The Bridge Church Story
The Bridge Church was planted by our Lead Pastor, Marty Schmidt in September of 2007. We were planted from our parent church, Third Church in Pella, Iowa, about 45 minutes away. It started with a core team of 25 people and, over 15 years, has seen steady growth. From just a couple of staff members, we now have 19 full-time staff and five part-time staff. We have been portable in the Ottumwa location since day one, but have met in the same building, the Bridge View Center. BVC is a local convention center, with a theater that seats 650 people, a huge lobby, and conference rooms that we utilize for children’s ministry (Bridge Kids). Over the course of the first 10 years, we focused on the community in Ottumwa, specifically, and added services as we grew until we had three services each Sunday. In 2015, we were able to purchase and begin renovations on a building in downtown Ottumwa that is for everything but Sundays. Renovations were completed in the fall of 2018 on what we call The Hub which houses our coffee shop open to the public every day but Sunday, our staff offices, small group space, a gym, and an auditorium that can seat about 300 people. After year 10, we started feeling a call to branch out to communities close by. We had several people driving from 30-45 minutes away just to attend in Ottumwa. In 2019, we launched a campus in Centerville, Iowa, about 45 minutes southwest of Ottumwa. They have seen steady growth in three years, through multiple location changes, and are now averaging about 300 people each week in a building that barely fits them all! We have recently purchased a portion of a mall in Centerville and are renovating that space to have our first permanent Sunday location. That should be up and running by March of 2023. In 2020, we were set to launch our third location in the town of Fairfield, Iowa, when COVID-19 shut that down for a year. We were able to launch officially on Easter of 2021 in the middle school in Fairfield, about 20 minutes from Ottumwa. In just a year and a half, this location sees on average 200-250 people each week.
In 2023, we have announced that we plan to open a campus in a town called Oskaloosa, Iowa, about 30 minutes from Ottumwa. We are excited to go to this community as we have had people driving from there since we started, 15 years ago. We feel like God has finally opened the door to be able to reach this community effectively. Throughout the years we have also been able to bless our communities in many ways. One of our favorite events each year is The Christmas Store. It is an event where families can pay five dollars per child to shop for Christmas and they get socks, underwear, a pillow, a toy, and a book and we wrap it all with them while we watch their kids. In 2021, well over 1,000 kids were shopped for. In addition to that event, we do serve projects at least every other month, with a huge Serve Day across all locations in July each year. We manage a Free Clinic that offers free health care each week and is staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses. We recently started a separate non-profit called the Southeast Iowa Dream Center that will help to be the vehicle to be hands-on in the community. We are about to finish building our first house that will be sold at an advantageous rate to a single parent. We are poised for more growth with our campuses both growing and looking ahead to launching a fourth campus next year. We’re excited about how God is continuing to use us to Rebuild, Repair, and Restore.
The Bridge Church Vision & Mission:
Rebuild, Repair, Restore. We are here to Rebuild Families, Repair Identities, and Restore the Cities We Are A Part Of Know God,
Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference
Core Values
Job Summary:
The Bridge Church is in search of a Worship Leader who will lead the worship ministry at one of our campuses. They are looking for someone who is a team player and carries a spirit of excellence in all that they do.
Essential Duties & Responsiblites:
+ Lead and develop worship and worship teams in a multisite campus of The Bridge Church
+ Maintain Planning Center Online, ensuring that materials for the team are online at the appropriate time (including but not limited to chord charts, keys, practice tracks, vocal parts assigned, tutorials, and/or other supplemental material)
+ Manage the scheduling of musicians and worship leaders for weekend services, as well as potentially student services, or other events throughout the year
+ Manage team rehearsals and ensure that the band can play songs with excellence
+ Recruit worship team members at any stage of musicianship
+ Develop the team to the next level of excellence
+ Assist the Worship Pastor in brainstorming, scheduling, and implementing the worship services
Candidate Competencies:
Personal Profile
Southeast Iowa
Southeast Iowa is a great place to live and raise a family. Our communities are full of friendly people and unique opportunities. The cost of living is very affordable, with many options to purchase homes at a fraction of what they would be in other towns. Our communities offer a great balance between rural Iowa and semi-urban feel. There are multiple cultures, languages, and foods in Ottumwa and opportunities to grow. Above all, God is moving in this region and it is exciting to be a part of a vibrant and growing church family!
If you believe that you could be the right fit at The Bridge Church, and desire to be apart of a healthy, thriving Church consider applying for this position.
