Gateway Community Church

Gateway Community Church
Gateway Community Church
Gateway Concentrix symbolizing the three major directions: Need Meeting, Nurture, Natural
Motto Welcome Home!
Formation April 7, 2002
Headquarters 4th Fl., ECCO Bldg., 43 Assumption Road., Baguio CIty, Philippines, 2600
Coordinates 16°24′52″N 120°35′51″E / 16.4145116°N 120.5975547°E / 16.4145116; 120.5975547Coordinates: 16°24′52″N 120°35′51″E / 16.4145116°N 120.5975547°E / 16.4145116; 120.5975547
Owner Gateway Community Church is a religious corporation operating as a non-profit organization registered under Security & Exchange Commission.
Founding Senior Pastor
 Rev. Dr. Rodolfo D. De Guia
Ministers
 3 full-time, 40 volunteers
Affiliations Association of Baptist Churches in the Philippines
Website www.gatewaycommunitychurch.ph

Gateway Community Church is a diversified denomination and one of the few churches in Baguio City, Philippines . Their mission is "Reaching people, Transforming lives!" which highlights the Great Commission instructed by Christ. Based on the "cell group" ministry model, GCC highlights the different demographics that meet regularly for dynamic interaction in life groups. Their motto, "Welcome Home!", serves as an encouragement to attendees and invites to feel at home whenever around other members of the church.[1] GCC has been recognized by the city folk for reaching out to its wide range of demographics not excluding the typically discriminated-upon groups of people that is similar to the situation of Zacchaeus, a tax collector in the Holy Bible. Furthermore, in an inside interview of its founding senior pastor, he said

you do not look at people based on your own presumptive and personal biases but you look at people more from the lenses of the Gospel

— Rev. Dr. Rodolfo D. De Guia, About Dr. Sohl De Guia

.

History

The story of Gateway Community Church is inextricably bound to the story of its founding senior pastor, Rodolfo 'Sohl' De Guia. After his seminary studies, he and his wife, Marites, began to venture into an engaging ministry of small group of people of different background and demographics. The group later on grew to more than 70 regular attendees. In April 7, 2002, Gateway Community Church was founded.

The Gateway Performing Arts pose for a break after the 9th anniversary production performance

In the next six years, GCC has slowly gained momentum in its growth with average number of attendance at 175. With the number, three services were held in a small space at GSP Bldg. along Leonardwood Rd. The growth continued owing to the pastor’s desire to create a conducive environment for intentional discipleship that ensures the development of instinctive growth and outreach. The church bore its name The Little Big Church,[2] thanks to Dr. Anthony Dela Fuente[3] who lauded GCC as an Emerging Church Model.

In late 2009, GCC moved to a bigger space along Legarda Rd. The ‘crossover’[4] was impetus to the expansion of its reach.

Three years after, in late 2012, GCC moved again to a slightly larger space but with a significantly larger monthly lease to target the demographics found in the "Central Business District" where Baguio City's university belt (the chain of city's major universities) was located which also is in the city's core.[5]

Declaration of Faith

One of the statements of GCC as described on its website is its Declaration of Faith as written by its founding senior pastor which comprises the ideas of the church's primary mission and vision. Members of GCC are reminded of this statement as an encouragement to reach out and transform lives. GCC's declaration of faith is the following:

We are a community with a divine destiny

Called, set apart and commissioned Reaching the lost is the heartbeat of our mission And to see people’s lives transformed Our burning passion

We envision a generation ablaze for a spiritual revolution Permeating every sector of our nation A generation of changed warriors Unashamed and undeterred Consumed by a heavenly vision

We will not be silent, We will speak out! We will not be concealed, We will stand out! We will seize this generation And fulfill our task, “To make Christ known ’till we breathe our last!”

There is no time to tarry or hold back For this is our opportunity To claim the great commission inheritance “A nation transformed and under Christ”

This is our destiny!

— Gateway Community Church, Declaration of Faith


Statistics

In 2009, Gateway Community Church started to plan to move out from a space of 60 sq m to 400 sq m, from a monthly lease of PhP12,000 to PhP112,000. By the end of that year, GCC changed its address and its statistical records updated.

A year after the ‘diaspora,’ the challenge of numeral growth is now one for the historical books of GCC. The number now averages from 220-270 every Sunday - an 82% increase in attendance from 2007. The constant growth is attributed to intentional community engagement and dedicated discipleship. Weekly coaching of cell leaders and the Ladder of Success[6][7] program are in place to train and prepare all members for discipleship. In the span of three years, over 30 solid cell groups have been created where new ones were born each week.

References

  1. ↑ . Mangawa, Rogelio. "Welcome Home!"
  2. ↑ . Dela Fuente, Anthony. The Little Big Church Has Grown Bigger, 2009.
  3. ↑ the dawn treader, Dr. Anthony Dela Fuente's Blogspot
  4. ↑ Scanlon, Paul. Crossing Over: Real Change, Real Courage, Real Transformation. Ignite, 2006.
  5. ↑ History of Gateway Community Church
  6. ↑ ‘Ladder of Success’
  7. ↑ G12 Vision Castellanos, Cesar. The Ladder of Success. Dovewell Publications, 2001.
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