Gateway Community Christian Reformed Church Profile

Church and Community Profile 2016

Gateway Community CRC Profile Our HISTORY Gateway was founded in 1950 by Dutch immigrants who after many years of attending worship services across the border in Sumas, Washington had the desire to establish their own church in the community of Abbotsford. At its beginning Gateway was known as First Christian Reformed Church of Abbotsford.

The congregation consisted of 28 families and quickly grew to over 200 families within the first 10 years.

In 2002 the name was changed to Gateway Community CRC since our location at that time on McCallum Rd was considered the southern “Gateway” into Abbotsford, and now at our current location we’ve become the northern “Gateway”. Over the years Gateway daughtered three CRC churches in the community of Abbotsford.

VISION and MISSION Gateway’s vision is:

“Gateway CRC is to be a healthy, growing, and diverse family of God expressing the good news of God’s Kingdom that transforms lives in our church, in our city, and in our world.“ Gateway’s mission is:

“Helping People to Love and Serve Jesus.”

Gateway is currently being guided by our Spiritual Discernment and 3 - 5 Year Strategic Plan (2013) which includes Core Beliefs and Strategic Goals to guide us into the future. The complete report is attached.

WORSHIP Gateway believes that Spirit-directed and heartfelt worship honours God and draws us into His presence.

The worship services are contemporary and have a focus of biblical preaching that challenge listeners to holy living.

View of auditorium from the stage

Gateway CRC MEMBERSHIP We have a good mix of all age groups and have ministries which reach out to all ages. Our current membership is 664 people. Of which 402 people are confessing members, 224 members are under the age of 18 and 38 are inactive or non-resident members. (Graph below includes adherents) 61+ years 41-60 years 25-40 years 19-24 years 13-18 years 9-12 years 3-8 years 0-2 years 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Number in age category

Our FACILITIES In 2006 Gateway moved to the property where it is currently located: a former elementary school campus on 12 acres just on the edge of the city. The campus consists of 85,000 sq ft and includes a gymnasium and classrooms, a new sanctuary with seating capacity of 1120, office space, and an unfinished basement. A portion of the campus is leased out to a preschool. In 2013, after many years of fundraising and congregational support, we were able to begin worshipping in the new sanctuary.

Approximately 70% of Abbotsford is zoned agricultural with 16% zoned residential.

The remainder is made of up Industrial/Institutional and Parkland

FINANCES Gateway is blessed with a history of generous giving. From its beginning in 1950 and the construction of its first facility, to the resources needed for the establishment of three additional CRC churches in Abbotsford, to the support for its missions work abroad, and most recently the money raised for the new building. The yearly operational budget (2016) for Gateway is 1.17 million dollars.

In 2015, Gateway surpassed a budget of $1.2 million, of which 100% of denominational and classical ministry shares were paid.

BY THE

NUMBERS

CURRENT STAFFING Executive Pastor F/T Senior Pastor F/T Youth Pastor F/T (commissioned) Worship Director (1/2 time) (shared by 2 people) Caretakers of Facilities (1 F/T, 1 P/T)

664

23

Gateway Community CRC desires to be a safe place for all people and therefore requires that all staff, leaders and teachers, and anyone volunteering in ministries involving minors and/or vulnerable adults

Seats in

current membership

Administrative Assistant (3/4 time)

SAFE CHURCH

1,120

Gateway Campus is

85,000

auditorium

National/International Missionaries and scholarships to students in Mexico

100%

take the training course offered at Gateway. This training course takes place every quarter, and requires

square feet

Percentage paid to Classical and denominational ministry shares

our employees and volunteers to a criminal record and vulnerable sector check for participation in any

Full time and part time staff

ministries involving minors and/or vulnerable adults at Gateway.

9

3

Gateway is further promoting safety of children by implementing a secure electronic check-in system for Sunday nursery and Kidz Church as well as our weekly children’s ministries.

daughter churches established since

1950

224

People under the age of 18

50%

of Gateway members in CARE GROUPS

North Entrance to the Facilities

ABOVE: South Entrance to the Facilities

Gateway MINISTRIES Care Group Ministry: Gateway places a strong emphasis on the importance of being involved in the care group ministry. It is one of the main ways in which the spiritual care of the members is carried

Gems Girls Ministry: Girls grades 3-7.

