Yesterday was a big day for Turner Courts Recreation Center, BridgeBuilders’ center of operation in Bonton. We had a blast dedicating the new court with our friends from the Mavs Foundation and Dallas Maverick’s player, Wesley Matthews.
The Cure for Poverty, Pt. 5: Recovering God's Design
Stephen Covey is famous for his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His second habit is a key one at this part of our study of the cure for poverty, begin with the end in mind. If we want to cure poverty according to the Bible we need to remember what the beginning looked like and then apply all of our energy towards recovering and pursuing God’s design for the world.
Serve by Celebrating: BridgeBuilders WORK Graduation Ceremony
Gisela's Story: How BridgeBuilders Helps People Succeed
Gisela Romero was referred to our employment training class (Nov-Dec 2017) through one of our community partners, Dr. Parker at Soul Church. She had two friends from the church who had also graduated from our program, so she knew what to expect and was very “motivated” towards accomplishing her goal of culinary school. But first, Gisela had broken areas of her life that she needed to work through…
The Cure for Poverty, Pt. 4: Gospel
BridgeBuilders Partnering with The Root Cause to Deliver Diabetes Prevention and Treatment in Bonton
Summer Fun at BridgeBuilders KIDS
Summers in Bonton is always exciting and fun for the kids in the community. Our KIDS team works hard every year to make Turner Courts the place to be during summer. This year is no different. Every Monday through Thursday, our team will be hosting actives in the gym ranging from science experiments to arts and craft to games.
The Cure for Poverty, Pt. 3
n our first two posts, we have examined the nature of God's creation and how rebellion against God – sin – has shattered and broken what God intended to be good and flourish. Flourishing is God's design for humanity. We are meant to thrive in our relationship with God, self, our community, and creation. Yet, through the sin of Adam and Eve, and our own personal sin, we have removed ourselves from flourishing and entered into a state of brokenness that none of us can escape on our own.
Ways to Serve: Become an Ally
BridgeBuilders WORK Highlighted in Working Families Success Model Cohort
Our BridgeBuilders WORK team is participating in the first of a prestigious multi-year Working Families Success cohort with the Communities Foundation of Texas. BridgeBuilders, along with 8 other agencies from across North Texas, are working with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Working Families Success model in order to bring integrated services more easily to families who are in critical need of support.
The Cure for Poverty, Part 2: The Problem
You might be asking yourself, “If this series is on a cure for poverty, then what is the cure?" If you are, don't worry, you are in good company. I can’t wait to get to the greatest news ever. However, like any disease, in order to cure it properly, we have to diagnose the problem accurately. That is why these first few entries are going to dance around the cure itself. I want to make sure that the root of the issue is clear before I explain how to tear it up. As the old maxim goes, “A problem well defined is half-solved.” So, let’s continue defining.
Partner Open House a Great Success!
This morning, our BridgeBuilders work team hosted an open house for all of our partner agencies in our WORK program's new space. There was a wonderful turn out of many friends and partners, old and new. Breakfast tacos from Taqueria La Ventana and plentiful coffee greeted our guests as they came into our new offices.
BridgeBuilders Awarded Grant from the State Fair of Texas
Why Should We Redeem Society?
It seems necessary to address why and even if Christians should be involved in redeeming society and culture. There are many who deride such activity as being a diversion from the real work of the church, which in their minds is nothing more than articulating the personal plan of salvation (or “gospel,” very narrowly understood).
Check Out Our New Digs!!
BridgeBuilders Invited to Teach Graduate Students at SMU About Poverty
Michael Craven, president of BridgeBuilders, was invited to help graduate students, in Professor John Potter’s Advanced Mediation class at Southern Methodist University, better understand the culture of poverty.
The class was given a scenario in which they were called upon to mediate a conflict between…
Through Many Trials…God’s Kingdom Comes!
The late Christian theologian and philosopher, Francis Schaeffer predicted in the 1970s that the culture of these United States was heading toward the embrace of those “two terrible values of personal peace and affluence.” While Dr. Schaeffer had many things in mind, I don’t think he fully envisioned how these “values” might adversely affect the modern Christian’s view of suffering and its necessity to working for the kingdom of God.
Announcement: BridgeBuilders is Finally Relocating to South Dallas!
As we shared this past March, we have been working on moving into South Dallas for more than three years! Thanks to the construction of a new co-working space in South Dallas, we are finally able to do so!
Effective May 14th, we will begin operating out of our new location at 1808 S. Good Latimer Expwy.
The Cure for Poverty, Part 1
For too long the supposed cures for poverty in America have been prescriptions (some simple and some complex) to relieve symptoms. Food stamps, housing vouchers, and income tax credits have all been great symptom relief tools. The only problem is that the disease of poverty is not cured through these treatments. Instead of looking at the problem of poverty as simply a lack of material resources, we must begin to view poverty in light of its root cause, the innate brokenness of humanity caused by sin.