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November 2011
Volume 40
Issue 11
Sermon Series 1
Thanksgiving
Potluck Dinner
1
Cooks Needed 1
Live for Jesus
Pastor Karl
2
Christmas
Musical
2
Annex 2
Surviving the
Holidays
3
Women’s Ministry
3
Fellowship 3
YAH Event 3
Missions 4
Children 5
Teens 5
Calendar 6
Servant Teams 6
Growth 7
Thank You! 8
Int’l Day of
Prayer
8
Jesus’ words and actions rubbed the self-righteous the wrong
way. He couldn’t even share a meal without His devotion to God
being questioned. Sharing a meal was a way to acknowledge a
person’s worth, but the self-righteous thought it was beneath them
to have dinner with unclean, common sinners. Jesus cared more about
people than appearances and sat down with a wide range of
people who desperately needed to be with Him. As we lead up to a
time of Thanksgiving, let’s sit down with a Savior willing to have
Dinner with Sinners, like us.
11/06/11 Reservations / Matthew 9:9-13 / Karl Schad, Lead Pastor
11/13/11 Finding Our Seat / Luke 14:1-13 / Dr. Ladd Haverly,
Executive Pastor 11/20/11 Saying Grace / Mark 14:1-9 / Karl Schad,
Lead Pastor 11/27/11 Cleaning Up / John 13:1-17 / Karl Schad, Lead
Pastor
On November 20, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we will have our
annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner. This is always a very special
evening, with dinner beginning at 6:00 pm. The church provides the
turkeys and when each family brings two dishes, a vegetable dish
and either a salad or a dessert, we always have lots of great food!
After the dinner we will have a very brief congregational meeting
to approve new elder candidates and the 2012 budget. Of course, you
can also expect some stories of how God has blessed His people. You
do not want to miss this special night (no sign-up required).
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We need 15 people willing to cook a turkey for Gateway’s
Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner on Sunday, November 20. Turkeys will be
provided by the church; all you need to do is cook one, cut it up,
and bring it that evening. Please contact the church office
(314.821.2156 or [email protected]) if you can help. [NOTE: Turkeys
will be available for pick-up at the church on Wednesday, November
16.]
Christmas Musical
It’s a Wonderful Life—Twisted! Thursday & Friday, December 8
& 9, 2011
We have a number of volunteers helping us in the church office
with larger projects and tasks and wanted to take a moment to
acknowledge their contribution. Thank you to Sarah Craighead, Wendy
Cowan, Renée Denny, Stephanie Dorris, Joyce Ehnes, Jamie Hensel,
Allison Huey, Sandy Redford, Carol Reynolds, Sue Steinmeyer, and
Pat Vincent, for helping us with the monthly newsletter, weekly
tasks, and various mailings—we truly value your generous
assistance! Thank you, too, to Neal Boothe and Dave Senior, who
help maintain the furnaces, and to Ron Cordes, for invaluable help
with other maintenance items!
Love in Christ, Ruth Dunton and Lore Thommesen
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is Sunday,
November 13. On that day, S.U.B.M.I.T. will gather at 8:15 am to
review countries from this past year and to pray for all the
countries with persecuted believers. Individual projects/outreaches
will be available for those who choose to get personally involved.
If you would like to learn more, please join us Sunday, November 6
at 8:00 am, and/or Sunday, November 13, at 8:15 am before worship
services, Contact Ashley Jeralds at [email protected], or
check out the S.U.B.M.I.T. blog at www.submitgcc.blogspot.com for
more information.
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Sign up in the Information Hallway for the course that is
appropriate for you:
101 COURSE Sunday, November 20—9:00-10:30 am
201 COURSE
Sunday, December 4—9:00-10:30 am
301 COURSE
Sunday, January 15, 2012 —9:00-10:30 am
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► Professional counseling from a Christian perspective
► Fees are on a sliding scale
► For information or an appointment, call the Center at
314-821-1120. ► All calls are strictly confidential.
