The National Bridge Alliance
Serving Faith and Community-Based Organizations,
Connecting Doers to Donors
The National Bridge Alliance has been actively working at both the state and national to help connect doers and donors. This is a partnership of some of the most experienced, skilled training and service organizations across America. This Alliance was formed for the purpose of becoming a Servant to the Servant, advocacy organization for faith-based and community nonprofit organizations, helping to connect (bridge) these groups to donated funding and needed resources to build the kingdom of God.
The National Bridge Alliance was founded by Donna Long, Bob Vickers, and Larry Martin who have worked to assist the Faith-Based and Community Initiative (and Chartitable Choice before that!) for many years. Through their work, they have witnessed the needs within the American Church and other service ministries across America to cooperate and collaborate in building Biblical community.
Mrs. Donna Long: The National Bridge Alliance is led by Mrs. Donna Long, CEO, from Atlanta, Georgia. She has been the President of Changing Lives Foundation for the last ten years and an active advocate of the faith community.
Mr. Bob Vickers: Robert J. "Bob" Vickers and his wife Connie live in Warrensburg, MO with a merged family that includes children: Matt, Doug, Audrey, Allison, and Benjamin and grandchildren, Lexi and Ethan. Bob is a writer, nonprofit executive, philanthropist, and entrepreneur of a variety of ministries. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion (youth ministry) and Business from Oklahoma Baptist University, a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma, is ABD with a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri, and is pursuing a D.Phil. from Oxford Graduate School. He has been a writer/ghostwriter for 25 years and has been teaching this process in the United States and 63 other countries for 18 years. He has trained more than 25,000 faith-based and community "doers" and has worked with more than 800 "donors." He teaches everyone the same thing because the Bible doesn't change. Visit one of his websites to learn more: www.BobVickers.com www.ArtfulAskers.com www.RelationshipUniversity.org or contact him at bob@ArtfulAskers.com.
Dr. Larry Martin: Dr. Larry Martin is the Co-Founder of The Commonwealth Compassion Bridge (Kentucky) and has spent a lifetime building capacity of churches and ministries all over the United States and around the World.
This Bridge team has worked to create grassroot networks in more than thirty states and increase resources for nonprofits and churches across the nation. These individuals are only three of a huge network of Christian leaders in many of the states across America.
"Networking versus “Netweaving”
BOTH are Good BUT Which Demonstrates Relationship?
"Either Way Spending Time Together Allows God to Show Up! When we break bread and fellowship and spend time together and meet each others’ needs, and care for one another: God shows up! It isn’t called networking–networking insinuates that we rub elbows with each other and somehow opportunities coincidentally happen out of thin air or something.
Rather, it’s called “netweaving.” Netweaving is word-picture based on the understanding that there is A Master Weaver who is weaving a tapestry for His own pleasure and purpose. He uses plain, tattered, and frayed thread that is not as useable by itself because it is worn, discolored thread. However, to Him who created it, it is a valuable part of a larger tapestry. Each is designed for specific purpose and enhances threads beside it, around it, or contrasts differences. He uses each individual thread to create a new pattern that has never before existed as He netweaves them in a fashion that is pleasing to Him. He sees it clearly and as a finished product–NOT as “only” a thread.
I am but a mere thread. You are a thread. Every single person on this earth is the same on their own: A mere thread–some prettier than others BUT all uniquely valuable and important and needed in The Master Weaver’s plan. Every person is a single thread. BUT as we collaborate and cooperate, He shows up and moves and directs the threads. Anytime we sit together and break bread and fellowship and allow The Master Weaver to position us for greater OR enhanced beauty, something emerges that has never before existed! Anytime I can be used, even if I ain't so pretty of a thread, count me in and I'll yield to Him and allow Him to move me to the place He desires in order to fulfill the purpose he has designed for me in this tapestry! The threads must remain useable and teachable and available and obedient to move as directed by The Master Weaver for His purposes.
The Master Weaver sees the tapestry clearly at every stage as He weaves this beautiful work of art BUT we see it dimly. If I, as a thread, try to position myself next to the threads that are like me OR that are pretty OR that are a particular color or particular size I would like to be near OR in a pattern of my own design, I ruin His tapestry because of my selfishness. But when I become other-focused, and allow Him to use me in the way He created me to BE and DO, I give myself over to the netweaving process as a servant who is willing to be moved at His pleasure and to be positioned in the place where He needs me most to enhance the tapestry that He is creating. And The Master Weaver's GRACE is unbelievable, unearned, uncompromised, unending, and not easily understood. BUT overwhelmingly present none-the-less.
Churches, Pastors, and godly people don't always understand the difference and are not good netweavers because they see it as their responsibility to do God's work. I don't want to do God's work–Rather, I want to BE and DO what He has created me to BE and DO and allow Him to show up through me and accomplish His own work Himself! That is God’s heart for us." Originally from Visionary Ira Kraft
Acts 2: 41-47 HERE
One Beggar Telling Another Beggar Where to Go to Get Bread
Based on Acts 2:41-47
"A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and hell are like." The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. But the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "There you go, you have seen hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well-nourished and plump, laughing, and talking.
The holy man said, "I don't understand."
"It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, the healthy have learned to work together and feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."
