Gateway Life | September/October 2012

S e pt ¡ O ct 2012

You Belong p. 8 A new semester of Gateway Groups is underway.

Bless! p. 12 Learn how you can serve the community outside the four walls of the church.

He Still Speaks p. 14 An inside look at Pastor Tom Lane's powerful new book on prophecy.

Unleashing the Power of God p. 10

Pastor Robert calls the church to steadfast prayer.

Gateway Groups | You Belong

get in a group!

Gateway Groups Begin August 27 To get in a group, visit groups.gatewaypeople.com

Fall Classes Begin September 5

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Contents comments

2 Welcome 3 Feedback

4

Gateway People

5 Tell Me Something Good

6 Outreach

features

8

You Belong

A new semester of Gateway Groups is underway.

1 0

Unleashing the Power of God Pastor Robert calls the church to steadfast prayer.

12

Bless!

Learn how you can serve the community outside the four walls of the church.

14

He Still Speaks An inside look at Pastor Tom Lane’s powerful new book on prophecy.

16 Calendar

BLESS! p. 12

18

Gateway to the West

19

Song Story

20 profile

Welcome to Gateway Life As your pastor, I love seeing members of the Gateway family get excited about what God’s doing. We’ve received so much encouraging feedback on the stories featured in the first issue of Gateway Life, and we’re incredibly grateful!

We will continue to focus on the amazing things God is doing in and through our church.

One of the main focuses of this issue is prayer.

Gateway Church thrives because of prayer.

The Elders and I always pray before making decisions. Through our Prayer & Intercession Ministry, Pastor Mary Jo Pierce mobilizes Gateway members to pray for our church, our nation and the world.

Still, prayer isn’t just for church leaders and prayer ministries. God has called you to pray. Many Christians think, “God’s in control and He’s going to do whatever He wants. My prayers won’t change that.” This is a lie the Enemy uses to ensure potential prayer warriors remain inactive and ineffective. The Bible tells us to “Never stop praying,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT) because prayer truly makes a difference.

A good friend of mine, Pastor Jim Marocco (you’ll read more about him in my article, “Unleashing the Power of God”), pastors a large

church in Hawaii. A few years ago, Pastor Jim founded a satellite campus on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, but after three years, they had not reached as many people as they expected.

God told Pastor Jim to take his prayer team and prayer walk across the entire island. After days of this, they came across a forest the locals believed had “poisonous trees” because, for no explainable reason, birds would fly over the trees and die. They entered the forest and found it to be full of pagan idols. They later learned this location had been used in the past for child sacrifice. Pastor Jim and his team stood firm on that ground, prayed and claimed that land for Jesus. After that, the church grew from 40 to 400 in a year and started making a tremendous difference in the community. Prayer works!

As you read through this magazine, I urge you to pray. Pray for the new North Fort Worth Cam-

pray that we, as a church, will hear from God, follow Him and expand His kingdom on earth. pus. Pray for ministries like Bless! and Gateway Groups. Above all, pray that we, as a church, will hear from God, follow Him and expand His kingdom on earth. When we unleash the power of God through prayer, we can truly change the world!

Pastor Robert

Senior Pastoral Oversight David Smith // editor-in-chief Lawrence Swicegood // managing editor Stacy Burnett senior editor // Josh Coad // Editor Joyce Freeman // creative director Shane Dennehey // art director, designer Jeremy Tyson project manager Sarah Wethington // contributing photographers Scott Cornelius, Johan Etsebeth, Paul Trimble, Roland Turner IllustratorS Katrina Sirmon, Justin Miller // gatewaylifemag.com

2 Gateway life September · October 12

Feedback “I was so excited to read Gateway Life. The contents were both informative and strengthening.”

–Sherlene Wegner

“Thank you for this. It is truly inspiring to me since I don’t live in Dallas anymore. I really miss Gateway!”

–Stefanie Congdon McCool

“I'm loving the magazine ... both in print and on my Android. It looks so good and navigates really well.

Great work! I’m so glad to be a part of Gateway and all the crazy-wonderful things God's doing through it.”

–Loisa Wright

“We love it! Thank you for the creativity shown throughout the first edition. We especially enjoyed the “All He Says I Am” song story by Cody Carnes.

It was so interesting to read about the deep thought and personal insight behind the song. We look forward to hearing more about Gateway Worship’s songs!”

–Mal Heindel

“I’m only on page 5, and already I’m in tears reading what God has done in the lives of Gateway people. I love my church.”

–Holly Brown

Say What?!

Defining Gateway Church Lingo

“Loved the story on the healing rooms! It explained everything and was so uplifting! What a great first issue!!! Thank you! :)” –Stacey Knight Schroder

“Love the new app.”

–Debby Matthews

What do you have to say?

Thank you so much for making the first issue of Gateway Life a success!

We’ve received great feedback and we’re excited to continue bringing you the latest Gateway stories and news. We want to continue to include comments from you—Gateway Life readers. As you read, don’t forget to tell us what you think. What’s your favorite part of Gateway Life?

Is there a particular article you enjoyed? Did a specific picture stand out to you? Let us know by emailing life@gatewaypeople.com, or talk to us on the Gateway Church Facebook page and Twitter. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, opinions and insights!

Sincerely, The Gateway Life Team

“I love the layout and the writing. I love that it’s relevant, related to us and about us. It’s our church!”