If you have questions about baptism, or are ready to be
baptized, we would love to talk with you! Please call the church
office during the week to set up an appointment with one of the
pastoral staff.
It’s the season for Thanks-Giving! Thankful for the blessings of
family, friendship and, most of all, the blessing of knowing and
being known by Jesus. This year has also been a wonderful year for
God’s church at Gateway. Great worship services, incredible mission
trips, awesome fellowship at WNL—and how about Baptism Sunday?! As
the church keeps growing, new changes are taking place to make room
for all the new families and friends. Thank You, Lord.
Giving has always been a joy for this church family as well.
Each year we challenge each other to go above and beyond our normal
tithe for a special “Thanksgiving Offering” on the Sunday before
Thanksgiving (November 20 this year) and then gather for our annual
Thanksgiving Potluck. The offering provides for our current needs
but also allows our church to reach out more to those in need. This
year’s special offering goal is $35,000 and will go towards the
following mission needs:
Gateway Give Outreach $3,500 (restocking the food pantry at
Circle of Concern) Gateway Family Benevolence $3,500 (helping
Gateway families during this season) Gateway Outreach &
Missions $8,000 (Mission Mexico, Christmas outreach) General Budget
$20,000 Special Offering Total: $35,000
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching
more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the
glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15
1. Heb 11-13 16. Jer 41-44 2. Jer 1-3 17. Jer 45-48 3. Jer 4-6
18. Jer 49-50 4. Jer 7-9 19. Jer 51-52 5. Jer 10-12 20. James 6.
Jer 13-15 21. 1 Peter 7. Jer 16-18 22. 2 Peter 8. Jer 19-21 23. Lam
1-3 9. Jer 22-23 24. Lam 4-5 10. Jer 24-26 25. Eze 1-4 11. Jer
27-29 26. Eze 5-9 12. Jer 30-31 27. Eze 10-12 13. Jer 32-33 28. Eze
13-15 14. Jer 34-36 29. Eze 16-17 15. Jer 37-40 30. Eze 18-23
If you would like to sing in the Christmas Musical this year, it
is time to practice (no tryouts required). Once again, the musical
will involve all Gateway choirs and Shepherd’s Lambs. It will be
fun!
Performances are Thursday and Friday, December 8 & 9.
Rehearsals are on Wednesday nights, as follows:
Adults—6:45-8:00 pm (room #210)
SHINE—[Check with Laura Fletcher for dates/times]
Joyful Noyz—6:15-6:55 pm (children’s bldg)
Shepherd’s Lambs—6:45-8:00 pm (children’s bldg)
Hey, young adults! We are inviting you to check out our blog,
gccannex.posterous.com. It is the place for you to stay connected
with other young adults, read inspirational thoughts, find
devotionals, stay in tune with our activities, and much more. By
the way, Annex will now meet twice a month:
Annex Worship night: every 2nd Sunday, 6:00-8:00 pm.
"Get to Know" night: every 4th Sunday. It is a time for fun,
games, and snacks. We will be doing different events, such as
bonfire, football nights, and more. Our first "Get to Know" was
October 23; we had great fun with a bonfire, hot dogs, and
s’mores.
So, plan to come and be a part of Annex. Get connected to Real
Life, Real Community, and Real Change.
For more information, please contact us through our blog (given
above), by calling Francisco Reynoso (863) 532-9991, or emailing
[email protected].
Worship Sunday School General Fund Special Gifts Missions Bldg.
Fund DY2M Total
09/25/11 523 270
$15,760.77 $—
$116.00 $145.00
$1,280.00 $17,301.77
10/02/11 511 252
$21,067.11 $—
$82.00 $340.00
$1,260.23 $22,749.34
10/09/11 526 224
$17,001.55 $—
$21.00 $—
$1,246.00 $18,268.55
10/16/11 486 228
$25,504.42 $—
$42.00 $—
$2,692.00 $28,238.42
10/23/11 517 249
$19,971.01 $300.00 $305.00
$— $1,454.00
$22,030.01
Want to read this publication online?
Go to www.gccstl.org,
click on About Gateway,
then Monthly Newsletter.
