ISSUE 14 SPRING 2015
IT’S A NEW DAY Conference • June 12-14 with Harold Eberle and Jonathan Welton (see pages 2-3)
ACTS ACADEMY The Academy is now relaunched! (see page 7)
HAROLD EBERLE Harold pastored a church for a number of years in the 1980’s before being called to a traveling teaching ministry. He is a popular conference speaker and visiting instructor at numerous Bible Colleges, and is currently focusing on the Middle East. He has authored over 25 books, dealing with issues such as Church leadership, life-centered Christianity, Kingdom finances, Church history, victorious Christian living, and various areas of theology. He lives in Yakima, Washington, US with his wife, Linda. worldcastministries.com
JONATHAN WELTON Jonathan is a teacher and seer, who is passionate about releasing Biblical truth about the New Covenant and our identity in Christ, and has a recognized prophetic gifting. He also leads the Welton Academy, which offers live and online training, with many hundreds signing up to study each year. He is the author of 9 books, including his most recent: Understanding The Whole Bible: The King, Kingdom, and the New Covenant. He is married to Karen, and lives in Henrietta, New York. weltonacademy.com
When I came to faith in Christ, (around age 18), it was amongst a group of Christians who came from many different denominations and congregations, but who gathered together on a Friday night for a time of united worship, prayer, testimony and Bible teaching.
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There were Baptists, and Pentecostals, and Methodists, and people who were so new to the Christian faith that they still weren’t sure what kind of church they attended on Sunday’s other than its name. But one thing they knew for sure they knew how to experience God; they knew the Holy Spirit - his tangible presence, his miraculous gifts and his character-forming work in their lives. Also, it all seemed so normal - not weird at all. They didn’t hype it or exaggerate it or use spooky religious jargon. They were just normal, down-to-earth people who had come to know the reality of God’s presence amongst them.
Because of that, experiencing the presence of God at worship services, or using the gifts of the Spirit (like praying in tongues, or healing the sick), or intuitively feeling “led” to do or not to do a particular thing, or feeling internally challenged to open up an area of my life to God, asking him to grow my character and develop the fruit of the Spirit within me - all of that seemed normal to me, because that was the kind of Christianity I was introduced to. But as the years went on, I discovered that for many Christians, and many churches, the Holy Spirit is totally unknown. Oh, they may know a few Bible verses about the Spirit - but I mean unknown in real experience. In fact, many people are scared to open up to the Holy Spirit - in case it makes them as wacko as some over-the-top charismaniac that they once met or saw on TV. So, we resort to living the Christian life in our own strength, mentally accepting theological concepts (rather than actually living them) and running our churches on “programs” and turning them into “factories” that produce cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all believers. I don’t know how we can truly live the Christian life in our own strength. We were never meant to do so. It’s the Spirit who convicts us of our need of Christ in the first place, who then births us into his Kingdom, who clothes us with power, who distributes gifts to us and who develops character in our lives. Without the Spirit’s work, we are just running a religious program. The Spirit is God himself! God’s “presence” amongst us. We don’t have to go looking for the Spirit of God - just open up to the One who is already there. Dr. Martin Trench, Lead Pastor
This season we launch a new message series on The Spirit-filled Life. Messages include: • A New Covenant, A New Heart, a New Spirit • All You Need is Love: The Fruit of the Spirit • Signs that make you Wonder: The Gifts of the Spirit • What the Father Seeks: Worship in Spirit and Truth • New Wine, New Wineskins: The Spirit-filled Church • Power from on High: The Baptism in the Spirit • Plugging into the Power: Spirit-led Prayer • Divine Appointments: Expecting the Unexpected
gatewaykids
belong. believe. become At Gateway, kids matter! They are respected for the way God created them. He made them so that they love to play, discover, question, and have fun! So we at GatewayKids are all about helping kids 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. Every experience here at GatewayKids has an eternal purpose behind it. We provide a place for kids from 0 to grade 6, with nursery & toddler, a preschool program & elementary program & a preteen program. Check out the KidCheck center and talk to one of our GatewayKids team members on a Sunday for more information or email: GatewayKids@gatewayalliancechurch.com
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
Our theme over the next few months is ALIVE. As we walk through life, God never intended us to go this journey alone. Before Jesus ascended back to Heaven He promised the Holy Spirit and it is this companion that not only guides us on this journey but inspires and empowers us to come ALIVE. Come an explore what it means to listen and live in the life transforming power of the Holy Spirit and what it means to be the life of the party in the world, BECOMING fully ALIVE people and help make the world come ALIVE as well. For our elementary students, we will be following the same topics that will be covered in the Sunday morning service and we hope this will not only allow you as a family unite to be learning and growing together but as parents the opportunity to dialogue with your kids about the ideas you are learning together. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 5
SPECIAL SUNDAYS. SPRING HEALING & COMMUNION SERVICE APRIL 26TH
HAROLD EBERLE JUNE 14TH • GUEST SPEAKER
“Jesus went throughout the region, teaching and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23) Come and receive prayer, the laying on of hands, healing ministry, and communion.
