Bridges for Hope
Bridges of Hope is a partnership between CBFVA, WMUVA, BGAV and Bluefield College. The project takes the Together for Hope model of asset-based community development to engage in transformational mission utilizing the gifts already in the Bluefield area.
As a part of this initiative, the Bridges of Hope team has developed the following ways for local churches, like yours, to quickly and easily partner in this work.
1. Visit Bridges for Hope – A Mission Immersion Experience
This mission immersion experience will take your group deep inside Appalachia life. During this customizable experience, your group will travel to Southwest Virginia and Eastern West Virginia to hear stories about life and the mission work happening in Appalachia. You will hear from local residents, college officials, and ministers and work with local non-profits that invest directly in this community.
One of the aspects you will discover early in your journey is the lack of hope that is persistent in this region. This lack of hope leads to drug addiction and unemployment; it also creates blinders that hinder those in the community from seeing opportunities to move their communities forward. As you begin to peel back these complex layers, how will you see God at work? Where are we called to help?
Cost: The cost of this experience depends on how you choose to customize it. The Bridges for Hope Leadership Team will help you book these experiences.
2. Engage with the Wade Center – A Transformative Mission Project
The Wade Center is one of three childcare centers available to low-income families in Bluefield. The Wade Center offers food, educational resources and a safe space for 50 students during the school year and 75 students during the summer.
If you take your group to the Wade Center, you will be able to stay on campus, eat on campus, and have your own space to worship and play as a group. The Wade Center is a one-stop shop that offers a transformational mission project for church groups. During the summer, your group can come alongside children in the community and offer VBS-type experiences for kids in the region.
Cost: $325 per person. This fee covers lodging, food, some material and access to the Wade Center gym, auditorium and game center.
3. Take your Students to Bridges of Hope: Impact Mission Camp.
This camp experience is an immersive mission camp for youth that has been serving in the Bluefield region for several years. In partnership with local churches and Bluefield College, students experience what life is like in Appalachia.
To learn more about any of these experiences or to talk about others ways to connect, please contact Mark Snipes at msnipes@cbfva.org
