Annual Report 2022
Ministry Season: July 2022 - June 2023
Hey Gateway, click the video to hear about 10 new things!
New people were reached for Christ and new ministries impacted your community because we followed Jesus together.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19
A New Thing
The 43rd chapter of Isaiah was written in the 6th Century BC when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon. There, a great many Jewish people were surrounded by a culture that was foreign to them and, in many ways, antithetical to the values of their faith.
Into that challenging context, God spoke a word of comfort and hope by reminding his children that he is always at work doing something brand-new. Sometimes we get caught looking at the past and we miss what God is doing in the present and so God says, “…do not dwell on the past.” (vs 18). And sometimes we get so focused on the future that we can’t appreciate what is already taking place in and around us and so God says, “I am doing a new thing! …do you not perceive it?” (vs 19)
Here at Gateway, when I look back on the past year, the word that comes to mind for me is NEW. Everywhere I look, I see new people, new ministry offerings, new challenges and also new opportunities. Thanks be to God who is always doing a new thing!
As you watch the videos below and read the reports, celebrate with me that God is at work among those who are devoted to following Jesus. Instead of being conformed to the pattern of this world, we see hearts and minds that are being renewed by the wisdom of God’s Word and the power of his Spirit.
When you have read the report, please mark your calendar so you can attend our Annual General Meeting on Sunday, September 17th at 2 p.m. in the Auditorium as we celebrate the exciting new things that God is up to.
See you there!
33
15
33
Baptisms
Family
Dedications
New
Members
7
Weddings
Nominating Committee: This year’s Nominating Committee consisted of Pete Zimmerman and Cindi Parke (who presently serve as Elders), Darren Hill and Abbey Leyland (members who were elected by the membership at the Semi-Annual Meeting) and Pastor Steve Kerr. Out of their deliberations, they are nominating the following three individuals to stand for three available positions on the Board of Gateway Church: Bruce Davies (for re-election), Rachel MacCormack, and Raj Singh.
Below is a brief biography of each candidate.
Report of the Nominating Committee
Bruce Davies:
A retired teacher, Bruce and his wife Christine have attended Gateway for many years. They have been married for 43 years and have three adult children and four wonderful grandchildren. An avid reader, Bruce also enjoys sports and antiques. He and Christine are long time Caledonia residents. Bruce has been active in a variety of church ministries including Youth, Connecting Team, Elders, Facility Expansion, Prayer Team, and our Compassion Team. He particularly enjoys greeting individuals arriving on Sunday mornings, especially first time visitors.
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Rachel MacCormack:
Rachel and her husband Andrew love the Lord and have been active members act Gateway for over a decade, along with their two children Timothy and Holly. Prayer ministry at Gateway has grown over the years under Rachel's leadership and she is currently enrolled in seminary, training for a career in ministry. A lifelong learner, Rachel is passionate about spiritual growth and health, and enjoys conferences, workshops, and retreats. As Caledonia residents, Rachel and her family cherish the smaller community and access many of its features. You can often find them spending time outdoors having fun including camping, fishing, hiking, and biking.
Raj Singh:
Raj, a software developer by trade, has been happily married to his wife Amy for 21 years. They have 2 teenage children, who are growing up much too quickly and the joy of their lives. He was born in Guyana, but grew up in Toronto, and has been living in Caledonia for the past couple of decades. Raj is an active volunteer on the Caledonia Fair Board and helps lead a Gateway small group on Monday nights. Raj enjoys learning about God with friends and the delicious desserts that always seem to follow...
For more information on each nominee, please feel free to contact a member of the nominating committee or the nominee directly.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pastor Steve Kerr
On behalf of Darren Hill, Cindi Parke, Abbey Leyland, and Pete Zimmerman.
Baptism Celebration
International
Missions
The mission team met throughout 2022 and added some new members which has been such a blessing. This past fall, the team was excited to begin planning for 2023 and announced at the end of that year that we had plans to send a team to Ninawachi in the summer of 2023. A team of 10, our largest in a few years, will be travelling and ministering in Ninawachi as we'll as visiting a group of Compassion kids sponsored by team members. The team is always looking for ways to intrude our International and National workers to the church family, and we were pleased to be able to host some of our National workers at Gateway in 2022. We were also excited to be able to support Jordyn McPherson as she began to pursue a path to fulltime ministry with Inca Link in the past year. It is exciting to see someone who grew up in the church, follow the call of Jesus to full time missions. We are so grateful for the support that Gateway has given to the global advance fund. It is the main financial tool used by Global ministries to send out International Workers. Our National and International workers are so grateful for your prayers and support through the Gobal Advance Fund, and your generous gifts directed to their ministry.
