When I was a kid I always wanted to leave my mark by writing my name in fresh concrete.  I remember my dad letting us write our names on a freshly poured porch in San Diego, CA when I was 5.  I'm sure the current owners of the house LOVE that.  In fact, my family tried to leave a mark on one of the sidewalk squares here at The Bridge 5 years ago when the walks were being poured, but the concrete finishers kept fixing it.  I think about this when watching the History channel during shows that depict the hours of time and millions in grant monies spent to study cave drawings.  Could it be just humans hoping to leave something behind that would be memorable?

Well, The Bridge has come up with a solution to the human desire for making a mark.  We have 1100 blank bricks on which you can send a message to future generations about what was important to you.  My family put one out for each living grandkid with a Bible verse.  My mom put my Grandma's name there and my sister wanted to remember my Aunt Pean (Ethyl Pauline "Democrat" Mitchell).  My favorite thing about it is this:  The teens that come here see it everytime they enter The Bridge.  In fact, they are bracketed by supporters on their way in the facility.  I love watching that from my window.  It reminds me of what is written in the book of Hebrews:  "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses." 

Would you please consider making a yearly pledge of either $120 or $500 to leave a mark today?  This ministry has been here now for 11 years and it is time we develop a group of people with a stake in its future.  You won't just be scratching in the dirt - you will literally be marking the hearts of teens in our community who need our support and love as they transition from childhood to adulthood.  Each year we will contact you about the same time to ask that you consider a similar gift so that we can stay here for teens and for those trying to reach teens.

Simply click on the picture of the bricks on the main Bridge Ministries page to get started.  Or click here:  http://thebridgejoplin.com/brickorderform

Thank you.

~dan