–Joel Garza

• Hab·i·ta·tion [hab-i-tey-shuhn] is a time of prayer, extended worship and practical teaching in which we intentionally focus on the work of the Holy Spirit and how each one of us can experience His power through His unique work in our

lives. This service is held once a month on Sunday nights at the Southlake Campus.

• kai·ros [ky-R¯os] is a two-day event that follows the completion of our five

Foundations of Freedom classes.

KAIROS is designed to create a safe atmosphere for you, within a group setting, to experience God’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing power by having an intimate encounter with the Holy Spirit.

gatewaypeople.com 3

Mix56 Crazy Camp

Mix56 Crazy Camp

Mix56 Crazy Camp

David and Karla Presendofer, We Still Kiss

Volunteers, NFW Campus

George and Rachel Emery, We Still Kiss

Wacky Week

Volunteers, NFW Campus

Chad and Amanda Barnes, We Still Kiss

Volunteers, NFW Campus

Wacky Week

Amazing Kids Camp

Wacky Week

Amazing Kids Camp

Amazing Kids Camp

Tell Me Something Good “I attended Single Parent Family Camp in July and visited Gateway Single Adults for the first time last night. I have never seen a church do what Gateway is doing. Churches often invest in buildings or missions but I’ve never seen a church invest in single parents like Gateway. To have a place to worship where you don’t feel ostracized is vital in the body of Christ. Thank you for giving me a place to meet other single moms.

I feel like I can breathe again! I feel God’s presence in my life. I am free in Christ to live again! There is no better feeling than that!”

overwhelming bills, car problems, and too few work hours, came in to Passages a couple of months ago.

I gave her a devotional and taught her how to confess the Scriptures over herself and her kids. She came back this week, showing me the now tattered devotional. She has been reading it every morning and every night and says it has completely changed her life. Her kids are doing great, she was accepted into a grant program and their financial outlook is improving. Praise the Lord!”

–Tiffany Guarino, Assistant Manager, Passages Bookstore NRH

–Donna Hamblin

“At the July Habitation service, we focused on the importance of being grateful for what God has done in our lives, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. After the Elders encouraged the attendees to overcome by the word of their testimony, we received over 600 testimonies of how God has moved in people’s lives, from marriages being restored, to the barren conceiving children, to cancer being healed. Praise God for all He has done!”

–Steve Dulin, Gateway Elder

“A single mom of three who was struggling with a difficult ex-husband,

“Other members of the Relational Care team and I went to pray over a baby in the hospital who was without oxygen for 13 minutes during birth and was revived over 20 times before his heart started beating. He was in very critical condition. The doctors said he had no brain activity. From the beginning, we all felt the Lord was going to heal this baby boy. After we prayed, he continued to improve and is now healthy and pronounced completely normal by the doctors.

Last weekend, his parents brought him to the NRH Campus. He’s doing great! God is our healer!"

–Pastor Marie Brown, Relational Care

“When Pastor Robert asked us to pray about what to give this year, my wife and I talked and asked God together. As the Lord usually does, He gave both my wife and I the same number for our monthly commitment to Heart for the Kingdom.

Three months later, I received a bonus at work. It was significantly more than I was expecting and exactly ten times the amount of our monthly commitment. Coincidence?

I don’t think so. It was a wonderful confirmation of hearing His voice.”

–Luke & Kathy Carlson

“I live in Barcelona, Spain, and my friends and I listen to Seven every week. We love sipping coffee or tea in our little apartment while listening to Pastor Stephen. I attend the International Church of Barcelona, a church filled mostly with travelers who are in and out. I have had the opportunity to meet people from countries all over the world and introduce them to Seven. I used to live in Dallas and am so thankful for the podcasts and live sermons that keep me spiritually fed in a spiritually dark place. Young adults are very opposed to religion here.

Pray for us to have the strength to minister and for the young adults here to find hope in the Lord.”

–Brittney Pilarcik

Want To Tell Us Something Good?

Send us your stories and testimonies by emailing life@gatewaypeople.com.

gatewaypeople.com 5

outreach At Gateway, we believe it's important to reach outside the four walls of the church to bless people in our community and around the world. These are just a few of the local and global outreaches we’ve been a part of lately.

Local Grapevine, TX On June 9, Gateway members partnered with Access Life to run a day camp for physically and mentally disabled children and adults. Activities included boat rides and fishing.

For more incredible stories of how God is reaching people all over the world through Gateway Church, come to Bless! weekend, October 6-7.

Local Dall as, TX

Local

June 11–14, Pastor Kam Hunt and over 20 AMPED students hosted

Roanoke and Gainesville, TX

Backyard Bible Clubs with Youth World for over 200 children from lower-income

Throughout June, Gateway members

families in south Dallas.

worked with One Heart Project, participating in art projects with the at-risk youth at McFadden Ranch and Gainesville State School.

Local Southl ake, TX

Local Roanoke, TX

Pink hosted a prayer night for victims of human trafficking on June 7. Attendees connected with and supported five wonderful

On July 29, Amped

ministries: the A21 Campaign,

hosted a party for 1600

Rescue Her, Prayer for Freedom,

people at Hawaiian Falls

Sower of Seeds International and

Waterpark and 76 people

We Are Cherished.

were baptized.