Thank you, Gateway family, for your faithfulness!
Ecuador
140+ children in Ecuador have been sponsored through our partnership with Compassion Canada. This support has been instrumental in Compassion’s ability to support not only these children but their families through Covid. Many of the poorest families have suffered greatly during covid as their ability to work and provide daily has been impacted by the pandemic. Compassion has been able to bridge many of these family through this time. We are excited to see how God will use this partnership as another avenue to share the gospel in these communities.
Cambodia
This past year we began to pursue a new seamless link with Kevin and Carol Lim. Kevin and Carol minister in Cambodia and were in Canada on home assignment through the last half of 2022 and first 6 months of 2023. We were introduced to the Lim's and hosted them here at Gateway for a Sunday morning to introduce them to the church family. After much prayer, we were excied to sign the seamless link before they headed back to Cambodia this July. We are excited to see how God will use them in ministry and Camambodia, and we are so grateful to support them in their work. TheThe agreement will give us opportunities for mutual prayer, sharing of ministry needs, and celebrating what God is doing through their ministry.
Ninawachi
The Ninawachi Bible institute added new students last year and also graduated several others. They have been able to maintain their attendance throughout the pandemic and this year are looking forward to welcoming a full slate of short-term teams again for the first time since the pandemic began. Each fall the students go out on 'practicum' where they spend a month in the community, some remote sharing the gospel and discipling believers. This gives them a great opportunity to build on what they learning at the school and prepare them for future ministry. However, it also is a blessing to the communities as the gospel spreads and new believers are added to the churches. We look forward to a report from our short-term team that traveled to Ninawachi in July.
Seamless Link Agreement
Kevin & Carol Lim
Courses
# of Attendees
22
65+
50+
Set Free Retreat
55+
Barbecue
Newcomers
Lunch
15
39
?
92+
Candlelight Grief Service
15
Rooted
Alpha
40+
?
Intro to Gateway
Sex Matters
Workshop
100+
Gender Matters
Workshop
CompassionTeam
The Gateway Compassion Team continues to assist our church care for people going through times of hardship and need. In 2023, a total of $20,324.46 was given to the Compassion Fund.
Disbursements totalled $45,939.61
A key reason the Compassion Team exists is for the purpose of helping to ensure that the
primary needs of every church member are attempted to be met. Primary needs are those necessary for physical, emotional, and spiritual survival: food, shelter, clothing, transportation, counselling, etc. Assistance may also be extended to regular attendees and consideration given to compassionate responses within our community and globally.
This year, inflationary pressures caused financial hardship for many. Assistance was given to address needs related to food, transportation, and housing for both individuals and families.
Gateway continues to utilize Shalem Mental Health Network to provide counselling services for our church family. This Church Assistance Program (CAP) provides up to six counselling sessions per individual at no cost. The cost of this program is underwritten by the generous giving to our Compassion Fund.
Serving on the Compassion Team throughout the year were Bruce Davies, Janet Mohl, Marian Ratzlaff, and Phil Drijber.
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.” - Matt. 25:44-45
Gateway
Kids
For the past three years, we have been busy behind the scenes creating and developing our very own teaching team! This year, we want to celebrate that team! Thank you to all the 35 volunteers who created our very own curriculum. From the leaders who wrote and performed their own scripts, to the tech guys who spent hours behind the scenes editing, to master minds behind the whole plan! You are all very talented people and God has given you great gifts.
87
87 new families came to Gateway and visited Gateway Kids.
Highlights:
We celebrated Family Dedications in May and November, and 17 children were dedicated to the Lord.
Many "welcome baby packages" were delivered to families that welcomed a new child into their home. Each package contained a homemade meal or gift card, knitted blanket, and a children's bible.
Our online teaching team continued to produce valuable ministry videos that we used alongside our small group curriculum for the duration of the year. The curriculum is still being used in places like Africa, Greece, and the United States.
The Christmas Musical, Isaiah Jones, was a big hit! Over 50 families (a total of 65 kids), those from Gateway and the community, participated in the musical. We had over four productions and almost 1000 people came to watch.
Forest Cliff Camp
We had over 200 kids attend our two weeks of day camp last summer. We billeted 23 youth who work with ForestCliff, and handed out over 80 bibles to kids who wanted one. This jumpstarted the conversation about why ForestCliff doesn't give a salvation message. Which will, God willingly, change this report drastically for next year! Please pray for out 220 kids who are coming to camp in the summer, who for some, will hear the gospel for the first time!
