Hey, Bradshown, thank you so much for gathering with us online.

If you have your Bible open with me to Matthew chapter 17.

And if you're at home and you don't have your Bible, I would encourage you to actually

get up and go grab it.

Now I confess as one of your pastors that I have often not had my Bible open during

these online gatherings.

But there's something to it.

It's so easy to check out during these teachings and be kind of half texting, half listening.

And as unideals it is, this is what church looks like right now.

So if you're up for it, would you join me as we open the scriptures together?

If we haven't met before, my name is Colin.

I'm on the communities team here at Bridgetown.

And if you're new to Bridgetown, maybe you moved here during or just before COVID, we're

glad you've joined us and we can't wait to meet you in person.

Normally, we run a class three times a year called Basics, by which we get people into

Bridgetown communities, these groups of 12 to 15 who all live in the same neighborhood

and gather each week to share a meal or what we call communion and to pray together and

to practice the way of Jesus together.

It ultimately we want you to know that at the end of the day, it is not these online gatherings

that are holding our church together.

It's the communities of men and women following Jesus together in our city that are the backbone

of our church where deep life change and transformation are fostered.

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