How it all started...
Why start a new church? Don’t we have enough churches? It seems like there is a church on every corner. Why don’t they all just “get along”? Those were some of the sentiments when we started Gateway Community Church back in 1996.
My answer to those excellent questions is to compare churches to people. Each and every one of us has our own DNA that makes us unique. Every church in our community has a unique ministry that God has called them to perform. Also, every follower of Jesus is wired up to focus on different areas of ministry in this great big wonderful world God has given us. If we put those two thoughts together we find the reason that a group of Christ followers started Gateway Community Church. We were wired to have concern and compassion for those who find themselves far from God.
At Gateway Community Church we believe every person is born with what we call “a God-shaped hole” in our innermost being. All of us try to fill that hole with something; material possessions, careers, relationships, extreme sports, etc. We believe that ultimately only God can fill that hole. Therefore, a group of about 20 people decided that we were going to establish a congregation that would give people a safe place to investigate the claims of Christianity and Jesus.
How were we going to do this? We would strive to make “church” a comfortable place to attend. That’s why we say that attendance at our Sunday morning service is “jean-friendly” – you don’t have to wear a suit and tie. The music we use in our service has a more contemporary sound, even when we do some of the great hymns of the past. We use dramas and video clips from current movies to show a slice of life that then leads into the message of the day. This is to show that the message of Jesus and the Bible is just as relevant to our issues today as it was to the original hearers of Jesus. We have also instituted a “Round Table” discussion after the service so that anyone can ask questions or challenge what was taught during the service. We do this because in our DNA is a belief that every one who seeks God will find Him. We are not in the business of changing anyone; we are in the business of being a conduit so you can see God.
The bottom line is that we desire to share the relevancy of Jesus Christ with our community because we believe if the words of Jesus are properly applied to every situation we will have the full life God wants us to have. So I invite you to come and begin your journey to discover God with us at Gateway Community Church.
Written by Pastor Gary Gaertner
The bottom line is that we desire to share the relevancy of Jesus Christ with our community because we believe if the words of Jesus are properly applied to every situation we will have the full life God wants us to have. So I invite you to come and begin your journey to discover God with us at Gateway Community Church.
Written by Pastor Gary Gaertner