The Well
In Binbrook
2022 was a big year for The Well!
Last September, we switched locations and times from the United Church on Saturdays at 5:00 pm to the Presbyterian Church at 9:00 am on Sundays. The Holy Spirit faithfully led us in these decisions and made a way for us to make this important change. Since then, new families have been joining our church family and engaging in ministry.
Our kid's ministry has grown exponentially. For example, in the spring of 2020, we would usually have about 8 kids regularly. However, since launching our new Kid's Zone ministry last fall, we regularly have about 25 children and sometimes more!
Additionally, among our adults, we saw two baptisms this past year and new commitments to follow Jesus for the first time. One woman who was baptized got connected to our church because we did not run our Picnic in the Park community program last year. She contacted us to ask about the program for her daughter and we invited her to church instead. Jesus grabbed a hold of her heart, and has been working in her life and her family's life ever since.
Our serve teams are continuing to grow and we regularly see new visitors. However, with our switch to Sunday morning services our worship ministry has been struggling. We are praying that God will bring us the right person to lead this ministry.
Thank you for all of your support, prayers, and encouragement. We are thrilled to be a part of what God is doing in Binbrook and expectant for what He will continue to do as we help people take their next steps toward Jesus.
An Amazing Story about the
Power of Prayer
Keith Adams
Disciple-Making
Pathway
Alpha is a safe place to explore the Christian faith and to ask your questions. It is designed for people exploring the faith or who are new followers of Jesus. We also suggest that long-time Christians attend Alpha as a refresher course in the basics, but we encourage them to bring a non-Christian or a new Christian friend or family member with them.
This past year we held two sessions of Alpha with over 20 people attending Alpha for the first time. We give thanks to Mike and Paula Falk and their team of small group leaders, technicians, and meal providers.
Step One: Alpha
Step Two: Rooted
Rooted is an exciting new ministry based on seven rhythms of life which were modeled by the early church in Acts 2. Participants will be part of a small group that meets weekly for 10 weeks, plus two experiences- a prayer experience and serve experience. The sessions mirror the topics in Alpha, but rather than watch videos, participants do five Bible studies during the week , then discuss them when they meet. This past winter we had our first cohort of about a dozen Rooted partipants who found the experience helpful and who bonded together as a group.
Step Three: Theology and the Mission of God
Theology and the Mission of God is an 8-week group discipleship experience focused on the study and application of core doctrines of the Christian faith. The group experiences includes 30 minute teaching videos and group discussion. Each participant receives a workbook which includes four days of personal daily devotions and one day of reflection to be completed ahead of each group session. Our first cohort group will meet in the Fall of 2023.
Gateway
Groups
Our ongoing disciple-making pathway encourages people to participate in one of our groups. During this past ministry year, we have had over 200 people involved in approximately 20 groups. A number of groups are open to anyone, while some groups have a focus on men or women, on young couples or on specific topics.
No matter the format of the group, every group includes three priorities:
UP – getting to know God and hear from him
IN – getting to know one another and supporting each other
OUT – finding a way to serve others
Some of our group leaders reported the following highlights as they reviewed the year:
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The small group have really become the people we are doing life with.
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Seeing the group really connecting, being vulnerable, and praying for each other.
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Seeing growth and dependency on God.
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The ongoing fellowship and bonding of the men within our group.
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Seeing the women engage in the study, grow in their faith and encourage on another with compassion and care as each person deals with adversity.
Do you want to travel with others as you grow in your faith journey? Join a group!
Newcomer's Lunch & Intro to Gateway
We are thrilled to see so many new people connecting with Gateway either online or in person. We hosted several Newcomer's events attended by over 50 people and 40 people participated in one of our Intro to Gateway sessions.
Food Drive
Once again this spring, dozens of volunteers dropped off fliers throughout Caledonia, then returend on Saturday, May 27 to collect food. The pope of Caledonia contributed over 14,000 pounds of food for the local food banks! Thanks to Diane Norman and her team, and all who volunteered their time and energy to another successful food drive!
Griefshare
Griefshare is a specialized group designed for those who have experienced a significant personal loss. We hosted groups during the fall and the winter. Each session involves a video with discussion. This past year we had many attend who have no faith or church relationship. The groups have really bonded and supported one another. This fall we plan on hosting two Griefshare groups. Thanks to Betty Ann Stacey and Tony Knight for their compassionate leadership.
In Memory of Ben Tackey: A Young Man's Journey
of Faith
This past year, we grieved the loss of those who were called home and into Jesus' embrace. In this video that was shown on Easter Sunday 2022 and at his memorial service, we remember the amazing testimony of Ben Tackey who faithfully followed the Lord until his passing on June 27, 2023.