This is Harold’s 3rd visit to Gateway, and he is fast becoming a good friend of the church as he always brings us an inspiring yet challenging word from God, delivered in a down-to-earth, relatable manner. (Harold is also one of our conference speakers - see pages 2-3)
MOTHER’S DAY • MAY 10TH
FATHER’S DAY • JUNE 21ST
A service for everyone (not just mothers) but with some extra elements, special items, and a few surprises, both during the service, and before/ afterwards - so come a bit earlier!
Just like we said for Mother’s Day, this is a service for everyone (not just fathers) but with some special items, and a few surprises, both during the service, and before/ afterwards - so come a bit earlier! Release will be hosting a BBQ after the service as a fundraiser for The Mustard Seed.
PENTECOST SUNDAY • MAY 24TH This day in the global Christian calendar is when we celebrate the “birthday” of the Christian Church, which began about 50 days after Jesus death & resurrection on the Israelite feast of Pentecost. You can read about it in Acts 2 - or, you can come to church and experience it! 6 // GATEWAY MAGAZINE SPRING 2015
SUMMER HEALING & COMMUNION SERVICE AUGUST 30TH “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26) Come and receive prayer, the laying on of hands, healing ministry, and communion.
SOCIALIZE WITH US & JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Over the last couple of years, we have been conducting Bible-teaching and theology classes at Gateway. Over the last couple of years, we have been conducting Bible-teaching and theology classes at Gateway. Because of their popularity and impact, we have now decided to develop this into a full “mentorship & training” program, where - over a two year period - we will cover subjects that help you to understand the Bible, grow in your faith and relationship with God, develop leadership skills, discover your spiritual gifts, and begin to think theologically. However, this is not presented as a University level lecture which is only for the academically-gifted. These courses are accessible to everyone - from new believers to long-termdisciples; from those without a High School Diploma all to way to those with PhD’s. They are designed to be easily understood, clearly taught, and practically applicable. Each topic will be presented over four Wednesday evenings, focusing only on the major and important points of each topic, and ensuring that by the end of these four evenings you will have a firm grasp of that one topic. That’s why we are calling it “Accelerated”.
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We will launch this newly designed course with Power to Heal. We will look at the Biblical background for the following (over four Wednesday evenings from 7pm-9:30pm, with a coffee break half way): April 22 • God’s Willingness to Heal May 6 • Healing in the Atonement May 20 • The Gift of Healing June 12 • Healing, Prayer, and Faith Cost $30 per person Register at the Gateway Centre Info Desk, or online at gateway.ac
VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 7
“The Kingdom of God is like a king who arranged a great party...” MAT T HE W 22:2
“Send greetings to the church which meets in their house...” ROM AN S 16: 5 • 1 CORINT HIA NS 16:19 • CO LOSSIA NS 4:15
Jesus taught and healed multitudes - thousands of people at the same time. Yet, he also met with smaller groups - usually in homes or other informal settings (his 12 disciples, his 72 disciples, and others). 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) We try to make our Sunday gatherings well planned and professionally presented, with structured worship and teaching; so, we try to make our House Parties the exact opposite - we seek to make them informal, relational, with little planning and without the need for “professionals” like pastors and staff (who may visit groups, but simply as friendly, informal, attendees). There is usually a “spiritual” element to House Party
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gatherings (maybe a short time of prayer, or someone sharing a personal story or Bible passage) but most of the time is spent in informal fellowship over a potluck. 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. 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 have a life of their 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!
