ISSUE 16 WINTER/SPRING 2016
Sunday CELEBRATIONS (see pages 3-8)
Ministries & EVENTS (see page 9-14)
A LETTER FROM THE PASTOR
To a New Year, a New Season, and a New Journey New journeys can be both exciting and frightening. Whenever someone starts a new journey in life (they get married and set up a new home; or they travel to a foreign land and start a new life; or they totally change the direction of their life and career because they have realized that they have been living someone else’s plan for their life, and have finally discovered their own dream) it usually begins with excitement (mixed with a little bit of uncertainty about exactly what might lie ahead).
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We know all about those feelings. We have been led down new and unfamiliar paths on a few occasions including when God surprised us by leading us down a new path we hadn’t even thought about - a path which led us to Canada, to Edmonton, and to Gateway Alliance Church. We gave up everything (jobs, a business, a home, family, friends, and familiar places) to travel to a new continent - not knowing exactly how things would turn out, but trusting God to “work all things together for good”.
Gateway has also been on a new journey over the last few years, and is about to embark on another adventure as we begin our 2020 Vision. We will launch this Vision fully at our Vision Sunday (AGM) just after Easter - right now we are “doing the packing before the journey” - we are getting ready and organizing and planning for what we believe will be one of the most exciting seasons in Gateway’s history - and we want you to be a real part of it! Whether you are new to Gateway, or have been journeying with us for a long time - let’s begin to prayerfully prepare for a new, fresh move of God’s Spirit in our church - to be the “wind in our sails” and to lead us down new paths, and take us on new adventures together!
Martin & Christine Trench
Dr. Martin Trench is our Lead Pastor, and is our main teacher, visioncaster, and leader of our staff team. Christine serves behind the scenes in the church and is involved in strategic-planning with Martin, designing our stage-sets, and pioneering a prayer ministry. They came to Canada, from Scotland, with their two daughters 7 years ago to serve in Gateway.
VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 3
An “Epic” in ancient times was a story (usually a long poem) which told the story of a hero and his/her mission from tragedy to greatness. We think of the great Epics, like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, or the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, or the Hindu Mahabharata, or in more recent history - Dante’s Inferno or Milton’s Paradise Lost. In modern times, new Epics have been written like JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and they all follow a similar storyline. “Now these things happened to them as examples for us.” (1 Corinthians 10:6) 4 // GTWY MAG WINTER/SPRING 2016
The mythologist, Joseph Campbell, (1904-1987), popularized the idea that all of these great Epics - and all great and lasting stories - resonate with us so much because they seem to be allegories of our life. We can relate to them. We see ourselves in these stories - because they are designed that way. Joseph Campbell referred to it as “the hero’s journey”. They usually begin with someone who would never be regarded as a hero (a peasant, slave, outcast) who is “called” by some great divine power to go on a mission. They always fail their mission (or so it seems) and fall into despair - but then learn that when they stop “trying” so hard and start to “believe” instead, they suddenly achieve their mission effortlessly! Sound like something you are interested in learning? Well, there is more. The greatest thing that they discover is not that they were capable of achieving their mission (because they weren’t - not without divine/ supernatural help anyway) - the greatest discovery is what they have BECOME as a result of their adventure. It has changed them - made them into a better person (not simply provided a better life). Isn’t that what we all want? “These things are to be understood as an allegory.” (Galatians 4:24)
If that sounds familiar, its because all the great movies (from Star Wars to Avatar) have deliberately used this storyline, based on Joseph Campbell’s research. The Bible itself is like an Epic novel - in fact it contains many “epics” and many stories of a “hero’s journey” through life. And they speak to us! They speak directly into our lives and circumstances, and they provide wisdom and a roadmap for navigating life’s twists and turns. I hope you will journey with me through this series and rediscover the excitement of living! Dr. Martin Trench, Lead Pastor
Each week, we are given the opportunity to come together as a Church body and respond to what God has done for us, and how he has impacted our lives. At Gateway - we believe that God inhabits the praises of his people - and that as we reflect and focus on him, our burdens are lifted away. During the Sunday worship times, we choose to reflect on God’s good nature rather than our brokenness - and to CELEBRATE what God has done and is doing in both our lives - which in turn opens us up to be made new in Christ. Our Vision as a team, is that every member of our Gateway family is actively engaged in our worship. That (even when we don’t feel like it) we are coming to give God the honour and praise he so deserves. In this - we are all called to be a part of our “Culture of Worship”, and we are all worship leaders. If you’d like to be a involved in either our worship or tech teams, do not hesitate to contact Mitch, as we are always looking to grow our teams!
