Greetings,
We are thrilled to announce that Groveland Evangelical Free Church has changed its name to Gateway Community Church. Last year, in November 2023, our congregation chose this new name to better reflect our vision and mission. We have completed all necessary steps with the state of California to obtain a Doing Business As (DBA) name, and we officially launched Gateway Community Church last month with a public Ice Cream Social.
Even with our new name, we remain a proud member of the Evangelical Free Church Family. As Gateway Community Church, we aim to clarify our vision: to welcome and serve the people of our mountain community by helping them connect with Jesus Christ through joyful worship, prayer, and discipleship.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us He is the Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He explains how the evil one lures us into a sinful way of life, but Jesus provides us with a gate to find direction and purpose. Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what He meant, so He explained it to them: “Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.’” (John 10:7, NIV). We believe in the salvation offered by the Son of the Living God as the gateway to God’s Kingdom. Therefore, we strive to be a movement for God through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, connecting to our Lord through various ministries such as worship, small group Bible studies, children and youth ministry, and community service.
The Old Testament reminds us through Isaiah that God calls us by name: “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1, NIV). We believe that God has chosen us to experience His everlasting and constant love through the salvation of our Lord and Savior. As Gateway Community Church, we seek to express that love and fulfill our mission. We look forward to celebrating this new chapter with you! You are invited to join us for worship any given Sunday, at 10:00 am.
In Christ Service,
Pastor Bob Kandels
