6 minute read
GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH
PRESENTED BY GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH
Photos by Greg Folkins Photography
Join us for Easter Services
April 17 at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.
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? What led you to start Gateway?
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.
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.
fail as a church planter. Next to my personal relationship with God, cultivating a deep relationship with my wife It has been exciting to watch our community grow and to see Gateway grow alongside it. Our family moved from north Garland to Wylie in 2004 when most and our two daughters has always been my highest priority. I’ve tried to never let work, even when it is “God’s work,” supersede my family. of FM 544 was a giant corn field. Country Club Road, Another lesson I’ve learned is that God doesn’t which is where the church is located, was a lightly operate on my timetable. I had big dreams of how traveled two-lane road. Now it is quickly the church would grow six lanes and has become a major and develop, but it took longer thoroughfare for this part of Collin than I thought. I could tell you County. story after story of when God Both of our girls began their school careers in Wylie ISD and graduated from Wylie High School. We have been showed up at what seemed like the final hour. Our experience planting Gateway has helped us learn to trust God more. blessed with wonderful leaders, What do you hope to see in administrators, and teachers. the next 20 years? I’ve had the opportunity It’s hard to say to get to know many exactly what our of the leaders in church will look like this area through in 20 years, but I my involvement in know our passion to different organizations, connect people to God and I love living and leading and each other will never a church in such a family-oriented change. I’m sure our strategies community. will change, but we will never stop What makes Gateway unique? asking God to work through us to
I don’t know if it really makes transform lives. us unique, but I can tell you some I want to see Gateway of the things we hear most often. continue growing alongside People talk about the warmth they our community. I want to see feel when they walk through our people coming to know Jesus in a doors. That starts with the fact personal way. I want to see those that our people are some of the who struggle with brokenness friendliest folks you’ll ever meet. My wife, Shawn, and I finding freedom and wholeness. I want to see marriages also love to greet people on Sundays, and she has aptly strengthened and restored. I want to see young children been described as “the heart of Gateway.” Shawn is one and high school students loving God passionately. of the kindest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I
She has done an amazing job helping us create an do know that Gateway will be here, and we will be a environment that puts people at ease. We want to help significant part of what happens in this community people feel as comfortable as possible so there are no over the next 20 years. We hope you will join us for the unnecessary barriers to connecting with God on a deep, journey! personal level.
Something else people tell us often is how much they appreciate the messages being rooted in Scripture. I try to be as engaging as possible and to use humor and real-life stories when I speak, but I’m wasting my breath if I’m not teaching directly from the Bible. We frequently hear how much people appreciate that.
What are your biggest life lessons since starting the church?
I can think of several, but I’ll give you two. The first is the importance of investing in my family. Planting a church is hard work and requires sacrifices from the entire family, but I decided from day one that if I had to fail as a church planter or as a husband/father, I would
Sundays at 8:00, 9:30, & 11:00 a.m.
2201 Country Club Rd. Wylie, Texas 75098
972.429.0400
GatewayOnline.org
