We believe that YOU can hear God’s unique and specific calling for your life, and that this calling can refocus your entire life!
VOCA: The LifeBridge Workshop is a refocusing course that walks business professionals, students, or anyone through a practical process of hearing God’s voice [VOCA in Latin] within an online community setting. Each participant writes a personalized LIFE PLAN that helps them focus their future, overcome challenges and live their calling every day.
Over the past 20 years, Bridge Ministries, Inc. (in Michigan) has coached thousands of people through a powerful process known as LifeBridge.
Now, through VOCA, we are making LifeBridge available around the world through online coaching communities. We believe that your calling is powerful and, once fully grasped and activated, will deeply impact your life, church, community, and culture for the Kingdom of God!
Our mission is to bring VOCA to Christians in every state around the USA and the world, so that they, and those around them, might help fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ!
Receive a Free Calling Assessment. Click here to fill out our Calling Questionnaire.
VOCA is not a mystical process. It IS about allowing God’s Spirit and God’s Word — especially the pattern of the call of Abraham (Genesis 12 and 15), of Moses (Exodus 3-4), and of Jesus’ disciples (Matthew 4) — to intersect the unique person God has designed you to be.
People in today’s world are facing an epidemic of confusion regarding their life-calling. They battle overload — burnout — lack of margin — conflict — marital problems — moral struggles.
Receive a Free Calling Assessment. Click here to fill out our Calling Questionnaire.
LifeBridge emerged from Dr. John Studebaker’s intense struggles with burnout 30 years ago. By discovering God’s unique call on his life, he was able to overcome his deep burnout and begin to walk in the joy and energy provided by this call. Then, in his Ph.D. studies (Trinity International University), John was able to develop a biblical methodology for helping others find and fulfill their unique calling. What resulted is a high-impact tool for helping Christian men and women to reach their full potential in their life, faith, and vocation.
John is Executive Director of the BMI Oasis in Michigan (www.bmioasis.com). He is also a certified Life Coach (in the Tom Patterson LifePlanning process).
He is also a Professor of Theology with the LEMA Seminary, which is teaching Pastors in Uganda, Nigeria, and Michigan. All proceeds from VOCA tuition will go toward the funding of our LEMA students.
VOCA: THE LIFEBRIDGE WORKSHOP IS BRIDGE MINISTRIES, INC.’S PROPRIETARY PROCESS THAT INCORPORATES TEACHING VIDEOS, STUDY GUIDE WORKSHEETS, A CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNITY (FACEBOOK PAGE), PARTNERSHIP/ACCOUNTABILITY, GROUP COACHING, AND PERSONAL COACHING.
IT IS DIVIDED INTO 3 INTERRELATED SECTIONS:
Your PURPOSE allows you to re-orient each activity in life toward your “Vertical call” in Christ. You’ll write a Purpose Statement, which combines your identity in Christ with your origin and destiny. You’ll then apply your Purpose Statement to your personal life, family life, vocational life, and church/community involvement.
Your MISSION is distinct from, but energized by, your Purpose. You will write a personal Mission Statement to clarify your “Horizontal call.” Your mission is based on your unique God-given design–your Heart Motivations, Spiritual Gifts, Talents, and Passions. VOCA coaching will enable you to make this statement clear and actionable.
VISION allows you to hear God’s voice in creating a focused plan for your entire life, thus clarifying your “Practical call.” You’ll look ahead at the next 12 months, ask God to expand your vision, and develop step-by-step plans for activating your mission on a daily basis.
You will work with a partner (during and after the workshop) to activate your plan, to re-assess your plan on a regular basis, and to encourage one another to continue in this life-giving journey!
We call it LifeBridge because our participants, in hearing God’s voice more clearly, create a high quality of LIFE. Participants are then re-energized to serve Christ’s unique BRIDGE into their world!
The Lifebridge process facilitated by John was like giving birth. . . hard work but with a joyous outcome! I would recommend it highly to anyone wrestling with God and with themselves!
The truths I discovered about myself have become essential for my life and ministry. Dr. Studebaker understands the enormous significance of holy calling as well as the importance of practical, Spirit-led, step-by-step processes for truly living out that calling in one’s personal life, relationships, and ministry. He will enable you to identify core truths about yourself that should guide your critical vocational and personal decisions.
I enjoyed time with John as he artfully facilitated and guided my wife and I through our Life Mission statements. He is gifted at getting right to the heart of each topic by asking great questions.
1The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1-2).
God did not only have a unique, specific call for Abraham. He has one for you as well. Ministerial burnout, vocational confusion, relational conflict, and even family struggles are almost always resolved through a fresh, specific, practical hearing and activation of God’s call.