Letter From The Elders
Dear Partners in the gospel and CityBridge Family,
I love the book of Habakkuk! File that away under things you don’t often hear someone say. Ha! And yet, Habakkuk’s words have deeply resonated with me—especially this promise: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habbukkuk 2:14). What an incredible statement and hope-filled vision. How we should long for that day!
Habakkuk spoke these words in a season of profound uncertainty. God’s people were watching their world unravel—kingdoms collapsing, injustice spreading, idolatry taking root. They were asking questions that feel strikingly familiar today: What is God doing? Where is all of this heading? What can we do in the midst of it?
God’s answer through the prophet was not a quick fix, but a clear and compelling vision. One day, the entire earth—every mountain and valley, every river and street, every culture and community—will be filled with the knowledge of His glory. Not partially. Not occasionally. But completely, like waters that leave no space uncovered in the sea.
More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus gave His followers a clear mission on a Galilean hillside: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). Habakkuk’s prophecy affirms this mission and helps shape the vision of the Church—both then and now.
Whether we have always named it clearly or lived it intentionally, this mission has always been the heartbeat of CityBridge. At times it may have lacked focus or clarity, but it has always been there. On this Vision Sunday, I want to call us back to that great promise and forward into our shared calling.
We believe God is forming a people who are deeply equipped in His Word—men and women who know the Scriptures, live them faithfully, and are shaped by the truth of the gospel in every area of life. Disciples are not made apart from the Word; they are formed by it.
At the same time, we believe the knowledge of God’s glory is meant to move through us and beyond us. We are called to engage our city—to proclaim Christ through evangelism, to demonstrate His love through service, and to invest ourselves in local projects that reflect His heart for the gospel, grace, mercy, and restoration. This is not a program added to discipleship; it is discipleship lived out.
As we grow in the Word, we are sent into the world. As we are equipped, we are entrusted. God is inviting us to participate in His redemptive work so that our city, too, may be filled with the knowledge of His glory.
Church, this has truly been the journey we have been on all along—and this is where we are headed. This is the vision before us. May we step into it together with faith, obedience, and great hope in the God who is still writing the story.
With love and expectation,
Brad Kirby
Lead Pastor, CityBridge Community Church