6 Gateway life September · October 12

Global London, Engl and Brussels, Belgium Berlin, Germany Pastor Mark Jobe traveled overseas with Gateway member and illusionist, Jim Munroe. Jim performed his evangelistic show, the MAZE, in all three cities. In London, 19 people made decisions for Christ at the Kingston Rose Theatre. In Brussels, 54 people received Christ at Jim’s show at St. Michal Cathedral.

Finally, 37 people received Jesus at the MAZE in a club in Berlin.

Global Berlin, Germany Brussels, Belgium June 19–25, Pastor Geoffrey Cohen and a team of Gateway members ministered to Messianic Jewish leaders and German Jewish believers at their Messianic synagogue, and prayed for European Jews in the Berlin area. The team also ministered at the largest

Global Chichicastenango, Guatemal a June 15–24, a Gateway team

international church in Brussels.

Michele Cohen and the women on the team led a women’s conference there as well.

partnered with ASELSI to host an outreach for poor shoeshine boys.

Because these boys are not normally allowed in restaurants, they were invited into a local restaurant for a hot meal and were given brand new shoeshine kits. 30 kits were given away!

Global Tokyo, Japan Sendai, Japan July 27–August 6, Pastor Keith Morrison, Pastor David and Alena Moore, and a group of AMPED students took the

Global Zambrano, Honduras August 6–12, MOR took a group of 16 students

gospel to the streets of Tokyo and Sendai.

At an evangelistic event in Sendai, David and Alena led worship and special guest Jon Pritikin performed feats of strength and presented the gospel.

to Zambrano, Honduras, where they presented the gospel at a public elementary school, ministered in an orphanage and served food in a women’s prison and in town.

gatewaypeople.com 7

g n o l e oY u B oad

by Josh C

y and a w r e d n u roups is G y a w e t a ter of G s e m e s w g place.

A ne n i k a t e r a hanges exciting c

“There’s a shift in our identity and in what a Gateway Group is,” says Pastor Raul Cabrera.

So far, Gateway Groups has consisted of what Pastor Raul calls “traditional home groups.” While these remain the foundation of Gateway Groups, the ministry is expanding to include groups of organic community.

“If Gateway members decide they want to volunteer at

8 Gateway life September · October 12

a homeless shelter, that’s a Gateway Group! Even though they’re not having a Bible study, they’re still connecting.”

As a result, Gateway Groups now run the gamut from in-home Bible studies to softball teams. There’s truly a group for everyone, and there are always opportunities to connect with other Gateway members. These are just a few examples:

Leaders: Judy Sharples and Linda Hester

Judy Sharples and Linda Hester lead the talented group of singers known as the Gates of Praise Choir. During the first half of each semester, Gates of Praise develop and rehearse a new singing program. For the rest of the semester, they perform their new program as an outreach, primarily in nursing homes, but also at Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth. They have also performed at various Gateway events.

After each performance, Judy Sharples presents the gospel to the audience. Each singer then personally greets and prays with audience members. Linda Hester says, “The most rewarding part of Gates of Praise is watching the joy the group brings to the people they minister to.”

cussion and fellowship, they also go on motorcycle rides twice a month.

After all, their goal is to “offer a way for people to connect with God, the church and with others through a love of motorcycling.”

Usually, the Gateway Riders attend church and go for a long ride after the service. (If you’ve ever come to weekend services and noticed a large group dressed in motorcycle leathers, you now know why!) These rides are also open to non-Gateway members, which provides a great opportunity for outreach.

On one of the rides, a single mom joined the group and shared her story with them over lunch. They learned about her struggles with her daughter’s health challenges and medical costs. Sometime later, this single mom’s van broke down, so she took it to a shop in Grapevine. When she picked up the van, the manager of the shop, a Gateway Rider, recognized her, remembered her story and said, “Here is your van. The bill has been paid!”

how close the group members are.

Through primarily focusing on connecting relationally, they have become one big family.

A typical group meeting starts with 30 minutes of fellowship (the girls meet in the living room while the guys congregate in the kitchen … by the snacks). Next, everyone comes together for worship and group discussion. Some weeks they have a night of worship and prayer, while other weeks they grow spiritually in other ways (AKA building relationship through ping-pong tournaments!).

For Katy, the best part of co-leading this group has been “watching a group of people turn into a community of friends that can truly be themselves together.”

Pastor Raul sums up the message of Gateway Groups in two words: You Belong. Recalling his first weekend at Gateway, he remembers hearing a great message, but walking away feeling isolated because of Gateway’s size. It’s a common feeling.

“The Enemy will lie to you and say, ‘you’ll never make a difference here,’ ” Raul says.

Because of Gateway Groups, people from all walks of life are finding their place in our church and making a difference.

Pastor Raul says, “Our prayer is that everyone belongs, contributes and is part of the story of Gateway.” GL

Leaders: Kyle and Katy Davis

Leaders: Jason and Stacy Bengtsson; Tom and Lynnell Tysl; Rick and Susie Kern; Mike and Karen Maddox

If you were to show up to a Gateway Riders group on a Sunday night at the Kern’s home, you could easily mistake them for a traditional, inhome Bible study. While they do meet twice a month for Bible-based dis-

This group began with eight young married couples, but according to co-leader Katy Davis, “We are quickly turning into a young parents group.”