WHAT
MOM’S GROUP WHO
Moms of Young Children WHEN WHAT
Every Wed: 10am
YOUNG ADULTS HOUSE PARTY
CONTACT
WHO
Carmen: mychullo@gmail.com
Young Adults WHEN
Sunday: 12.30pm-3.30pm (once a month) CONTACT
Drake: pastordrake@gateway.ac
WHAT
The KasihNyata HOUSE PARTY WHO
Indonesian House Party WHEN
Every Sunday: 4pm WHAT
CONTACT
HOUSE PARTY
Adela: adela_st@hotmail.com
WHO
Anyone WHEN
WHAT
Saturday: 7pm-9pm (once a month)
HOUSE PARTY
CONTACT
Anyone
Connie: ccorness@gmail.com
WHO WHEN
Sunday: 4pm-7pm (once a month) WHAT
HOUSE PARTY
CONTACT
Drake: pastordrake@gateway.ac
WHO
Anyone WHEN
WHAT
Sunday: 12:30pm-2:30pm (twice a month)
HOUSE PARTY
CONTACT
Anyone
Adela: adela_st@hotmail.com If you want more information or looking to join a House Party, speak to someone at the Info Desk in the foyer or email Pastor Drake: pastordrake@gateway.ac
WHO WHEN
Sunday: 1pm-3pm (once a month) CONTACT
George: galba@shaw.ca
VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 9
MEET the TEAM You joined the Gateway Staff a little over a month ago. How has it been so far? Intense! I came when the team was getting ready for Vision Sunday, and 4 weeks after that it is Easter! I have had to catch up with everything in order to be ready in time and trying to learn how things work, people’s names, equipment…! I’m so excited with everything! The people here are amazing! I am really feeling at home already, and I look forward for the future here, as God has great plans for this church.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I’m the youngest of 5, like really the youngest! The sister before me is 9 years older than me. My siblings where having kids when I was 10 years old! I have a lot of passions: reading & music; I love play my guitar; photography & making and watching films; I also love to create and design. I’m not an outdoor guy, but the times I have been hiking in the mountains, I had a great time. I’m married to Jenise, and have 2 beautiful daughters, Alana (4) and Emma (1). I moved to Canada 8 years ago, and at the end of April, I should be finished with my Masters in Divinity from Taylor Seminary.
JUNIOR FIGUEIREDO Pastor of Media and Creative Arts Your official title is Pastor of Media and Creative Arts, can you explain to our readers what that is all about? I love my job description. I am a firm believer that the church should be a place where creativity overflows; after all we serve the creative God that made you and me so different & unique, showing all His creativity. I believe that because we are made in God’s image, we should be creative. For many centuries we were told how to worship, you come to church, sit on the bench, read the hymnbook, listen to the pastor, and repeat the following week. Nothing wrong with that, people find God in so many different ways. But I believe that church should be a place where the world looks to for creativity and inspiration! A place where people are so excited about sharing their crafts and ideas, a place where there is excitement and freedom. A place where the Holy Spirit can use us to reach out to the broken, and restore them, a place where there are many different ways to tell the same redemption story. That is why I love my job description.
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My job is to encourage and empower creativity in the church, in many different ways, from music, to photography, design, web design, writing, video, films, etc… Of course, a big part of the job is focusing on Sunday morning services, and part of that job is to make sure we have enough volunteers to run our services, making sure that they are trained and equipped to serve, and worship to the best of their abilities. On a Sunday morning our tech team is leading us in worship, and not just pushing buttons. Their ministry is to serve in a way that, if everything goes well, nobody will notice. The description is kind of long and general, but the results are incredible. If you are reading this and you want express your creativity, come talk to me!
What are some of the things you are excited about in the next season of Gateway in the areas you oversee? WOW, so many things!!!! I don’t think we have space for that. In the short term I am so excited about the “It’s a New Day Conference”, we are spending some time planning the conference so that we can do something completely different that the church has ever seen before, so if you haven’t signed up, you should!! Great things will happen! In the long term, I am so excited about the challenge of the “20/20 Vision”, we have a great goal, we know where we are going as a church, and I’m looking deeply in my area to see where I can serve the church for us to achieve the goal!
Is God really listening to you? How can you tell if you’re hearing from God? Is God really inside of you? How can you interact with God in your everyday life? How does knowing God make you different? Throughout April and May, XLR8 Youth will be getting to know God better by learning how to live everyday life in the Spirit of God. We will be learning about the different ways in which people hear from God, and putting it into practice through listening prayer. This is one series you are not going to want to miss. TIME
WHAT
WHERE
April 10
6.30 - 9pm
XLR8 ARCADE
Gateway
April 17
6.30 - 9.30pm
OUTBREAK
Gateway
6.30 - 8.30pm
CHAOS: Grade 6-9
8.30 - 10pm
The Lounge: Grade 9-12
TBA
TBA
6.30 - 8.30pm
CHAOS: Grade 6-9
8.30 - 10pm
The Lounge: Grade 9-12
May 15
6.30 - 9pm
XLR8 ARCADE
Gateway
May 22-24
TBA
Youth Conference Edmonton
Meet at Gateway
May 29
6.30 - 9pm
XLR8 ARCADE
Gateway
June 5
6.30 - 9pm
XLR8 ARCADE
Gateway
June 12
6.30 - 9pm
It’s A New Day Conference
Gateway
June 19
6.30 - 9pm
SUMMER COUNTDOWN PARTY
Gateway
June 26
6.30 - 9pm
SUMMER COUNTDOWN PARTY
Gateway
April 24 May 1 May 8
Gateway Meet at Gateway Gateway
Info: facebook.com/YouthXLR8 // pastordrake@gateway.ac
DATE
Don’t worry, youth will not be done after June 26th. We have some special events planned through out the summer. Stay tuned and keep your eyes on the Facebook page for more details to come. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 11
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. MEMBERSHIP
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 check out the back page of the magazine and email Pastor Drake.