In Christ, Pastor Karl
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9:00 service: B. Jeralds, Coordinator; N. Boothe, J. & W.
Cowan, M. Ferguson, J. Fletcher, C.J. Follmer, J. Lahay, T.
Linhardt, A. Putnam
10:30 service: D. Reese, Coordinator; B. & C. Atkins, P.
Keroff, S. Keroff, R. Meyer, R. Phelan, J. Reynolds, T. Schad, M.
Tarman
Nov 06: Team 1— Jim Haverly Nov 13: Team 2—Steve King Nov 20:
Team 3—Steve Keroff Nov 27: Team 4— Mike Holly
Wed., Nov 2 J. Bender, J. Cedeño, J. Costick Nov 6 9:00 R.
Phelan, V. Schnose, T. Shon 10:30 K. Barnard, J. & K. Bell, T.
Turner, J. Wilson Wed., Nov 9 D. & L. Hayes, C. Imhoff Nov 13
9:00 E. Craighead, E. Feinstein, K. Huey 10:30 S. Dorris, K.
Kendrick, B. LaGarce, S. & J. Primm Wed., Nov 16 J. Harris, H.
Wilson, J. Wilson
Nov 20 9:00 E. Essien, A. Jackman, S. Putnam 10:30 S. Holmes, F.
Kremer, J. Lyons, J. Starling, J. Vallieres Nov 27 9:00 L. Gardner,
N. Sutherland (need one more helper) 10:30 D. Steinmeyer, T. Turner
(need three more helpers)
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If you are separated or divorced, the holidays can be a lonely,
stressful and depressing time. But there is hope. Join us for an
encouraging seminar with practical advice to help you prepare for
the holiday season and learn how to enjoy it again. This is for
anyone who is separated or divorced, no matter how recent it is.
This time of refreshments, video and discussing will be on Friday,
November 4, 6:30-8:30 pm. To register, contact Paula Reed or the
church office.
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”
Dear Gateway Family, Thank you so much for the peace lily plant
that was sent to Mom’s funeral. It was comforting to feel prayer
support and encouragement from my Gateway family during a very sad
time. As my sister and I were leaving Mom’s grave the day af-ter
her burial, I commented that I know she isn’t there—that is only
what is left of her earthly body. But then I added, “But I kind of
got used to having that earthly body around for the 56 years I’ve
known her!” What a comfort to know where Mom is and that we will be
together again. Your love and support is very much appreciated!
Love, Pam Holly
To my friends at Gateway Church, I thank those who were able to
attend my sister Imogene Thomlinson’s funeral. Her heart attack was
very sudden. I was glad her minister at First Baptist Church of
Crestwood was able to speak; she had attended there many years. I
want to thank my church, Gateway, for the plant I received in her
memory. It was very kind. Thank you again, Lora Euler
Dear Gateway Family, Thank you so very much for your prayers,
hugs, comforting words, and thoughts concerning the death of
Mom/Grandma. She has been a major part of our lives and losing her
to Alzheimer’s/dementia many years ago was difficult. Her final
passing into the Lord’s arms was bittersweet; however, she will
always be Mom and since we only have one, she will be greatly
missed. Knowing we have our church family is deeply appreciated and
encouraging. Thank you again.
Blessings, Ruth Dunton, Jenny Curtis, Angie Turigliatto
Thank you so much for inviting Dr. Veech to preach. He really
enjoyed his time with you and the church family. We truly
appreciate your faithful support, prayers, and generous gift when
he came. May God continue to bless you and your ministry! Serving
with you, Deb Pabarcus & SLCC
Those of you who are young at heart, would you enjoy a quiet day
at the church with other men and women in the 55+ age group? After
all, we are heading into "the busy time of the year." With that in
mind, Gateway's Young at Heart invites you on Wednesday, November
16, to a carry-in lunch (with an Italian flair). There will be a
time of table games, a game of Italian trivia, plus visiting.
