Join us for
Easter Services April 17 at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.
PRESENTED BY GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH
Photos by Greg Folkins Photography
Connecting People to God and Each Other “From the moment I first stepped through the doors of this church, it felt like family.” This is the type of comment members of Gateway Community Church hear often. Dr. Blake Switzer and his wife Shawn launched Gateway as a mission of First Baptist Church of Garland in 2001. We sat down with Pastor Blake to get to know him and Gateway better.
Why does being a part of a church family matter? These past couple of years have reminded us how much we need connections with one another. In addition to finding a place where they can grow closer to God, people are looking for a place where they can build deep and meaningful relationships. The church provides a great place to love and be loved. All of us are broken in some respect. Some view church as a place to hide your scars and insecurities, but I view church as a place to be transparent with one another. After all, Jesus Himself said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a work in progress, but I’m thankful that God puts us in the community so we can help each other grow. 4 |
What led you to start Gateway? When you find something good you want to share it. When I came to know Christ as a high school student, I discovered that He filled what had been missing in my life. I found such peace and joy that I wanted to share the good news with others. I also discovered how amazing authentic relationships can be, and I wanted people to experience that as well. Early in my ministry, the thought of planting a new church wasn’t on my radar at all. Shawn and I drove from Garland to an event at Southfork Ranch in 1999 and I saw all the new homes sprouting up in this area. My first thought was, “I wonder where all these new families will go to church.” One thing led to another, and we had our first public worship service Feb. 4, 2001. It's been exciting to see the growth that has occurred since then. After meeting in schools for nine years, we built our first building in 2010. Within a couple of years, we added temporary buildings for our children and youth before completing a 33,000-square-foot addition in 2017. I love seeing the church grow because it means we are impacting more lives.
| March/April 2022
CONN MA22 20-PAGE-GUTS.indd 4
2/25/22 12:45 PM