Messages will include: • Experiencing the Favor of God, in a world of trouble • Starting Life Over - the right way • Going with the Flow of Blessing • The Battle in Your Mind • Discovering Your Unique Path through Life • Search for the Hero Inside Yourself VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 5
Did you know that a sign of a follower of Christ (and of His Church) is hospitality? Jesus said, “… I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT) At Gateway, our Hospitality Team takes hospitality seriously – and it’s intentional! We want to reflect Christ’s love to everyone who enters the building. NOT in a legalistic or fake way – but by letting Jesus’ love and joy in us bubble out and overflow onto others. Hospitality is love in action! It means really caring about the people who come through the doors, being welcoming, friendly, helpful, and always striving for excellence. It means actively looking for ways to “go the extra mile” to make someone’s day a little easier or brighter. To make strangers, new-comers, long-time members, children everyone! - feel welcome and loved here at Gateway. If you are looking for an opportunity to serve and share your love of God as you love people, consider a place on the Hospitality Team: Greeters • Info Desk • Café • Ushers • Foyer decorating • Serving at Gateways “BIG” events • and a myriad of “behind the scenes” positions. Serving on the Hospitality team allows you to share in fun and fellowship as you serve.
The purpose of GATEWAYresources is to provide a convenient place to purchase materials to help people “dig deeper” into God’s Word, increase their understanding, and grow in their faith. GATEWAYresources carries a number of general resources including books, music CDs, CD Box sets of message series, and compilations of message series on USBs for your listening and learning pleasure. GATEWAYresources also stocks Pastor Martin’s ”recommended reading” books to expand on the topics in his current message series and the current A.C.T.S. Academy, to help you “dig deeper” into the topics that have piqued your interest.
Interested? Want more information? Contact Marjory Ariza by email at info@gateway.ac or speak to her after a service.
Marjory is the Admin Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator. She is a servant of Christ who enjoys watching God work mightily in and through the staff and congregation at Gateway.
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TEAMs
gatewaykids
Here are some of the teams that you could be a part of!
belong. believe. become.
NURSERY (ages 0-3)
At Gateway, kids matter! They are respected for the way God created them to play, discover, question and have fun! So we at GatewayKids are all about helping kids to BELONG, BELIEVE and BECOME what God made them to be. We believe in kids and have a passion for kids and all that God has for them. We want every experience here at GatewayKids to have an eternal purpose behind it.
PRESCHOOL (ages 4-5)
We provide a place for kids from 0 all the way to grade 6, with our nursery and toddler room, preschool, early elementary and preteen programs. Check out the KidCheck centre and talk to one of our GatewayKids team members on a Sunday morning for more information or email GatewayKids@gatewayalliancechurch.com.
ON CALL SUPPORT Members of this team are not regularly scheduled in the rooms, but are ready to jump in once in a while if one of the scheduled volunteers are unable to make it, or if extra help is needed!
EARLY ELEMENTARY (gr. 1-4) PRETEENS (gr. 5-6) KID CHECK-IN HOST
ROOM PREP A lot goes into making the rooms fun and exciting for our kids on a Sunday morning! If you enjoy showing up a little early for church and like to pitch in, this is the perfect place for you!
JOINOURTEAM Get plugged into an action packed ministry where you will find community and mentorship as you contribute to the care and support of Gateway’s little ones and their families! For more information on where and how YOU can get involved, check the column to the right for some of the teams that you could be a part of and contact Lauren Reid at GatewayKids@gatewayalliancechurch. com or 780-456-0252 ext. 107.
PARENT HELPERS If you are a parent, this is an opportunity for you to join your child in their own Sunday service! You can pick one or two Sundays a year to lead a craft, game, or to just enjoy spending time with your child and their friends!
