Membership is not a requirement at Gateway. Everyone has always been welcomed to be a regular attender and a part of Gateway. Some though, may desire deeper involvement in service and in seeking God’s desire for our church, and so may be led of God to join in covenant membership.
A Gateway Member is:
- Someone who has surrendered their life to Jesus and has demonstrated their desire to be obedient to Christ through their baptism.
- Someone who embraces the Gateway Distinctive Practices of:
- Cultivating personal intimacy with God
- Building biblical community
- Sharing the story of what Jesus has done and is doing in their lives
- Seeking God’s favour in their service.
- Developing and sending out faithful gospel stewards
- Loving God and our neighbours
- Someone who embraces the Gateway Foundational Confession of Faith:
- God is the one true living God, infinite, all knowing, perfect in all His attributes, One in essence, eternally existing in three persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- The Bible is God’s Word, truth without any mixture of error, totally sufficient and completely authoritative for matters of life and faith.
- People are God’s treasure, fashioned in His image, born with a sin nature and into an environment inclined toward sin. Only by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ can they experience salvation.
- Jesus is God and Saviour, fully God and fully human. As the Son of God, we believe in His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, atoning death, resurrection, and coming return.
- The Holy Spirit is God, Presence and Power living within every Christian from the moment of salvation and securing them until Christ’s return.
- Salvation is by faith alone, wholly by grace on the basis of the redeeming work of Christ and not in human merit. All the redeemed are secure in Christ forever.
- The Church is God’s plan, one united spiritual body of which Christ is the head. The church’s purpose is to glorify God by taking the Gospel to the world and building its people in Christ-likeness.
- God holds the future and this hope motivates believers in their daily lives. One day Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth.
How do we apply our beliefs?
- In essential beliefs, we have unity.
- In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.
- In all beliefs, we model compassion.
Why Membership Matters at Gateway
Membership is an opportunity for us to take the step of faith to lock arms with others who desire to live and serve in community, and to practice the commands of Christ. As a faith community, we long to grow in the affection of Christ, and to make a significant difference in our community and around the world. A member sees their value as part of the faith family at Gateway. They take ownership in this call God has on our lives. They pray, give, and serve in and through their faith family. Most of all, they believe God is up to something incredible and they want to lean in and be a part of what He is doing in our community.
In our constitution and by-laws members are responsible for electing new board members each year during the Gateway AGM. They voting on a Lead Pastor, and on making decisions on whether to buy or sell any land/property. As Gateway continues to grow and mature, membership is more and more important as we continue to steward well what God is entrusting to us and as we continue to build a Godly Legacy through Gateway Church.
How Can I Become A Member?
Gateway pastoral team is committed to pray, embrace, encourage, and support those taking a step of faith to become a member. They review and affirm the membership covenants received through our membership class which is facilitated by our Pastor of Congregational Care.
In this class you’ll gain more information about how Gateway got started, our beliefs and core values, and why church membership even matters! It will also give the staff a chance to know a bit of your story.
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