Do you call Gateway home? Membership is all about digging your routes deep and planting yourself in a community that you can call family. Be a part of the movement that God is doing at Gateway and discover what God has for you in this Faith community.
HEALING PRAYER & CRISIS COUNSELLING
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.
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 Elder’s would be happy to meet and pray with you. We also have special healing services throughout the year or you can email prayer@gatewayalliancechurch.com and our prayer team will intercede for you.
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WEDDINGS Gateway is more than equipped to facilitate your wedding plans, 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.
A MOVEMENT SPREADING ACROSS THIS GENERATION
OUTBREAK is a worship rally that is both exciting and passionate. This event is open to both youth and young adults and brings in groups from around the city and beyond. We look to both have an exciting event where you can come, hang and relax with friends, have fun with game tables and a cafe and be a part of an exciting rally that is engaging and fun while also digging deep in our faith with passionate worship, prayer and a relevant and to the point message. OUTBREAK April 17 6.30-9.30pm Meet at Gateway We will be partnering with Mount Carmel Bible College for this event for a mini Youth Conference. So make sure to come out! CONTACT INFO For more info or to get involved, email pastordrake@gateway.ac
Over July & August, our services will be slightly shorter than usual (10am-11:15am) and will have a bright, fast-paced feel with a new message series on the Ten Commandments:
God’s Top Ten Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness Honoring God Honoring People Rest and be Blessed The Power of I AM “Your Lyin’, Killin’, Stealin’, Cheatin’ heart” Outer Covetousness & Inner Consciousness The New Commandment Also, for the summer, the Connections Cafe we will again be selling ice-cream sundaes and Italian sodas - grab one before (or after) the service, and settle down to enjoy an inspiring service!
Did you know you can join youth when you enter grade 6? If you are going into grade 6 next year, make sure to plug into XLR8 Youth starting in June 12th as we launch XLR8 SUMMER COUNTDOWN PARTIES to get a head start. This is a great opportunity to jump in and see what XLR8 Youth is all about, make some new friends and plug in to youth, all in a fun and exciting night. So, if you are in grade 5, this is the perfect time to jump in! Check out the Youth Calendar on Page 11 for details. VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 13
Each year, once the schools go back, we have our Fall kick-off event. For the third year in a row we are calling this event Carnival Sunday. During medieval times, many of the great Cathedrals in Europe would have special “holy days� (the origin of holidays) when they would invite everyone to a great party in the Cathedral square to enjoy food, drinks, and carnival entertainment - all culminating in a great service of worship in the Cathedral sanctuary. Over the last couple of years we have recreated a similar medieval-style carnival, but this year will be a (tasteful!) Mardi Gras style carnival! Come and celebrate the multicultural Kingdom of God with us!
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JUNE
MAY
APR
SPRING 2015 EVENTS CALENDAR DATE
DAY
TIME
EVENT
12th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 1
19th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 1
22nd
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
24th
Friday
6:30pm
OUTBREAK: youth & young adult event
26th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 3
3rd
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 4
6th
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
10th
Sunday
10am
Mother’s Day
17th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 5
20th
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
24th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 6
31st
Sunday
10am
Healing & Communion Service
3rd
Wednesday
7pm
ACTS Academy
7th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 7
12th
Friday
7:30pm
13th
Saturday
7:30pm
14th
Sunday
10am
Guest Speaker: Harold Eberle
21st
Sunday
10am
Father’s Day
28th
Sunday
10am
The Spirit-filled Life part 8
10am-11:15am
A shorter service with a new message series on the Ten Commandments: God’s Top Ten
July & August
It’s a NEW DAY Conference with Jonathan Welton and Harold Eberle
VISIT GATEWAY.AC // 15
PRAYER TO HELP YOU TAKE THE NEXT STEP:
HOSTILE
SEEKING
SERVING
Please visit gateway.ac or our Info Desk on a Sunday for a list of our current groups.
Wherever you are in your faith journey, and whatever you feel is the right step for you to take next, you are not alone - there are others you can share this leg of your journey with.
We have a number of different Community Groups that you can be a part of. Some of them are social groups, some are service groups, and some are study groups.
GROWING
FOLLOWERS
CONNECTING
OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP YOU TAKE THE NEXT STEP:
FAITH COMMITMENT
Father God, I come to you today to seek your forgiveness, blessing, and power. I acknowledge that I have sinned and fallen short of the life you created me for. I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross in my place and for my sins, so that I may receive new life and a new relationship with you; and I believe that he rose from the dead and is alive for evermore. I open up my life fully to the presence of your Spirit, to change me, lead me, and empower me to take the next step in my journey of faith. By your grace, may I become the person you always intended me to be — a fully-forgiven, fullyalive child of the living God. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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