The first time a couple in the group became pregnant, Katy says the typical response wasn’t, “Congrats!

We are happy for you!” Instead, members of the group excitedly proclaimed, “Our first baby! This is going to be so much fun!” This response highlights

Find a Group visit groups.gatewaypeople.com

gatewaypeople.com 9

E

Every year in January, we release a new devotional to the Gateway congregation. For this year’s devotional, In Jesus’ Name, we felt very strongly that the Lord wanted us to focus on prayer. Since we released the devotional in January, the Lord has continued to impress upon me that we—as a church and His people—need to actively pray like we’ve never prayed before.

I believe we as a church are encountering a whole new level of spiritual warfare. Recently, as we’ve pursued God’s will, we’ve encountered resistance at every turn. A few years ago, the Lord told me to train the next generation for ministry. In response to that word, we are now opening The King’s University at Gateway (TKUG), but it has been a spiritual battle every step of the way. Last November, the Lord spoke to me about honoring Him with my body and making physical health a priority. I began exercising and eating better. My eating habits changed, but exercising became increasingly difficult when, within the span of a few months, I was hit with a trachea infection, a fungal mass in my sinuses, and Debbie and I both caught pulmonary influenza. It’s no coincidence these health issues affected my ability to fully minister effectively. The resistance against TKUG is not a coincidence either. The Enemy is purposefully tying to prevent our church from building God’s kingdom.

The words “spiritual warfare” might seem strange or weird to you. Maybe you come from a church background that abused and misunderstood this concept; yet, the biblical truth is we are engaged in a war. Demonic principalities and powers are absolutely Scriptural, and Satan and his principalities will stop at nothing to prevent believers from realizing God’s call on their lives.

In recent days, the Lord has opened my eyes and shown me clearly through Scripture that demonic spirits are territorial. In Mark 5, before Jesus cast the demon Legion out of a man and into a herd of pigs, the “evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place” (Mark 5:10). Why would they do that? Because they had a stronghold in that region. They did not want to lose their power or progress in that area.

In Daniel 10, Daniel had spent three weeks praying and fasting when an angel appeared before him with a response to his prayers. The reason it took the angel three weeks to arrive is absolutely fascinating. The angel told Daniel, “Since the first day you began to pray … your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me” (Daniel 10:12–13, NLT). A few verses later, when the angel leaves, he tells Daniel, “I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come.” This angel fought territorial spirits to and from his meeting with Daniel.

Daniel had to pray through that battle until his breakthrough arrived.

I believe Gateway Church has caught the attention of territorial spirits in the DFW area. It’s almost as if the principalities in this area are saying, “Oh, you’re not satisfied with just reaching people in Southlake? You want to reach people all over the Metroplex and the world? Then you’re going to have to deal with us.”

So what’s our response? We need to respond as Daniel did. He prayed and fasted for three weeks. I believe we as a church have to step up to a new level in prayer. When resistance comes, our natural response is to go on the defensive, but we need to go on the offensive through

prayer. We need to attack. Greater is he that is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)!

Not too long ago, I was speaking with my good friend, Pastor Jim Marocco, who has spent more than 30 years ministering in Hawaii. I told him about the resistance our church has experienced and told him the Elders and I wondered if we had unknowingly opened a door to the Enemy. Instantly he turned, looked at me, and said, “That can’t be it. That would be giving the Devil too much credit.”

The truth of his words hit me. I thought, “Of course!

The Devil is not that powerful. Why have we been so afraid of him when a Greater Power lives within us?”

Then Dr. Marocco said, “Robert, I have a word for you.

Gateway Church is experiencing problems right now, not because you have released the power of the Devil, but because you as a church haven’t released enough of the power of God. God wants Gateway to break through. Satan has declared war on you, and it’s time for you to declare war on him by releasing more of the power God has given you. You’ve been coasting on a flat area for a while, but now you’ve hit a hill. It’s time to accelerate.”

Acceleration in the kingdom of God happens through prayer. In the past, I’ve been in prayer meetings where we worshipped, prayed, sought God and took hold of

When resistance comes … we need to go on the offensive through prayer. heaven. That can and must happen at Gateway. We need to grab hold of heaven and move heaven to earth.

We must do that.

Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18, NKJV). It’s time to bind principalities and loose souls. We have to attack. We have to go to war. Our Enemy is weak and will not conquer unless we let him. Through prayer, we can unleash the power God has given us and see Him work wonders for the kingdom through Gateway Church. GL

gatewaypeople.com 11

by Josh Coad

This

October marks the one-

year anniversary of Bless!, Gateway’s global and local outreach initiative.

According to Troy Wierman, Associate Pastor of Local/National Outreach, “The purpose of Bless! is to mobilize Gateway people in serving outside the four walls of the church.”

This means partnering with over 40 different local ministries. Each ministry serves the community with excellence. Through Bless! ministry partners, Gateway members have a myriad of options to get started in local outreach.

“Serving is part of Gateway’s vision.

We want to empower and encourage people to become servants,” says Pastor Troy. If you’re a seasoned out-

to volunteer and help these people, building relationships with them and bringing them closer to Christ.”

Starting that process is so easy.