Cadets Boys Ministry: Boys grades 3-7.

Youth: Junior high & Senior high.

out. Pastoral elders maintain close contact with care Young Adults: Singles and couples, age 18 – 25. group leaders to ensure their members are being adequately cared for. Currently Gateway has

Coffee Break for Women: Women from our approximately 50% of confessing members involved community and our church fellowship gather to in care groups. study and socialize together every Wednesday morning. Children ages 3-5 are welcome to enjoy Nursery: Children ages 0-3 are welcome to come playtime and fun crafts, Bible stories, songs and a to a safe and loving environment during the Sunday snack. Nursery is provided. morning service and Wednesday morning during Women's Coffee Break ministry.

Kidz Church: A special children’s message is given for children ages 3-8 during the worship service and then the children are invited to Kidz Church for a fun filled program of Bible stories and crafts.

Mom & Me: Children ages 0-5 and their moms are invited to drop in for playtime on Thursday mornings.

Book Club: A group that meets monthly for refreshment and discussion.

Summer Day Camps: Weekly activity camps for children offered in the community and to Gateway families during July and August.

Vacation Bible School: A 4 day VBS offered to community and Gateway families, typically during the second week of July.

Men's Ministry: Men are invited to participate

Prayer Ministry: A prayer team is available after

Gateway’s Darts Club and weekly Drop In Basketball Sunday morning services for anyone who would like evening.

to be supported in prayer for any reason. Prayer

Women's Bible Study: A group of ladies, 70+

meetings are held twice monthly at the church, and an email based prayer chain is available.

years old, who gather together every 2nd and 4th Wednesday morning of each month to study God's

Starfish Backpack Ministry: A team of volun-

word.

teers packs and delivers backpacks weekly to several public elementary schools, for children who

60+ Seniors’ Ministry: The senior’s group

don’t have enough food on the weekends. This is

meets every 3rd Thursday of the month. It's a time done in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Abbotsof coffee, fellowship and entertainment for seniors. ford who run the program.

Library: Books and resources are available for Gateway Meals: Gateway volunteers provide checkout before and after Sunday worship services. meals on a temporary basis to Gateway families in situations of need, such as a birth of a baby or a Membership class: Gateway offers a membership death in the family. class to those who are interested in becoming members.

Friendship: This ministry is for adults with mental disabilities. The group meets every Wednesday evening for a time of fellowship and praise to God. Mexico Missions: Since 1995 Gateway has annutrip; the team spends a week with the same community each year. In addition to the annual trip, Gateway provides ongoing financial support to the local church as well as educational support for their students.

Lobby and coffee bar

ally sent a team of its youth on a Mexico Missions

Strategic Goal To be missional in identity

Definition

SNAPSHOT

To be missional in identity describes the heart orientation. Being missional speaks to our identity as God’s people, rather than referring to the outreach activities of a few. Our God is a sending

Core Values    

Educate Congregation Encourage Missional Practices Community Partnerships Prayer

God and, through Christ, He sends us.

As God’s people, we are called to practice God’s love in all areas of our lives.

To Create a Strong Community

Strong community promotes unity for every member and attendee. Our desire is to move forward unified under God’s guidance. A strong community provides opportunities for service and ministry and to encourage spiritual growth. In this community, we develop strong relationships and guests feel welcome.

To model and practice Servant leadership

     

To model and practice servant leadership: We believe that servant leadership



begins with the following qualities: ef-



fective communication, accountability, and an attitude of humility.

To include variety and encourage open expression in worship



To model variety and encourage open expression in Worship: Worship is an essential part of Christian living. Worship occurs corporately in Sunday ser-

Maintain and support missionaries Develop and Formalize ministries Ministry Sharing Community Events Care Groups Practice Hospitality Pre-worship Prayer

   

Increase effective communication Development and training of new leaders Mentorship ministry Strategic Planning Leadership Accountability Staff planning

  

Expand patterns of worship God pleasing worship Staff Planning

     

Debt reduction Financial Responsibility Facility Rental Policies and procedures Facility development Staff Planning

vice and is lived out daily.

