that holds to the historic doctrines of Christianity, such as are represented by the Apostles’ Creed—but we hold them with the joy of people who’ve been rescued by scandalous grace.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life," Jesus answered him. "No one comes to the Father except through me."
– John 14:6 (CSB)
To be a Christ-centered church for all ages.
We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to see them mature in their faith as they gather in worship, grow in community, and go out in service.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man—two natures united in one person. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life on earth, and voluntarily paid for our sins by dying on the cross as our substitute. On the third day, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We seek to magnify Jesus in all we do and to see the world through a Jesus lens—one that looks at people not as problems to be fixed but as prodigals to be loved.
The basis of our belief is the Bible, which is uniquely God-inspired, without error, and is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. Because Jesus is the Word made flesh, we read every page with Him as the lens, tracing the scarlet thread of redemption from Genesis to Revelation, with eyes open to the grace and provision of the Good Shepherd.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob exists in one essence and three hypostases—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is not a solitary monarch but an eternal communion of love, into which we are being graciously drawn.
The Holy Spirit is Christ’s continuing presence in the world. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to indwell, equip, and empower the church for daily living and fruitful service.
The church is composed of all who believe in Jesus as their Savior. The church is like a body, with Christ as the Head, where every member serves a function within it. We need each other. The church is not a museum of the morally superior, but a messy community of forgiven sinners held together by the stubborn love of Jesus.
Salvation is not a paycheck, but a gift—free, full, and forever. Jesus saves us by grace, through faith in Him, apart from any good works we might do. He died on the cross for the sins of all people, so that anyone who believes in Him can be forgiven, justified, given eternal life, and guaranteed to be raised to life on the last day. Jesus saves us in three tenses—past sins covered, present struggles met with mercy, future secure in His hands.
Baptism is the total immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It symbolizes the believer's union with Jesus in His death and resurrection. It’s a visible “yes” to God’s gospel promises. When a believer is dipped beneath the water and raised again, it’s like shouting, “I died with Christ, and I’ve been raised with Him. I’m not my own—I’m His.” It’s a beautiful public “yes” to the God who already said “yes” to you in Christ. At Gateway, baptism comes before church membership—not as a hurdle, but as a homecoming.
The Lord’s Supper is a feast of grace—a table set by Jesus for sinners who know they need Him. The Lord’s Supper is a joyful meal where believers eat the bread and drink from the cup to remember His broken body, His poured-out blood, and the promise that He’s coming back. We welcome all who trust in Jesus to this table—not because they are worthy, but because He is.
The gift of marriage is a union between a man and a woman, created by God for love, intimacy, and the nurture of children. It reflects something bigger—the gospel mystery of Christ’s love for His church. Marriage is based on the anthropological truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the social reality that children need a mother and a father. We believe that God reserved sexual intimacy as a blessing within marriage. The church and its facilities may not host, and its ministers may not conduct, any marriage ceremony or celebration that contradicts the Biblical definition.
We teach that God’s grace is for both salvation and spiritual growth. We are saved by grace, through faith, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8–9), and that same grace teaches us to be holy (Titus 2:11–14).
We are grounded in God’s Word and committed to proclaiming it with clarity and depth (2 Timothy 4:2). We preach the Bible because God’s Word transforms lives (Hebrews 4:12).
We value worship from the heart, where Spirit-filled believers express gratitude, joy, and reverence to God through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18–20).
We equip every believer to use their spiritual gifts for the building up of the church and the advancement of the gospel (Ephesians 4:11–13).
We grow best when we grow together, in community, where older believers mentor younger believers (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Titus 2:1–8).
We are sent to fulfill the Great Commission, sharing the good news of Jesus in our circles of influence and to the nations (Matthew 28:18–20).