A few keystrokes and clicks of the mouse will bring you to the Bless! website, which Pastor Troy describes as, “an amazon.com shopping experience for outreach.” Do you have a heart for at-risk youth? Do you want to minister to the disabled?

Here you’ll find a ministry for a variety of people groups. It only takes a few minutes to get connected and get started.

Over the past year, many Gateway members have signed up and expressed God’s love to people all over the Metroplex. Jay and Kelly Lynch volunteered to help the children of Youth World (a ministry to at-risk youth) with their Christmas shopping at Target. Kelly said, “It was a true blessing to see the children with smiles on their faces.” Jay

Start your local outreach adventure in 7 easy steps!

1 Go to bless. gatewaypeople. com and click on “Opportunities.”

2 Select the people group you want to serve (the elderly, prisoners, the homeless, etc).

3 Select a ministry partner or simply click “All Opportunities.”

“It’s important for caring people to do all they can to help. Gateway Bless! provides a great opportunity to do that.” reach veteran, you can jump right in volunteering at homeless shelters and juvenile detention centers. If you’re new to local outreach and need to get acclimated, you can start a little closer to home.

“It can be as easy as delivering cookies to someone’s doorstep,” Pastor Troy says. “If you’re not yet comfortable spending hours ministering to the homeless, you might be comfortable bringing clothing to a shelter. Over time, you can continue

agreed and added, “It’s important for caring people to do all they can to help. Gateway Bless! provides a great opportunity to do that.”

Crissy Terrell volunteered at a women and children’s shelter in Ft. Worth and found herself stirred by the need she witnessed. “When I came home, I started cleaning and organizing my closet and filling a bag with clothes to take to the shelter.

Part of my heart is there now.” continued on page 19

4 Select a need.

5 Provide the necessary information.

6 The ministry partner will contact you with more information.

7 Start serving and blessing others!

gatewaypeople.com 13

He Still Speaks An Inverview with Tom Lane by stacy burnett

hen it comes to hearing a word from God, many people are nervous and fearful. It’s easy to see why so many are so leery of anything related to prophecy. There is perhaps no ministry in the church with more glaring examples of excess and counterfeit expressions than in this area.

The truth is God still speaks and the role of prophetic ministry is as vital today as it has ever been in the church—it is real, useful and very much needed.

The new book, He Still Speaks, co-written by Gateway Pastor and Elder Tom Lane, lays a solid biblical foundation for the role of prophecy in the church today.

Using scripture and stories, Pastor Tom and co-author Wayne Drain systematically deal with questions and objections and show why we should all embrace prophetic ministry today. Here’s what Pastor Tom had to say when we asked him about the purpose and heart behind He Still Speaks.

Why did you and Wayne Drain write He Still Speaks?

Wayne and I have been involved in prophetic ministry for most of our ministry life. We have ministered together in

14 Gateway life September · October 12

churches for more than 15 years, and as we have ministered, we have noticed a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion about the gift of prophecy. We would often say to each other, “Someone needs to write a book to bring clarity to and dispel the fear of prophetic ministry.” We finally came to the conclusion that we might be the “someone” we had been talking about all those years.

What is the history of presbyteries?

Prophetic presbyteries have been a part of the church in some fashion for decades. I believe you can trace it all the way back to the New Testament when Paul tells his young protégé Timothy not to neglect the gift that was given to him by the laying on of hands by the presbytery (1 Timothy 4:14).

The foundation of prophetic presbytery, as we practice it at Gateway, began in the 1950s with individuals like Laddie McDonald, Lenard Fox and many other men and women who ministered to God’s people prophetically.

What is the purpose of prophetic ministry?

Prophetic ministry is a tool the Holy Spirit uses to encourage, build up and bring comfort to people who are hurting

“Prophetic ministry is a tool the Holy Spirit uses to encourage, build up and bring comfort.”

or anxious. Negative information impacts our lives every day. A word from God brings peace, confirms direction, builds our faith and adds comfort to stressful circumstances. It can be as simple as expressing God’s love for someone or as complex as a supernatural word about a specific situation in a person’s life. For example, if someone is considering a job change, God might give you a word for them that expresses His perspective on the situation.

Hearing the word, they might be encouraged and receive the confidence they need to make the decision that follows God’s heart for them.

Why don’t more churches have prophetic ministry?

I think churches don’t have, allow or encourage prophetic ministry for three reasons: 1. They don’t believe the gifts of the Spirit are operational today because they have ceased to be needed.

2. They don’t know about it and don’t have a model or a mechanism for prophetic expression in their church.

3. They have an Old Testament perspective of the prophetic. In the Old Testament, prophets were God’s representatives to expose sinful behavior in His people, call them back to the covenant and predict what would happen because of their rebellion. The prophetic is not expressed the same way in the New Testament. However, many pastors and churches have only experienced Old Testament expressions of the prophetic. Maybe someone pointed a corrective finger in their face, at the church in general or at specific people in the church. As a result, they might believe in the prophetic, but they don’t want it as a part of their church because their only experience with it has been negative and painful.

How do we present prophetic ministry at Gateway?

At Gateway, we believe in the gifts of the Spirit and in their contemporary expression. Because we believe that the purpose of prophecy is to build up the individual and the church, we judge prophetic expressions from that perspective. The method and spirit of delivery is as important as the content of the message. We do not believe that prophecy should be demanding of response, manipulative or condemning, but should confirm what God is doing.

