Belonging to the church is a universal thing.  As a believer in Jesus, those who commit their lives and are baptized join the Kingdom of God.  There are no direct commands in the Bible about belonging to a "local" church.  In this day and time we realize the fears associated with connecting anywhere.  There is so much identity theft in the world that people fear giving out their private information, so we understand the hesitancy.  However, there is heavy implication in the New Testament that belonging to a local church was just something people did.  Therefore, we do our best to follow those models and allow people to benefit from belonging to a community who seeks to live out the ways of Jesus.

What the Bible is very clear about is that believers in Jesus met together and acted together for the benefit of others.  They carried out God's mission of creating a flourishing world, and sought out creative ways to help others flourish in the name of Jesus.  For an example of this, read Acts 2:42-47.  Each local church all across the world treats membership differently.  Some churches mandate baptism in placing membership, some require offering and the list goes on and on.  At Gateway, we are inviting people into a journey (whether they currently know Jesus or not) to learn from what the Bible teaches and become followers of Jesus.  We truly believe that a life in Jesus is the the best life one can possibly live.

Finally, membership at Gateway gives the shepherds, ministers and other members the ability to connect with you.  While our electronic devices make us feel more connected than ever, the truth is we have never been further apart.  Finding a local community of believers who are genuinely interested in your life and growing in fellowship together allows us to do life together and fulfill God's mission on the earth.  In this type of community we encourage all of our members to get plugged in and serve in various ways.  These are just a few of the benefits of finding community.