Developing a Monthly Service Rhythm
(Leader Note: This Guide is organized around helping your Community develop a monthly Service rhythm if you do not already have one.)
Read this Overview (5 min)
Tonight, we are going to revisit our vision at Bridgetown Church: in Portland as it is in Heaven. We long for our city to reflect the Kingdom of God because God’s people are present here, following the way of Jesus. As a Bridgetown Community we are on a shared journey to become people of love and compassion—caring for our neighbors with deep intentionality. We are called to be a living example and foretaste of what Jesus intends for all creation. Our goal is not simply to complete a task, but to cultivate true kinship in our city.
Practically, our Community is still needing to commit one week each month to Service: seeking God's justice and renewal for those who have experienced injustice and brokenness across our city. For us, Service is not only about action but relationship. We pursue justice in ways that grow kinship—the deep, God-rooted recognition that we are all interconnected—created in God’s image and called into communion with one another and our neighbor. Kinship pulls us into proximate, transforming relationships where assumptions and power are replaced by kindness, care, and humility.
Tonight, we are ready to revisit that journey, discerning and engaging a monthly Service rhythm together. Our exercise for tonight is to pray and talk through this step-by-step guide for starting and committing to a monthly Service rhythm. Whether we serve the unhoused, prepare meals for a refugee family, build supportive relationships with at-risk families in our area, or something else entirely—we don’t want this rhythm of Service to simply become something we do. Instead, we want it to shape who we are. We are not wanting to be “service providers,” but family. We want to take spiritual responsibility for our part of the city, praying and working to see God’s Kingdom come and his will be done in Portland as it is in Heaven.
Exercise for tonight (30 min)
Let’s have a conversation about a few different categories: our values, our limitations, where we want to start, who can help coordinate, and then prayer.
1. What matters to us? (8 min)As we consider our monthly Service, each of us carries a number of values and desires. While we won’t be able to fulfill each of them, it is important to take some time to name them. Some examples that are common in other Communities include: our availability, an opportunity for all to participate, the inclusion of kids, or having a particular focus (e.g. kids in foster care, refugee families, incarcerated adults, the unhoused, etc.). As we consider what matters to us, what comes to mind? (8 min)
2. What are our limitations? (5 min) Another helpful category to guide our conversation is one of resources. When we consider engaging a Service, it’s important to be honest about what we really can offer together. What is our collective availability, possible financial contribution, or our ability to commit to a certain opportunity over time (e.g. 6 months, a year, etc.)? As we consider our limitations, what comes to mind?
3. Where should we start? (8 min) Next, let’s have a conversation about where you would like to start serving as a Community. If there isn’t a clear desire we can all agree on, we’ll just pick something to try for 6 months! Bridgetown has some amazing Justice Partners that are always looking for help (all of which can be found here). But first, here are the categories around which our justice partners serve:
Foster Care & Aging
An example would be Foster Parents Night Out: a respite care program serving foster and adoptive families in Portland. One Saturday each month, it hosts a fun, safe event for children (ages 0–18), giving parents and caregivers a much-needed evening of rest and support.
Homelessness & Addiction
An example would be City Team: a faith-based nonprofit in Portland that provides meals, shelter, addiction recovery programs, and holistic support for individuals experiencing homelessness, hunger, and other life-disabling challenges.
Limited Accessibility & New Neighbors
An example would be NeighborLink PDX: a nonprofit that connects volunteers with neighbors in need, offering practical services such as home maintenance, repairs, and other forms of support to increase accessibility and community connection.
Prison & Re-entry
An example would be Community of Hope: a restorative residential program in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood that supports women and children facing homelessness, crisis, or domestic violence. It provides safe housing, trauma-informed care, life skills development, and a pathway toward long-term stability.
(Again, go here to see all available opportunities.)
As we consider these options, what stands out to us? Where do we want to start?
4. Who can coordinate? (4 min) It is vital that we have one or two people coordinating our Community’s Service. These individuals are the liaisons between our Community and the partner organization or area of service we choose. They help coordinate details, like making sure people know when and where to be when we serve. It’s ideal for this to not be the Community Leader. The first role for this person would be to reach out to the organization on your Community’s behalf and set up a first time for you to serve (ideally during one of the next kinship experiments!). Does anyone feel interested in being our Service Coordinator?
5. Prayer (5 min) We would be missing something massive if we didn’t talk about prayer. We believe that prayer is more than just good thoughts or feelings; prayer actually changes reality. So as we move closer to our neighbors through Service, let’s also commit to holding them before God in prayer—by starting now!
I’m going to read three prayer prompts, one at a time. After each, we will all pray aloud at the same time in response to that prompt. Let’s begin by closing our eyes and taking a deep breath.
Now, let’s pray
that God would move our hearts to compassion and action
that God would raise up his people—in our church and in our city—to do justice
that God would make us into the kinds of people who pursue kinship with our neighbors
Exercise for the week ahead (3 min)
Tonight, we decided on a monthly Service rhythm that we are going to commit to for the next 6 months. Until we meet next week, take the week to:
Pray with intention. Pray that God would provide opportunities to serve in a way that leads to kinship relationships, that he’d empower us to keep our commitments, and that he’d bless and love the people we serve through us.
Take steps towards serving. Next week, we’ll hear from our Service coordinator(s) about how reaching out to the organization went. In the meantime, let’s all work to ensure that we keep our schedules open to show up well as a Community to this new commitment we’ve all made.