We also seek to understand and apply prophetic words to specific situations in our lives. If there is no immediate application, we hold onto that word, waiting to see if it applies to a later event. Sometimes, God will send a prophetic word to someone that might not make sense in the present, but is really a “heads up” to help them follow His will in the future.

Is prophetic ministry for everyone?

Simply stated, I think everyone needs a word from God. Think of the number of decisions and situations you deal with on a daily basis and imagine how great it would be to receive supernatural clarity and confirmation as you move forward. In the book, Wayne and I give many examples of how prophetic ministry can be incorporated into life, bringing God’s perspective to daily circumstances in our lives.

Why do people sometimes think prophetic ministry is weird or scary?

Prophetic ministry should not be weird or scary. In fact, many times before we minister prophetically, we tell people, “We guarantee this will be weird-free!” Unfortunately, a lot of people are apprehensive towards the prophetic because of previous “weird” experiences. In writing this book, one of our goals is to remove the “weird” or “scary” from prophetic ministry and inspire hope and excitement in people so they will allow God to speak His life-giving words into their lives. Also, we hope pastors and ministry leaders will see the practical benefits of welcoming this important work of the Holy Spirit in His church.

What is the one thing you want people to take away from He Still Speaks?

I want them to believe what the title says: God is still speaking today, and He will specifically speak to each of us if we will open our hearts to receive this expression of His love. GL

To learn more about embracing prophetic ministry and to grow deeper in your relationship with the Holy Spirit, pick up your copy of He Still Speaks today at passages.gatewaypeople.com.

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oct

5–6

Parenting set-apart seminar Southlake Campus

sept

14–16

Young Men’s Retreat Sky Ranch // Van, TX sept

21

Pretty in Pink Pajama Party 7:00 pm // Southlake Campus A night of fun with friends for 7th–12th grade girls. sept

21

Primetime (50+) Game Night 6:30 pm // NRH Campus sept

25–29

Gateway Home Makeover An outreach opportunity to bless a family with a home makeover. Volunteer at bless. gatewaypeople.com. sept

28–29

ID Seminar Southlake Campus Discover God's destiny for your life.

oct

5

Sukkot Celebration Service 7:00 pm // NRH Campus Celebrate the Jewish festival that reminds us God wants to make His dwelling with us. oct

5–7

Pretty in Pink Retreat Gaylord Texan Resort A retreat just for 7th–12th grade girls. oct

15–16

Gateway Conference Southlake Campus oct

26–28

Plug In Great Wolf Lodge Fall retreat for Amped (7th–8th grade) students. oct

30

Fall Festival Southlake Campus

sept

28–30

Hot Pink Retreat Allaso Ranch // Hawkins, TX A time for women, ages 18–29, to get away and spend time with friends.

16 Gateway life September · October 12

oct

30

PrimeTime Daytime (60+) Outing Dead sea scrolls exhibit MacGorman Performing Arts Center // Fort Worth, TX

Recurring Events

Weekend Services

Kids/Students

Unity (Marriage)

AMPED (Jr. High, 7th–8th Grade) Sundays // 5:30 pm SLK Wednesdays // 6:30 pm

NRH

Gateway Equip

Saturdays 4:00 pm & 5:45 pm

700 Blessed Way Southlake, TX 76092

Wednesdays // 7:00 pm

SLK

Sundays 9:00 am, 10:45 am & 12:30 pm

SLK

InfinitiYouth (7th–12th Grade, Kids of Single Parents) Mondays // 6:00 pm SLK MOR (Sr. High, 9th–12th Grade) Wednesdays // 6:00 pm SLK NRH MOR Frisco (9th–12th Grade) Wednesdays // 7:30 pm FRS

GSA (Singles) SLK • Meal Mondays // 6:00 pm • Worship Service Mondays // 7:00 pm • Divorce Care Mondays // 7:00 pm • Breakout Classes Mondays // 7:40 pm RE (Single Parent Families) • Meal Mondays // 6:00 pm • Worship Service Mondays // 7:00 pm • Breakout Classes Mondays // 7:40 pm • ReNew (Single Moms) Mondays // 7:00 pm • Legacy (Single Dads) Mondays // 7:00 pm PrimeTime (50+) SLK • DayTime Bible Study Tuesdays // 10:00 am

Habitation Sun, Sept 16 & Oct 14 // 6:00 pm

SLK

NRH Campus

Jewish Messianic Service Fri, Sept 7 & Oct 5 // 7:00 pm

NRH

Catch the Vision (Membership Class) Sat, Sept 8 // 9:00 am–12:30 pm SLK Sat, Oct 6 // 9:00 am–12:30 pm SLK FRS

