Gateway Church - also known as Gateway Family Church, is a contemporary Christian community on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. ^[1] Their purpose statement is "Taking hold of the real life that Jesus gives, we grow people with a passionate concern for our world."

Gateway Church
Website	http://www.gateway.asn.au

Contents 1 History 2 Melbourne, Australia 2.1 Community Involvement 2.2 Weekend services 2.3 Conferences 2.4 Podcast 2.5 Property & future plans 3 Papua New Guinea 3.1 Community Development 3.2 Raising Awareness & Support 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Gateway began with 24 people in 1986. In 2009 the community recorded a regular attendance of +700, with an aggregate community of +1,500. They are affiliated with the Baptist Union of Australia ^[2][3]. After meeting at Elisabeth Murdoch College in Langwarrin, Australia for several years, they moved to the Boulevard Events Centre[1] in Frankston central ^[4]. In 2009 they changed location to the Jubilee Centre. Gateway recently started new churches in Melbourne and 4 churches in Papua New Guinea.

[edit] Melbourne, Australia

Gateway says their aim is to be open to those who are genuinely seeking spiritual answers. They use modern music, drama & theatre, dance, film and other creative arts to create a "contemporary style of ministry". ^{[5] [6] [7]}

[edit] Community Involvement

Gateway runs sporting and recreational activities ^[8][9] with the Victorian Government's 'Go For Your Life' program ^[10][11]. This includes the Gateway Basketball Association ^[12] with +500 players, 4WD trips, fishing trips, golf tournaments and weekend events. In 2008 a swimmer from Gateway - Ellie Cole, represented Australia in the 2008 Paralympic Games.^[13]

Gateway has performed theatre productions since about 1995. In 2005, they performed Bye Bye Birdie jointly with staff and students from Elisabeth Murdoch College. Their most successful theatre production "Pirates of the Peninsula" was in 2008, just after they moved to Frankston. ^[14]

Gateway is involved in community festivals around Frankston ^[15]. They are a key organiser of the Frankston Good Friday March and Family Fun Day ^[16], as well as contributing to the Frankston Festival of Lights. ^[17]

From 2005 to 2008 Gateway ran a School of Performing Arts, which involved musicians such as Michael Paynter, band members from Red Ink[2] and other instrumental teachers.

To provide Australian Government accredited courses in Business and Management, a Life Training Institute began in 2006 ^[18].

[edit] Weekend services

During Sunday services, crèche and primary school age children attend Godzone. Gateway Youth run mid-week activities, with an annual summer camp called Camp No Fear attracting about +250 youth. During the week Gateway runs playgroups for pre-schoolers ^[19].

[edit] Conferences

Gateway ran a 'Connecting Conference' about starting new churches for several years, the most recent being in 2005 and held at Mount Eliza Business School [3]. Since 2007 they have co-organised the annual "Unite Creative Arts Conference" with Crossway Baptist Church, Christian City Church (Whitehorse) and Careforce Church ^[20]

Since 1998 the largest group of delegates to the Hillsong Conference has come from Gateway, with +560 delegates in 2009.

In 2009 they ran a PNG Conference in Mt Hagen. Delegates attended from each of the 4 Gateway PNG Churches and Melbourne.

[edit] Podcast

Gateway Youth began podcasting monthly events in August 2008. Itunes recorded an annual +15,000 downloads.

[edit] Property & future plans

Gateway Church in Melbourne plans to build and manage its own LIFE centre. They have plans to develop a worship and performing arts theatre, conference centre, and other community facilities - located on a 60-acre campus in Baxter, Victoria known as “Carrup Carrup” by the traditional Australian Aboriginal owners. This translates to 'highland on the marshes'. The land was originally owned by Benjamin Baxter, and his original cottage is still preserved on the land^[21].

Gateway received a planning permit to build on the land from the Victorian Government, but this was changed after the Melbourne 2030 Green Wedge Policy was legislated.

[edit] Papua New Guinea

Gateway has started 4 churches in Papua New Guinea - in Boroko (2004) and Moitaka (2007) in Port Moresby, as well as in the highland towns of Goroko (2006) and Lay (2008).

[edit] Community Development

After 15 years working in PNG communities, a partnership was launched between Australian and Papua New Guinea Gateway Churches - and Compassion Australia in 2007 called the 'Gateway Children’s Fund'. ^[22]

The Fund is a multi-level Child Development Project aimed at releasing children from poverty in PNG. It primarily focusses on the needs of the whole child through provision of better education, nutrition, health care, clean water, and Christian discipleship. Since the Fund’s launch in June 2007, it has raised over A$200,000 for the relief of poverty in slum settlements in Port Moresby suburbs of Boroko and Moitaka. With the recent endorsement of PNG’s Community Services Minister, Dame Carol Kidu, The Gateway Children’s Fund plans to develop in places where Gateway is planting churches, like the highland town of Goroka and Lae.

[edit] Raising Awareness & Support

In 2008 Gateway launched Vada Cafe ^[23], which seeks to provide funds for the Gateway Children's Fund and create awareness of the poverty in Papua New Guinea. The cafe has Fairtrade Certification by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand. Vada Cafe is situated in Frankston central on Nepean Highway.

In 2009 Vada Cafe was nominated as one of Melbourne's top 100 Cafe's, by the Melbourne Coffee Review.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Gateway website
• Frankston Visitor Information Centre