exciting and powerful, using a rockin’ band, without skimping on the meaningfulness of the worship. I wanted to use dramas that could explain biblical truths in real life settings. I wanted to use videos and movie clips to help the audience get the point. And I wanted it all to take place in one hour to honor peoples busy life demands. That was the dream; 9-11 made it a reality.
We opened the doors of Westbridge Community Church Saturday night October 19, 2002 at the Stewartsville Elementary School. Since that night Westbridge has welcomed everyone through its doors with home brewed coffee and everything the dream from 9-11 envisioned. It has continued to grow and offers hope to a troubled world as well as love and acceptance to those who have not experienced that before. Services are every Saturday night at 7pm and last one hour…promise.
Children 1- 8 years old are welcomed into our expert child care for bible fun and crafts while their teenage siblings are actually soliciting the parents to take them to church. People are coming and experiencing God in a way that is honest and meaningful, yet enjoyable. There is no dress code - come as you are; everyone is welcome here at “The Bridge”. I encourage you to come and spend an hour with us that has the potential to change your life.
As for me, I split my time between fighting fires and pastoring Westbridge, and I love them both. As for my memories of 9-11, I will always remember that day as the day we lost the towers and God built a bridge.
By Pastor Drew Clinebell
Copyright © 2002 - 2008
Westbridge Community Church
 
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