Lauren Reid is the GatewayKids Program Director. She recently graduated with a
At Gateway we take our kids’ safety seriously. All workers are screened and trained in Plan to Protect Policies. Parents, please create a KidCheck profile at: www.kidcheck.com/signup.aspx
degree in theology, is happily married to Andrew Reid, and is passionate about children discovering and developing their relationship with Christ as they explore who they are and who God is. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 7
Fill out an info card at the Info Desk any Sunday for more information about any of these milestones.
MILESTONES
We want to hear your stories of God working in your life or how being a part of Gateway has helped you grow in your faith journey and life. Email pastordrake@gateway.ac
As we journey through life, we come to major milestones along the way. Let us celebrate and support you through every stage of your journey. Our Elder’s Team would be happy to connect with you about the following Milestones:
FAMILY MATTERS The journey of life is full of beginnings and endings.
FAITH COMMITMENT Are you seeking meaning and discovery? Are you asking who is God? Who was Jesus? Why does it all matter? We want to help you wrestle with these questions. If you are exploring Christianity or if you want to know what the next steps are in following Jesus, email Pastor Drake.
WATER BAPTISM Baptism is about declaring you belong to the Kingdom of God. Much like a wedding ring is an outward symbol of a commitment to someone, baptism is an outward symbol of the inward work God has already done in your life and declaration that you belong to Him.
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MEMBERSHIP Do you call Gateway home? Membership is all about digging your roots deep and planting yourself in a community that you can call family. Be a part of what God is doing at Gateway and discover what God has for you in this Faith community.
HEALING PRAYER & CRISIS COUNSELLING The Bible says: “Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master.” (James 5:13) One of our Elders would be happy to meet and pray with you. We also have special healing services throughout the year. You can email prayer@gatewayalliancechurch.com and our prayer team will intercede for you.
WEDDINGS Email fervone@gateway.ac to inquire about booking our facility and/or having Pastor Drake officiate your wedding.
CHILD DEDICATION When your family is blessed with a new addition, we want to celebrate and support you. Child Dedication is one avenue to do this.
FUNERALS Funeral preparation can be difficult while grieving the loss of a loved one. While never easy, this can be a time to celebrate a life and shared memories. Let us come along side you and be of any help we can with service details and connections to different options.
VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 9
One of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible is the idea of “the Last Days” or “the End Times”. Very often Christians read the Bible, with its warnings of the soon-coming End of the Age, and imagine that WE live in the “Last Days” and that “the End” will come very soon - probably in our lifetime. That’s what the Bible predicts, isn’t it? A “soon coming End”? But weren’t those warnings written 2,000 years ago? So, it would be the FIRST readers of these gospels, letters,
and prophecies, who were being warned about the fact that THEY were living in “the Last Days” of a “soon coming End of the Age”. It wasn’t the “End of the World” it was the end of the AGE; it wasn’t the Last Days of planet earth - it was the Last Days of the Old Covenant. Once your eyes are opened to the Age-changing events of the first century - the Bible will become a whole new book to you!
Wednesdays from 7pm - 9: 30pm
cost $ 40
February 3 - 10 - 17 - 24
gatewayalliancechurch.com/academy
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In the early church, they met in large gatherings in the Temple courts or a rented Lecture Hall and other places, but they also met in smaller, home-based groups. (See Acts 2:42, 19:9,20:20) Sunday mornings are all about Celebration! It is a place to come and gather with many people and celebrate all that God has done, is doing and will continue to do. But it can be very hard to make meaningful and helpful connections on a Sunday morning and so HOUSE PARTIES is about about digging deeper in our faith and life as a community and walking along side one another. We believe that people will come alive and flourish best in groups that are organic and have genuine connections by being informal, allowing people to really know each other and have a place to grow into the people God has planned for them. The feel and culture of each HOUSE PARTY is driven by the gifts and passion of the people who make up each group. No two HOUSE PARTIES will look identical and each will have a life of its own Whether you are new to Gateway, or have grown up in the church, there are always new people to meet and new friends to make. We encourage you to visit some of our House Parties and find the right one for you!
