Our Vision
Welcome to the vision of GateWay City
Church! Our vision is a prayer that God is answering and a dream that is
coming true. It is a place for you to find purpose and fulfillment
through “Loving God and Loving People.” As a part of GateWay, you have
an exciting future, and a key part in touching this generation with the
life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
OUR THREE-FOLD PURPOSE:
• Exalting the Lord. Exalting the Lord means putting Him first in our
lives and celebrating our love for Him together in Scriptural ways.
Since we each exist to worship Him (Ephesians 3:21, Revelation 4:8-11),
joyful praise and whole-hearted worship are at the heart of our purpose
as a church.
• Empowering Believers. If the church is to impact the world, believers
must be continually changed from their former patterns of life to new
lives that please Him. The church is a place where people are empowered,
inspired and trained to live in the newness of the Christian life.
(Ephesians 4:7-17).
• Extending the Kingdom of God. Apart from Christ, people are lost in
the darkness of sin. They need the clear light of the Gospel message of
the saving, healing and delivering love of God. The church exists to
bring this Good News to people everywhere, extending the reach of the
Kingdom of God (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-48; John 20:21;
Acts 1:8).
OUR MISSION:
“To Build a Model Church That Will Bless Families, Nations and
Generations with the Love of Jesus Christ Here at Home and Around the
World.” (Gen. 12:1-3, Matt. 28:29-20, Acts 1:8).
OUR MODEL:
Our model for ministry is the New Testament church at Antioch, the most
successful force for Christian ministry in the early church. The church
at Antioch was…
• A Word-Centered Church (Acts 11:26; 13:1). Paul and Barnabas taught
the church, strengthening the believers in the Word of God.
• A Spirit-Filled Church (Acts 13:1-2). The Holy Spirit was freely
moving and speaking in the church at Antioch, especially through
prophetic ministry.
• A Worshipping Church (Acts 13:2). When the Christians at Antioch
gathered together, their first activity was to minister to the Lord.
• A Praying Church (Acts 13:2). The people prayed and fasted until they
heard from God. Their missionary activity was born in a prayer meeting.
• A Discipling Church (Acts 11:29). The believers there were known s
disciples, meaning that they were disciplined followers of Jesus Christ.
• A Compassionate Church (Acts 11:29-30). When Jerusalem was hit by
famine, Antioch responded with practical help.
• A Multicultural Church (Acts 13:1). Jews, Nigerians, Gentiles and
aristocrats were all counted among one group of prophets and teachers.
• An Apostolic Church (Acts 13:3). Antioch was a “base church.” The life
and power of God was sent out in wave after wave of ministry teams
mobilized according to the prophetic promptings of the Holy Spirit.
OUR PRIORITIES
1. RENEWAL:
The outpouring of God’s Spirit on people of all ages in times of prayer…
Praise, worship and ministry…Healing, restoration and miracles in
people’s lives. These are the experiences of a church in renewal. The
Holy Spirit is moving today just as He was in the early church. As we
participate in prayer, worship and ministry, we are restored and renewed
inside. This prepares us to reach those around us with the love of God.
2. RELATIONSHIPS:
In healthy churches, loving relationships are a big priority. The church
is a spiritual family. In any healthy family, we need a relationship
with God (the vertical dimension), and relationships with each other
(the horizontal dimension). The power of the cross is revealed when both
dimensions come together (1 John 2:9-11). The relationships we build in
families and small groups are the most vital, so we make them a special
priority in our ministry.
3. TRAINING:
We prioritize training children, young people and adults to be
successful in every aspect of life. Our objective is to get believers
established in both their spiritual calling and natural
responsibilities. This includes those who have a calling to vocational
as well as marketplace ministry. We aim to send those we train to the
places God calls them (Pr. 24:27, Acts 13:1-3) and to continually
encourage them as they fulfill this calling.
4. OUTREACH:
Evangelism and church growth are the ultimate goal of all of our
efforts. Because we are called to fulfill the Great Commission, we place
top priority on world missions, city reaching strategies and personal
evangelism. We aim to continually reach out and win people of all ages
to Jesus Christ.
OUR GOALS FOR PEOPLE
We have five goals for every man, woman, teen and child we minister to:
1. To be saved by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
2. To be healed and set free within through the baptism and ongoing work
of the Holy Spirit
3. To discover personal destiny and spiritual gifting
4. To be trained to use their gift to serve God
5. To be sent (or placed) into their calling in the Body of Christ.
A Final Word
God is calling us to experience His love together and share it with
others. GateWay City Church is a place where people find a fresh start
and a meaningful purpose for their lives in Christ. We are all about
Loving God and Loving People, and we welcome you as you join us in this
vision.
