The Little Big Church Has Grown Bigger

So, let me tell about some people I know:

Dan is a cool guy. He plays awesome music, but he also draws. He is an artist, and you see that the first you see him. But what keeps him going, and literally jumping for joy every time he leads worship is something deeper than affinity for upbeat music. He has found the meaning and purpose for his life, and this brings the smile in his eyes.

Mon is a boy scout. He is always well-dressed, always careful. He is a gentleman in the mold that is no longer made. He has a sense of “old world” charm about him. When he speaks, it is well-thought of and careful. But when he prays, and when he worships, he closes his eyes and he loses himself to a place only he and God meet.

And then there is this young lady whose name I do not know, but I see her every Sunday. She must be on her way to work whenever she attends the service. But before the busyness of her day overtake her, before the necessary and important details of her day needed to be tended to, she comes in here to catch a glimpse of her True North, and in that way she is never lost in the fevers of life.

These some of the people I meet Gateway Community Church, and these are some of the reasons why I love my church.

Worship is a primary activity for Gateway Community Church. In fact, worship is at the very core of what and who GCC is. Worship, obviously, is not limited to the church services conducted every Sunday. However, these worship services is a significant part of the life and spirituality of the body of Christ. These worship services are times of celebration, a time of rejoicing, a time to gather and partake of God’s Word, letting it influence, change and move us. It is a time to learn and to minister to one another, and most importantly, a time to praise and declare God, and what He is doing in our lives and in our life as the Body of Christ.

Gateway Community Church is composed of men and women whose lives have been transformed by the knowledge of and passion for Jesus Christ. This is the core of who and why we are gathered together as a body, as a community. The community is about needing to explore the dynamic life of the Christian faith, and to connect in a deeper way with God, recognizing that one is able to do that in the context of a circle of meaningful relationships. This community is about spiritual maturity, and ministry involvement, knowing that a sacred ingredient to the Christian’s life is active participation in the ministry. In an atmosphere of mutual encouragement, openness and authenticity, Gateway Community Church endeavours to express love, grace, hope and care for the broken world even as they recognize their own brokenness.

At Gateway, we are challenged to live our Christian lives in a fresh way. We do not want to be satisfied with just living a formula, or someone’s idea of the Christian life. There is an intense desire to bring meaning to our everyday lives, and make it count for His glory. But in order to that, we value authenticity, and sincerity. We come as we, knowing that to truly worship, to truly grow and to truly minister in the most effective way - we must look at our own selves and recognize that by the grace of God, we are what we are.

I have been part of this church just on the cusp of its growth, and now it is entering its seventh year. A lot has transpired, and there numerous unprecedented milestones since then. The last three years alone saw dramatic and important moves as the church continues to walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit. Zeal for evangelism has marked the community. Well-attended worship events that has so far expanded to three services every Sunday, and a dynamic mid-week service on Thursdays, and the various groups that meet throughout the week are just a few concrete ways I have seen the growing passion of this church.

And while it wasn’t a long time ago that I called this church “the little big church,” I feel that that title is no longer appropriate, for it is not so little anymore. It hasn’t lost yet the small church feel to it as the members remain as close to each other and as concerned with each other as before. However, there are more people coming in every week, and whenever I am away too long, I feel I needed to introduce myself to the kaleidoscope of people that come every Sunday. This is what I love about Gateway Community Church – it is a church where people from every walk of life is heartily welcomed, and taken in like a long lost friend.