YOUNG ADULT HOUSE PARTY
SENIOR HIGH HOUSE PARTY
WHO: Young Adults
WHO: Grades 9-12
WHEN Sunday: 12:30pm-3:30pm (once a month)
WHEN Friday: 6:30pm-9:30pm (once a month)
CONTACT Drake: pastordrake@gateway.ac
CONTACT gatewayyouth@ gatewayalliancechurch.com
HOUSE PARTY
THE KASIHNYATA HOUSE PARTY
WHO: Anyone WHEN Saturday: 7pm-9pm (once a month) CONTACT Connie: ccorness@gmail.com
WHO: Indonesian House Party WHEN Every Sunday: 4pm CONTACT Adela: adela_st@hotmail.com
HOUSE PARTY HOUSE PARTY
WHO: Anyone WHEN Sunday: 12:30pm-2:30pm (twice a month) CONTACT Adela: adela_st@hotmail.com
WHO: Anyone WHEN Sunday: 4pm-7pm (once a month) CONTACT Drake: pastordrake@gateway.ac
MOM’S GROUP HOUSE PARTY
WHO: Moms of Young Children WHEN Every Wed: 10am CONTACT Carmen: mychullo@gmail.com
WHO: Anyone WHEN Sunday: 1pm-3pm (once a month) CONTACT George: galba@shaw.ca
Pastor Drake joined the Gateway team 3 ½ years ago and oversees the building and
If you want more information or are looking to join a House Party, speak to someone at the Info Desk in the Foyer or email Pastor Drake at pastordrake@gateway.ac
discipleship of our various teams and groups in student ministry and community life. One of his greatest passions is seeing people Dig
Deeper in their faith and Rise Higher towards what God would have for their life. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 11
Jesus said: “Come Follow Me.” But what does it really mean to follow Jesus? What does that look like? How does that change who I am at school, at home,
JANUARY 15
Sr. High House Party
Jr. High Night
Does what was said 2000 years ago really make a difference for me today?
Film Festival Sr. High House Party
Jr. High Night (XLR8 Arcade)
MARCH 4
XLR8 Arcade Sr. High House Party
to BE a follower of Jesus today and what the
Jr. High Night
call to “Come Follow Me” means for me in my
18
Dodgeball Night
25
No XLR8 Youth
GROUPS/XLR8.YOUTH
APRIL 1 OUTBREAK XLR8.YOUTH
Gateway
Girls & Guys Night
11
GATEWAY.AC/XLR8-YOUTH
Gateway Meet @ Gtwy
19
BREAK, we will be looking at what is means
everyday life, in the 21st Century.
TBA Gateway
12
26 OUTBREAK
In this season of XLR8 Youth and at OUT-
Meet @ Gtwy
29 OUTBREAK
FEBRUARY 5
with my friends, on the bus, at work?
XLR8 Arcade
22
8
Sr. High House Party
Jr. High Night
15
XLR8 Arcade
22
Girls & Guys Night
29 OUTBREAK
TBA Gateway Gateway Gateway TBA Gateway Meet @ Gtwy Gateway TBA Gateway Gateway Meet @ Gtwy Gateway
All XLR8 Youth events are 6:30pm-9:30pm
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A movement spreading across
JAN 29 FEBRUARY 26 APRIL 1 APRIL 29
this generation A JO INT MONTHLY MU L T I-CHURCH WO RSHIP EVENT F O R Y OUTH AND Y OUN G ADULTS.
YOUNG ADULTS HOUSE PARTY Are you around 18-30 and looking to get connected? Check out our Young Adults House Party on Jan. 10th from 12pm-4pm (location TBA).
Jayelle is the Youth and Young Adults Intern
Once a month a community of young adults get together to hang out
here at Gateway. She recently completed
and form relationships, while also supporting one another in life and
a degree in psychology and is now excited
building a faith community. For more information contact Drake at
about helping the young people of Gateway
pastordrake@gatewayalliancechurch.com or head to our facebook
discover who God has made them to be
group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gac.ya/
and grow in relationship with Him! VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 13
T H E E AST E R EXP E R I E N C E
Sunday March 27th at 9:30am & 11:15am Come and experience what church in the 21st century should be like! Inspiration, new beginnings, good news, amazing music, inspiring message, captivating media, and a special party for the kids. We will also be launching our new message series, Building a Better Life.
