what we believe

In today’s world we are constantly bombarded by uncertainty. It is often difficult to find our place in a world that is changing, shifting, and evolving at such a rapid pace. In such times as these, the question of identity takes on heightened significance. We recognize this issue in today’s world. It is to fill this need for community, significance, fulfillment, and identity that Gateway Christian Fellowship was formed. We are a group of individuals who have found peace, community, and understanding by faith in God. 


We believe the Bible is 100% true and every word in it is God’s inspired word written to us to help, encourage, inspire, and transform us and others. We believe the Bible is historically reliable, describing the life of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, being both fully man and fully divine. I’m sure you have heard some reference to Jesus. Maybe you heard He was indeed the Savior of the world, maybe that He was a prophet, or maybe that He was a morally upright man who achieved a heightened state of spiritual enlightenment. 


We believe that the story of Jesus began at the creation of the world. God the Creator formed the earth and surrounding universe. His greatest masterpiece was to create what He named man and woman. These two human beings were created in God’s image meaning they had the power to think, reason, plan, and understand the concept of choice, and also that choices have consequences. These two people lived in perfect harmony with God, with each other, and with nature. But these two human beings disobeyed God’s command and ate of a tree that the Bible calls the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This choice both destroyed their innocence and separated them from perfect harmony with God, because God is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin. 


Now you may ask, what is sin? Is it that consequential that it could separate those two first created people from God? Because God created everything that is, He also defined sin as anything and everything that goes against His nature. God created us, mankind in His image, and thus as He is perfect He desired for us to be perfect. But, as Adam and Eve illustrated in the garden, mankind has continually and unalterably chosen through disobedience, a life apart from our Creator. As Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, every person who has ever lived has also disobeyed God’s commands except one, Jesus Christ. Jesus was God’s only Son, born of a virgin, and completely sinless. As Adam and Eve doomed humanity through their sin, Jesus by living a sinless life, took on the sin of all mankind upon Himself that we might once again be able to have a relationship with our Creator. Even after Jesus died for the sins of humanity God knew that we wouldn’t be able to live a good life. So He sent His Holy Spirit to live with us, to transform our lives, to soften our hearts, and to empower us through the Gifts of the Spirit to powerfully and relevantly share the story of our Creator’s love for us. To this end we work and live, to tell this story and encourage others to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit to be more like our Creator.

worship

Life consists of constant worship, as it relates to everything we value in our lives. Within our hearts, we have no neutral desires of deeds in life; everything is an expression of our worship as every thought, word, desire, and deed involves ascribing some measure of value and worth. Each attitude, affection, and activity an expression of our allegiance, either to our Creator or to His creation. But God alone is worthy of our worship. He made within us the desire to worship Him, as He is the One Who is the deepest satisfaction of our souls. True worship is responding to the revelation of His glory to our minds and hearts by placing the highest value on Him. Worship is to be pursued in every facet of our lives as we consider how all-encompassing the Gospel is to us. It is nurtured through the gathering of the saints in corporate service where we worship God by remembering and proclaiming the life-changing Gospel through preaching, teaching, singing, praying, giving, and celebrating the ordinances of baptism and communion. The fellowship of believers with the Holy Spirit presents an opportunity for the church to respond and rejoice in God and His gracious work in us through our living relationship with Him. A true disciple will worship God.