To be good stewards of our finances and facility

To be good stewards of our finances and facility: There needs to be a sustainable plan that allows us to continue paying debt while supporting church ministries, local ministries, and global ministries. In addition, there needs to be a clear understanding of the missional purpose of the facility for all who use it.

Gateway Community Christian God & His Word Council Chris Draaistra Admin Council Chris Draaistra Personnel Team

Facilities

Executive Pastor Marcel deRegt

Admin Assistant Carol Conway

Pastor

Caretaker of Facilities Eric Boucher

Pastoral Elders

Board of Stewards

Evening C of F

Worship Directors Sandra /Heather

Host

Ken Vanderveen Finance Committee

Repair/Maintenance

.

Kitchen Committee

Rentals

Computers

Care Groups

Prayer Ministry

Deacons

Counting Committee

Pre-Marriage

Worship

Praise Teams

Sound

Creative Team Lighting/Video

Media

Reformed Church Organizational Structure

Treasurer

Youth Pastor Anthony Jansen

Ministry Leaders

Hospitality Team

Connect (Young Adults)

Seniors

Ushers

Mexico Mission

Women’s Bstudy

Sunday Host/ Greeters

Men’s Life

Coffee Teams

Library

Gateway Meals

Student Ministries Junior/Senior Youth GEMS

Safe Church

Outreach Ministry

Disability Needs

Coffee Break Book Club

CADETS Darts Group Children Ministries Kidz Church

Nursery

VBS

Mom & Me

Summer Camp

Gateway Groups Vespers @ Studio 50 Leadership 101

Abbotsford is a city located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. With an estimated population of 141,497 people, it is the largest municipality of the Fraser Valley Regional District, the fifth-largest municipality of British Columbia, and the largest municipality outside Greater Vancouver. The Abbotsford–Mission metropolitan area approximately 170,191 inhabitants (as of the 2011 census) and is the 23rd largest census metropolitan area in Canada. Abbotsford has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among census metropolitan areas in Canada, after the Greater Toronto Area and the Greater Vancouver CMA. For 9 consecutive years Statistics Canada names Abbotsford as Canada’s most generous city in terms of charitable donations.

The community of 375.55 square kilometers (145.00 sq mi) is the largest city by area in British Columbia. It is home to the University of the Fraser Valley, Tradex and the Abbotsford ABBOTSFORD

The municipality's southern boundary is the Canada–United States border. Across the boarder is Sumas, Washington. In Canada, Abbotsford is bordered by the Township of Langley to the west, the Fraser River and the District of Mission to the north, and the City of Chilliwack to the east. Many inhabitants of Abbotsford enjoy views of Mount Baker (to the southeast, in Washington) and the Coast Mountains (to the north).

Fraser Valley, Mt Baker

International Airport which hosts the Abbotsford International Airshow.

HOUSING Benchmark Price:

Single Family Home $500,000 - $600,000

Townhouse $300,000 - $400,000

RENTAL apartment units (2015) Bachelor - $584 per month 1 bedroom - $699 per month 2 - bedroom - $861 per month CHURCHES 6 CRC 19 Mennonite 11 Baptist 5 Reformed 4 Anglican 55 other denominations (approximately)

Mill Lake, Abbotsford, BC

Condominium $250,000 - $300,000

EDUCATION     

Abbotsford Christian School K-12 Mennonite Educational Institute K-12 Cornerstone Christian K-8 St James and St John Brebeuf Catholic K-12 School District 34: Elementary, Middle and High Schools

Universities/Colleges:  University of the Fraser Valley  Trinity Western University  Columbia Bible College  Summit Pacific College  Regent College

2884 Gladys Ave Abbotsford, BC, V2S 3Y2 604-859-5908 Gatewaycrc.org