Palm Sunday Praise Party Sunday March 20th at 10am An all-age family worship service, with music, performances, and an inspiring multi-media presentation.
Good Friday Communion Service Friday March 25th at 6:00pm A time to reflect on the power of the cross of Jesus Christ, rededicate our lives to God, and give thanks for his amazing free gift of forgiveness & life.
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Building a Better Life Any enterprise is built by wise planning (Proverbs 24:3) Applying the practical, life-enhancing wisdom of the ancient scriptures to your dreams, ambitions, faith, family, career and society - to build a better life, a better church, and a better world, one step at a time.
We want to be known as a faith community defined by generosity. Our Philosophy of Giving is our guiding principle as we continue to grow this area corporately and individually.
Capital Plans
GATEWAY PHILOSOPHY OF GIVING: Why We Give? A generous lifestyle … an abundant life. We seek to live out a simple message to: “Love God. Love People. Love Life.” As we strive to live our lives reflecting God, his goodness, his grace and his light, we can’t help but reflect his generosity as well. At our core, we believe that God provides everything and out of his abundance we can release our time, treasure and talents to others knowing that God is the ultimate source of everything. We can trust that he will provide for our needs even as we share our resources with others. We invite you to journey with us. To see how your financial contributions are resulting in life transformation watch videos at: www.gateway.ac.
We have made giving to Gateway as easy as buying a song on itunes. Give online at gateway.ac/give, use the PushPay App, or by text “gatewayac” to 77977. We are encouraged by how many people are using PushPay and the increase in spontaneous giving as you respond to God’s prompting to support the activities of the church.
New, through the PushPay app, you can now make Payments for café and resource purchases, the Academy registration and other fees. Search for Gateway Alliance – Payments and add it to your App today.
At our last Vision Sunday, we announced the need to expand our current facility. Our 2020 Vision plan includes a 3 phase development but for our most pressing needs we plan for phase 1 to proceed in 2016 and it carries with it a potential cost of $500,000. Phase 1: Mezzanine Project: 1800 sq. ft built above our current technical booth and information desk which would include more office spaces, a multi-purpose board room, a large classroom, a broadcasting booth, a new welcome centre and a modified café and kitchen area. Stay tuned as more information will be announced and early 2016, we will be launching a Fundraising and Pledge Drive. Donate anytime by designating to “Capital Campaign.” We are calling members of our community to join us in this exciting opportunity as we take these big steps of facility transformation. We are asking our community to commit to two of the following initiatives in 2016. 1. 100 people to donate $1,000 (of their tax refunds) to this project to give us a cash fund of $100,000 to start the project. 2. 250 people to participate in our pledge drive from Feb 2016 –Feb 2017. Monthly donations for one year, in the amounts of either $25, $50, $75 or $100. Working together 250 people would contribute $225,000 in 1 year. We believe that the timing is right for us to proceed with this project; God is leading us and we believe that he will use the Gateway community to provide the full $500,000.
Fervone Goings is our Operations Manager, and she oversees the business, management, and facilities of Gateway. She and her family have attended Gateway for 10 years and are actively involved. They are excited to be where God is doing new things. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 15
APR
MAR
FEB
JAN
WINTER/SPRING 2016 EVENTS CALENDAR DATE
DAY
TIME
EVENT
3rd
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 2
10th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 3
17th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 4
24th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 5
29th
Friday
6:30pm
OUTBREAK
31st
Sunday
10am
OUTBREAK Sunday*
3rd
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
7th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 6
10th
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
14th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 7
17th
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
21st
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 8
24th
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
26th
Friday
6:30pm
OUTBREAK
28th
Sunday
10am
Healing & Communion Service
2nd
Wednesday
7pm
EQUIP
6th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 9
13th
Sunday
10am
EPIC part 10
20th
Sunday
10am
Palm Sunday Praise Party!
25th
Friday
6pm
Good Friday Communion Service
27th
Sunday
9:30 & 11:15am
Easter Sunday
1st
Friday
6:30pm
OUTBREAK
29th
Friday
6:30pm
OUTBREAK
*Our youth & young adult service, OUTBREAK, will be taking our Sunday morning service.