Gateway
Youth
Another year of Gateway Youth has come and gone, and God has continued to move in these ministries! This year, we saw an uptick in the number of students who attended our program, we averaged around 110 students this year between the two programs! Praise be to God!
Both groups covered a number of series and biblical topics during their time together. In Axis, we went through a series on Colossians, a series on dating and what it means to do so as a follower of Jesus, among others. A highlight of the Blast teaching times was a series done on "what matters most" where we focused on Proverbs 4:23. In both groups, no matter the series, we made sure to preach the gospel as much as we could.
As always, to go along with the time of biblical teaching, we had a ton of fun together! Many of the favourite events at our Blast group this year were the classics: our gigantic ice-cream sunday night, giant clue, as always: Lock-In. At Axis we had a great time at our car push night and Christmas cafe!
70
Students
Blast
40
Students
Axis
24
Volunteers
Leaders
80+
Students
Bedlam
25
Students
Deeper Life
Summit
80
Students
Camping
Deeper Life Summit
Highlights
We had the return of the overnight, senior high, district wide, Deeper Life Summit. The speaker was our very own Regan Neudorf. The weekend was truly what it was designed to be: a weekend where our students could go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. We saw many students stepping out in faith in different ways.
Bedlam
A full bus to Bedlam with stories of God's movement in the lives of our students. Some giving their lives to Jesus for the first time!
Echo Mentorship
We had 7 mentorship pairings that ran from January to June.
Gateway
Young Adults
The young adults program restarted this year and we saw God at move the whole year. We averaged this year with just over 20 young adults, but with a rotation of over nearly 50 young adults from our community participating at different times during the year.
The group had a number of teaching times that were centred around different parts of scripture. The purpose of these teaching times was to get our Young Adults to exercise their faith in different ways. A big highlight from this year were our prayer and worship nights, which featured a number of people who came forward for healing and listening prayer. In both, we saw God do some amazing things.
A key to the year was food! Outside of sharing the scriptures and singing worship together, we were most often seen eating and sharing a meal together. It was so important to foster community over the table, this provided many young adults an opportunity to get to know those they haven’t yet.
We’re looking forward to see what this next year will bring! God is good and we’re confident he’ll continue to move in this ministry.
Sermon Series'
(Slide to the left for highlights)
Music
Tech & Worship
This year was one of growth and adjustment, as we were without a worship pastor for 10 months. Our worship leaders, Corbin, Beth and Andrew did an amazing job of leading us on Sundays during this time. We look forward to continuing to pour into our worship leaders and having them play a key role in a sustainable and flourishing culture of worshipers as Pastor Wes steps into his role of Worship and Young Adults Pastor. As we got back into the habit of singing at Gateway, Living Hope continued to be a favourite song. Among the new songs this year, Graves Into Gardens and Battle Belongs quickly came to have deep meaning for us at Gateway.
We watched with thankfulness and awe as new families continued to arrive at Gateway, with record breaking attendance on Easter Sunday. Easter also marked the return of our choir in a powerful service where we celebrated what God has been doing in our lives over the last year. We look forward to having them join the worship team on stage again soon!
Our tech and worship teams continue to grow in skill and numbers, and we celebrate their dedication, skill and willingness to serve! Without them we wouldn’t be able to reach so many people at Gateway. Speaking of volunteers, we saw the return of the Kids Musical this year, and our tech and video teams did an amazing job in supporting Cindy and her team as they knocked it out of the park with ‘Isaiah Jones, A Christmas Miracle’. The musical was the most watched video this year with almost 800 views. On Sunday mornings, the livestream continues to have a solid following with an average of 35 households watching in real time. We had a total of 8,600 views on our livestream this year!
This year marked the completion of the theatre room tech and media upgrades as well as numerous network upgrades throughout the building. These upgrades were a big improvement in reliability and useability for our staff and the many small groups using the church.
Thank you to all who play a role in our worship and tech teams at Gateway! We look forward to the next year and what God has in store!
Finance Report
A year end financial report (January to December ) is given to the Gateway membership at the Semi-Annual Meeting in March. A year-to-date financial summary (January to September) will be given at the Annual General Meeting on September 17, 2023.
Thanks for reading and watching the videos in this annual report. If you would like to inquire about any of these evangelism and discipleship opportunities, please click HERE.This annual report has been an opportunity to look back on what God has done this year. Please join us at the Annual General Meeting on September 17 from 2-3pm as Pastor Steve and the Board of elders share Gateway's vision for the coming year. See you there!