The Bridge | My Testimony.

We were asked to do some live stream work in the summer of 2020 at the Bridge church in Marysville. Covid had put pressure on churches and live stream is how congregations stayed together. This was the first project Lonnie would do on his own and this is where we connected with Tyler.

We casually started to attend as the doors opened but I quickly had so many questions about this place as it was significantly different than the last church I had attended for 20+ years. Things felt in transition and I was struggling so I took a break from attending but Lonnie continued to help out.

It was about a year later that our mold journey began, Lonnie and I were back to back, with smoking guns in our hands and nothing felt right at the time. He left one day and I remember sliding down the bed onto the floor balling my eyes out, begging God to send him friends that would speak life and bring us community.

We fought and fought, the more he pressed in at the Bridge the deeper my heels went into the ground. June of 2021 we went to the church to drop off something to Tyler. Katie (Tyler’s wife) came out to see me. We talked and then she walked back in. Lonnie came out and while I was getting ready to tell him about how funny Katie’s story was I noticed he was crying. “What happened!?” He said “ I walked into the prayer room with Tyler and I felt the Holy Spirit so strong that it brought me to my knees. I think I scared Tyler” If you haven’t experienced something like this it’s hard to understand. I was in a space where I was struggling to understand.

Katie came back out, I was teary eyed and she asked if she could pray for us. No one has prayed for me in years. I held everything back I could so I could make light of it. Not go deep so I followed the voice in my head that told me to ”turn it off” I didn’t want to be emotional. I didn’t want to be a blubbery mess or let people see me like this. So..I became numb.

Lonnie and I continued to struggle and in the midst of my busy season I was barely breathing. I was struggling so hard to find space in my head to function. My stress level was maxed. I was fighting against something I didn’t understand. It was New Year’s Eve 2021 and there was a worship night at the Bridge. Lonnie and I fought the whole way there. He almost drove me home. I walked in angry. Worship was in the round and I was here just to appease my husband. It was half way into the 3rd song that I closed my eyes and someone started talking on the mic. I thought, what would happen if I grabbed the mic and started talking? Said “hi, I’m Kayla and I’m extremely broken. I’m lost, alone, and angry” what would happen if I was utterly and completely uncomfortably vulnerable?

I opened my eyes to see a woman at the church I did it know, only knew of, sitting next to me. She said “how are you?” I said “I’m good, thank you! Wow that shirt looks so beautiful on you!” to which she replied “uh-huh, yeah how are you?” I couldn’t hold anything back in this moment. I don’t even know my response but it was honest. She said “Your walls are thick, high and are covered in barbwire.” She saw me and all I saw was Jesus sitting next to me. Something broke in me that night. I met a lot of other people and no one cared that I was sitting, crying, a hot mess or covered in makeup. They were just happy I was there. I went home that night still numb, exhausted and angry but I knew it was time to have a conversation with Pastor Jim.

I had 6 months worth of notes, I had nothing else to lose and was living uncomfortably vulnerable at this point. I had a meeting with Pastors Jim and Kristine where I explained how I felt I could help in certain areas. A vision I had for the Bridge and deeper ideas I wanted to see happen. They were equally vulnerable, open and made me feel heard. Although my walls were still up I was willing to step in and help build structure to this growing church. It was a about two weeks later the Bridge contracted Ashton Imagery as consultants.

We came along side them with the ultimate goal to never change the heartbeat of the Bridge. I spoke at the 1st all staff meeting, introduced myself and did my best to inspire all of the staff to step into their ministries as we build foundational strategies. I brought balloons for each staff member, I told them separately it’s exciting but when you bring them all together it’s powerful. It can move people when our dreams unite. It was game on.

We built strategies, chain of commands, rebuilt the media team, ministry functionality and helped bring the Bridge brand alive with their website, social medias and ministries. Many late nights on our computers, hard conversations, redirections, pep talks, coffee, tears and all while fighting mold. We made it, not by our strength but by God’s.

At the end of 2022 our one year game plan was ending and we were leaving but God took these working relationships that had been planted and gave us friends. Throughout this process we were prayed over, prayed for, invited over for dinners, encouraged in person and in text. We were supported, loved on and no matter how many times we wanted to jump ship I said, give God 48 hours and man did He work! Lots of ups and downs but continually growth. It’s never been about how many butts were in the seats, it was always about doing everything unto the Kingdom and with excellence. Raising the standard of quality.

My grandparents and parents were both in ministries for decades, I had been on staff at a big church so I have seen what a functioning church is like but did not know the depth of the relationship with Christ. When I started consulting for the Bridge I was angry, I was so angry. I came there feeling rejected, worthless and alone. I put up my boundaries by only putting a foot in by masking as Ashton Imagery and being a consumer of the church. It was easier for me to attend while taking notes about all the things I saw that could be elevated, fixed or different. My notebook also became a place of vision, I would write down videos I wanted to do. Stories to tell and I realized something was happening. During worship one Sunday I wrote out a script and shot list for a video about the Bridge. There is a class called Bridge Life and it’s about the Bridge and taking the next step in your walk. I remember shooting it, editing it and showcasing it all in 8 hours.

The day this video played I was in the room. I heard the congregation respond, they cheered. I cried. My heart was so full. I haven’t been so proud and satisfied with something in so long. My heart yearns to create content like this and with the help of Lonnie, Tyler & the church…we did it. The creative freedom I have been entrusted with is unbelievable. It’s like God hand picked me to do this and its been a giant part of my healing from past hurts.

In was October that we started looking around saying wow, we can just…be. We have some friendships now, we had some hope now and maybe this could be something for us? I had watched the whole staff grow immensely with God given wisdom, strength and patience. When everyone was asking us where we’d be going we just said, “we don’t know what God is doing yet” but knew we were starting a new business. We put money into it, built the brand and in February we walked away from it. It was never launched. God called us to the Bridge.

God started purging my soul and when I looked around and said “if what I have been asking God for is right infront of me, then I need to trust Him to take care of my heart, let my walls down and stop consuming and start serving” .

I am now two feet in, serving next to my husband and we have community, we have opportunities to learn about the Holy Spirit and the Bible in ways I never taught. We have leaders who pray for and teach us. We are excited for the next phase of growth we are in.

When I turn around I can see the heel marks in the ground of how hard I fought to get here but God doesn’t let go. He doesn’t give up. I thought I was loving Jesus but I was in a desert of distraction and lies. So luke warm it hurt to realize I haven’t been trusting or believing until now. The Holy Spirit is alive. God is moving. I no longer say, “I’m consulting for the Bridge, I say I attend the Bridge”.

So consider this my personal invite to the Bridge. Is it perfect? No but the people are genuinely seeking out the heart of God, we have vision for the future and the Holy Spirit dwells here. Join us Sunday at 10am in person at 1104 J st. or live at www.bridge530.com