About Gateway
The mission of the church is clearly defined in God’s word. God tells us who we are and why we exist. In Matthew, we find the Great Commission calling us to go and make disciples; in Acts, Christ issues a call to reach our community and the world; and we also find numerous examples of the early church living in fellowship and service to one another. Throughout God’s word, we understand that we are to glorify God in all that we say and do.
In writing our mission statement, our task was to articulate the God-given mission of the church in a way that would be easy to remember. We want to ensure that we keep our mission before us so that we are reminded to remain faithful in our calling and in the work of our God. We present the following as our mission statement:
Gateway is a family connecting with people and experiencing LIFE together in Christ.
LIFE is a literation and reminds us of what it means to live our LIFE in Christ. A LIFE in Christ is evidenced by:
Living for others;
Inviting others to LIFE in Christ;
Following the teachings of God’s word; and,
Exalting God above all.
While the mission of the church is explicitly called out in scripture, each church and every church member has a unique calling or vision from God. There are a number of factors that influence our unique vision – our time in history, our placement in the world, and our collection of spiritual gifts. The most important factor is God’s guidance and will for us. We believe that we have a window of opportunity given to us by God precisely at this point in the life of our church. As we are located in a growing community in Ballentine, South Carolina, we truly are before “an open door that no one can shut.” Yet, we must choose to take hold of this moment and opportunity. After much prayer, God has guided us to the following vision for Gateway:
Our family will connect with the people of our community so that they have the opportunity to experience LIFE in Christ.
By 2016 (beginning in 2006, a ten year span in the life of our church), we believe this vision will be manifested as we see 10,000 people coming to know Christ and to experience LIFE in him. We will accomplish this with the zeal of the Lord by reaching out to our community and surrounding areas through our small groups and through the planting of other churches.