Adults

Seven (18–29) SLK Tuesdays // 7:00 pm

Southlake Campus

FRS

InfinitiKids (Birth–6th Grade, Kids of Single Parents) Mondays // 6:00 pm

• Marriage Challenge Sundays // 9:30 am MIN

Saturdays 4:00 pm & 5:45 pm Sundays 9:00 am, 10:45 am & 12:30 pm

NFW Campus*

Spiritual Growth

SLK

7501 Davis Blvd North Richland Hills, TX 76182

Career Development Classes Tuesdays // 7:00 pm SLK

Fossil Ridge High School 4101 Thompson Rd Fort Worth, TX 76244

Foundations of Freedom Classes Sundays // 10:45 am FRS

Sundays 10:45 am & 12:30 pm

Healing Ministry Mondays // 7:00–9:00 pm

*Not meeting on Sept 23 & 30 NRH

Prayer • Prayer Tools Class Sundays // 9:00 am SLK • Pray First Saturdays // 4:00 pm SLK NRH Sundays // 9:00 am SLK NRH FRS • Corporate Prayer | Nation Sundays // 10:40 am SLK • High Noon Prayer Wednesdays // 12:00 pm SLK • Men’s Prayer Meetings Thursdays // 5:30 am SLK Fridays // 6:00 am FRS • Under God: Prayer for Our Nation Thursdays // 6:00 pm SLK

Frisco Campus 7125 Legacy Drive Frisco, TX 75034 Saturdays 5:45 pm Sundays 9:00 am, 10:45 am & 12:30 pm

Key MIN Ministry Center FRS Frisco Campus

NRH NRH Campus SLK Southlake Campus

gatewaypeople.com 17

Two Trailers at the NFW Campus

Gateway to the West

BY Josh Coad June 19, the Gateway North Fort Worth (NFW) Campus Interest Meeting opened as Pastor Zach Neese stepped onto the platform and asked, “Is anybody excited about building something new for the kingdom of God?” 550 people responded by cheering loudly!

Pastor Zach continued, “I believe when we start something, it’s important how we start it. That’s why we’re welcoming Jesus into this place.”

With that, the worship team launched into Matt Redman’s “Here For You,” and the room erupted with praise as the future NFW congregation welcomed God’s presence, not only into the service, but into the present and future of Gateway Church’s newest extension campus.

I must admit, when I first arrived at the NRH Campus that evening, I didn’t expect the parking lot to be so full. Throughout worship, ushers quickly added rows of chairs to accommodate the large number in attendance.

A Gateway member named Richard said, “I felt like I walked into a packed 10:45 am Sunday morning service!

It’s exciting!”

After worship, Marcus Brecheen, the Executive Pastor of the NFW Campus, encouraged and challenged his new congregation. “When we go to North Fort Worth, it will take a pioneering heart. We need pioneers who will establish a stronghold for the glory of God in Fort Worth.”

Next year, these bold pioneers will meet on the corner of Beach Street and Basswood Boulevard in a former grocery store which will be fully renovated into the newest Gateway Church campus. Until then, the NFW Campus will meet at an interim location, Fossil Ridge High School. Working with the organization Church On Wheels, volunteers will unload equipment from trailers and set up for services every Sunday (Pastor Marcus jokes, “It’s everything we need for church-in-a-box!”). n tuesday night,

This temporary setup will require a lot of work, but it’s worth it to reach people for God’s kingdom. Although the new campus will only be a few miles from NRH, it’s a groundbreaking addition for our church. During Vision Weekend last February, Pastor Robert emphasized that many Gateway members already live in the area and will be able to attend the new campus.

The new campus also provides a huge opportunity to reach the lost. “The population is so dense in that area,” Pastor Marcus says. “This is an opportunity to reach many people who don’t know Jesus. We will be offering so many things—weekend services, stewardship ministry, freedom ministry, equip classes—to people who are struggling.”

Of course, this will all be possible because of amazing Gateway volunteers. Pastor Marcus points out, “Most churches don’t plant with a volunteer base, but we get to open with a full range of volunteers. That speaks to the generosity of Gateway people. Their service reaches people.”

Pastor Zach, who will oversee worship and prayer at NFW, agrees. “We’re well-equipped to pioneer successfully.”

He fully believes this new campus will make a huge difference for the kingdom. Two months ago, while walking and praying around the future Beach and Basswood location, Zach saw a police cruiser emblazoned with the words: “Fort Worth—The Gateway to the West.”

“It’s funny,” Zach says, “I didn’t even realize that the word ‘gateway’ was in the phrase, but I felt led to pray it out, asking God to let this campus be a ‘gateway to the west’ for His presence. I see God doing something miraculous in this campus that flows out over the western United States. I’m excited!

When God steps through a gateway, things happen!” GL

“This is an opportunity to reach many people who don’t know Jesus.”

18 Gateway life September · October 12

Due to print deadlines, we were not able to cover the first NFW Campus services at Fossil Ridge High School on Sunday, August 19. Look for all the details in the next issue of Gateway Life!

Song Story

Bless! One Year Later continued from page 13 Floyd and Laura Hennan have volunteered with multiple organizations, including a Dallas homeless shelter and Ft. Worth Teen Challenge. Floyd says, “I love serving. I do it for God, and it builds up my joy to give to others.” Laura comments, “It feels good to belong to such a caring church body.”

The feedback from the ministry partners is excellent as well. Last Thanksgiving, a group of Gateway volunteers helped Jim Burgin and Mission Arlington feed 5,095 families and 23,000 people. Jim later emailed Pastor Troy saying, “What happened here was truly miraculous. Our Lord provided food and volunteers to connect with the people. All morning long I was hugging Gateway folks who just wanted people cared for and for God to be glorified. The spirit in our midst was amazing.”

Acts of service like these have made the first year of Bless! a success. “We fulfilled quite a few needs,” Pastor Troy reports. “Gateway people are responding, and they are willing to serve. They’re high quality volunteers.”

