Faith Matters
Innovative Ministry Serves Community, Coffee and Fair Trade Goods
Four churches come together to create "third place" for fellowship and faith at The Bridge.
The Bridge is community, coffee house and fair trade market combined in a corner location in New Town, St. Charles. I would describe it as a place to tangibly live out faith values and principles while living out your life. Over dinner out with their spouses, the Rev. Stephanie Doeschot, a minister of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) and the Rev. Jim Erdman, a minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), shared their separate visions of a new outreach ministry: both spoke of starting a collaborative ministry located in New Town. The Bridge started as a small kiosk selling fair trade products, such as coffee and artisan handicrafts. Fairly traded goods support new markets, favorable working conditions, and fair …
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