We Are Moving

Gateway Fellowship is beginning the first stages of our "PLANT" campaign. We are currently making the first moves to relocate from our down town campus to a brand new building @ 3200 S. FM 548 in Royse City, TX

Where is the ball?

I have been reading this book entitled, "Organic Church - growing faith where life happens" It is written by Neil Cole. I want you to look at a few quotes from his book. "We want to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple. If church is simple enough that everyone can do it and is made up of people who take up their cross and follow Jesus at any cost, the result will be churches that empower the common Christian to do the uncommon works of God. Churches will become healthy, fertile, and reproductive. When church is so complicated, its function is taken out of the hands of the common Christian and placed in the hands of a few talented professionals, the result is a passive church whose members come and act more like spectators than empowered agents of God's Kingdom."
I have to admit that reading these very lines in this book has caused me to spend a great deal of time thinking about our church and how we are operating. Have we, as a church, in our attempt to do everything in an excellent manner taken that ball out of the court of some of our very own people who are willing to do ministry. Do we look over the very ones who make up our church body and go to our "professional staff" in an attempt to make things easy for ourselves. Are these some of the things that cause people to feel unconnected because they do not have any "ownership" in the ministry of the church?

Gutter Walker

I love the idea of being a Gutter Walker. You may be asking yourself, what does that actually mean? A couple of years ago, I read a book written by Craig Gross entitled "The Gutter: Where life Is Meant To Be Lived". The concept that Craig portrays is one that the church has become a place where we expect people to come to. I understand this is not a new idea nor is it something that we already do not know but his concept of going into the gutter is good. The idea that we are called as missional Christians to go out and meet the culture and community on its turf. As the Pastor of a church, I am convinced this is where we are to be in our mission. The question you need to ask yourself is this. What do the gutters look like that are around you? What is the culture and community telling you is its gutter. Are we willing to go there?