Still, there’s more to accomplish, and Pastor Troy and the Bless! team are looking to the future. “Our goal is to see all 24,000 of us glorifying God by serving in the community. In the end, that’s what it’s all about: glorifying God. Let’s lead people to Christ and give Him all the glory.” GL

F

“Forever Yours”

By David Moore

“Forever Yours” isn’t the result of a single event or story.

Instead, it’s the reflection of a journey of freedom the Holy Spirit has taken me on over the past few years. This song is a movement, with each part building on the last to communicate the freedom that comes from realizing you belong to the Lord. Out of that realization comes true, life-changing relationship with Him. The first verse deals with life before God’s freedom when God finds us broken and lost. Without Him, we are all in a dark place. In His love, He finds us, calls us His children and places His stamp of righteousness on each one of us. All we have to do is receive what He’s done for us. The only way to truly walk in freedom is to realize your position as a redeemed child of God. The second verse really captures that realization. The lines,“emptied of self and rescued / You opened up my heart to know Your cross” reflects John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” When you grab hold of who God is and understand the power of the cross, you are emptied of yourself as His truth increases in your life. The Enemy’s lies are broken and you are found in His truth.

The chorus and bridge are a response to this journey of freedom. On the line “you saved me and I will be forever Yours,” I intentionally made the note on the second syllable of the word “forever” last longer than most people would expect. This makes the melody stick in your head and keeps you caught up in the reality of what you’re singing: you are forever His. (When I first showed this to my wife, Alena, she couldn’t stop singing it. That’s when I knew it would work!)

The bridge (“I will love You God …”) really takes this response to God to the next level. It’s especially powerful in a congregational setting, where you find yourself in a community of people who are actively experiencing and expressing the same thing. We’re in this together, experiencing the love of our Father and responding to His goodness. Since the song is a journey, this is the destination. What else do we say when we’ve received relationship with Him? It’s impossible to fully express the reality of His freedom.

Hear “Forever Yours” on the new Gateway Worship album of the same name, debuting at all Gateway campuses the weekend of October 13–14. GL Pastor David Moore has been a part of Gateway Worship for 11 years. He and his wife, Alena, also lead Gateway Generate (Gateway’s NxtGen Worship Ministry).

Visit gatewaylifemag.com for a free download of the Gateway Worship song “As We Pray.”

gatewaypeople.com 19

Profile

We both prayed, and the Lord made it clear I was supposed to be here.

QA Pastor

Byron Copeland

Pastor Byron Copeland joined the Gateway staff in August 2003 and just recently became the Executive Pastor of the Gateway NRH Campus. He and his wife Rachelle have three sons—JB (17), Jacob (14) and Jett (8).

How did you meet your wife Rachelle?

We met at church. The first time I saw her, she was singing in the choir.

What's your family background?

I grew up in the country in Louisiana. I had good parents who loved my sister, brother and me and proved it in their actions.

Before becoming a Gateway pastor, what did you do?

I played college baseball in Louisiana.

When I graduated, I took a position at a Christian school. I was an English teacher, science teacher, coach and campus pastor. I later became a youth pastor in Arizona.

Did you always want to be a pastor?

I never saw myself as a pastor. It hap-

pened very organically. One open door led to another.

Why are you taking on this role at the NRH Campus?

I’ve been in NxtGen for the past eight years, and I felt really comfortable there. I was surprised when I was first offered this position, but I felt the Lord say,“This is what you’re supposed to do, and I’ve prepared you for this.” After that, I knew it was right.

What does the future of the NRH Campus look like to you?

I see it as a growing, vibrant church family that’s very welcoming. I see us meeting the needs of the NRH community.

What role will Rachelle play?

Rachelle is very relational and gifted at encouraging and building people up.

She’s excited about getting to know people and ministering to the women.

What's the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

I snuck onto the set of Extreme Make-

Who are your role models?

Bill Hybels, Denny Duron (my previous pastor in Shreveport), Pastor Robert, Tom Lane and David Smith.

If you could have lunch with anyone living or dead, who would it be?

Mother Teresa Favorite book of the Bible, and why?

Genesis, because it reveals God’s intention to create, love and nurture people who belong to Him. Favorite movie?

Gladiator Favorite hobby?

Fishing Favorite book?

A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards.

That book changed my life. It’s a huge part of my journey. It taught me that anointing only comes through testing.

What do you love about Gateway Church?

The Bible says, “The pure in heart will see God.” Gateway Church is pure in heart, and I believe that’s why we’ve seen God move in so many ways.

How did you come to be at Gateway?

Brady Boyd (Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs and former Gateway pastor) and I have been very good friends for years. While I was a youth pastor in Arizona, he called and asked me to come check out Gateway.

20 Gateway life September · October 12

over: Home Edition when I was on vacation in Arizona. I dressed up as one of the landscape workers. A group of kids from my old youth group were there watching and blew my cover by calling out, “Pastor Byron, what are you doing here?”

Favorite food?

Seafood Favorite show?

Deadliest Catch. I got Rachelle to start watching and now she’s addicted! We make a date night out of watching it.

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U N D E R G R A D U A T E and G R A D U A T E Degree Programs gateway.kingsuniversity.edu gatewaylifemag.com

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