Everything will get started at 10:00 am, with games resuming for
awhile after lunch. Toasted ravi-oli and bread (both fresh from The
Hill) will be provided, along with Italian salad and also spumoni
for dessert. Please bring a pasta dish to complete our Italian noon
meal. Join us on Wednesday, November 16— for all the activities or
just some of them!
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Women Swerving: Join the Women’s Ministry as we continue to
SWERVE! On Friday, November 4, we will SWERVE at Inner City
Christian Church by organizing and cleaning the church and helping
in the church yard (weather permitting). Meet at Gateway at 9:30
am. We will depart in carpools at 9:45 and return to the church
about 2:30 pm (bring your own brown bag lunch). You must sign up at
the Women’s Ministry table in hallway so we know exactly how many
people are coming (to plan rides, etc.).
Bread Making: On Saturday, November 5, the Women’s Ministry will
be making breads and breakfast treats for Sundays between services.
Main supplies (flour, soda, powder, salt, eggs, butter) will be
supplied; please bring a few bananas, a can of pumpkin or some
blueberries if you are able. We will begin at 9:00 am and bake
until approximately 1:00 pm. Please join us when you can as we bake
and fellowship together. “Little helpers” are welcome as long as
they are big enough to help (no childcare is available). Contact
Ellen Orr or Carie Schad with any questions.
’ “
”
It is normal to dread the holiday season when you are grieving
the loss of a loved one, but it does not have to be that way. The
GriefShare 'Surviving the Holidays' event will be an evening of
encouragement and practical advice to help you face the holidays
and even discover joy again. Join us on Wednesday, November 9,
6:30-8:30 pm. Contact Paula Reed or the church office to
register.
Just a reminder that the fall Wednesday Night Life semester
officially ends before Thanksgiving; the last fellowship meal and
evening of regular fall courses is November 16 (GriefShare will
continue to meet). The spring WNL semester will begin on January 4,
2012.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Staff Meeting 10 am
2 YAH Core 9:30 am
Wednesday Night
Life 5:30-8 pm GriefShare 6:45 pm Adult Choir 6:45 pm
3
Slide, Announcement and Bulletin Deadline
4
Women’s Service Event 9:30 am
DivorceCare’s Surviving
the Holidays 6:30 pm
5 Women’s Ministry Bread
Making Event 9:00 am Chair Set Up
Team 1 [set your clocks
back 1 hour tonight!]
6 Daylight Savings Ends (clocks back 1 hour)
S.U.B.M.I.T. 8 am
DivorceCare 5:00 Men’s Basketball 6:30
7
8
Staff Meeting Noon
9
Wednesday Night Life 5:30-8 pm
GriefShare’s Surviving the Holidays 6:30 pm
Adult Choir 6:45
10
Slide, Announcement and Bulletin Deadline
11
12 COLLIDE OUT
Service Project
Chair Set Up Team 2
13 Int’l Day of Prayer
S.U.B.M.I.T. 8:15 am SHINE Rehearsal Noon
DivorceCare 5:00 Annex 6:00
Men’s Basketball 6:30
14
Creation Meeting 6:30
15
Staff Meeting 10 am
16 YAH Game Day
Wednesday Night
Life 5:30-8 pm GriefShare 6:45 pm Adult Choir 6:45 pm
17
SHINE & Adult Choir/Drama 7:00
Slide, Announcement and Bulletin Deadline
18
19
Chair Set Up Team 3
20
Live for Christ 9:00 am
Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner 6:00 pm
21
22
Staff Meeting Noon
Slide, Announcement and Bulletin Deadline
23
GriefShare 6:45 pm
24
Thanksgiving (church offices
closed)
25
(church offices closed)
26
Chair Set Up Team 4
27
SHINE Christmas Musical Rehearsal Noon
Men’s Basketball 6:30 Annex 7:00
28
Elders’ Meeting 7:00 pm
29
Staff Meeting Noon
30
COLLIDE 6:45 pm GriefShare 6:45 pm Adult Choir 7:00 pm
THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE CALENDAR! We have outside
groups using the facility and family events not included
here.
Please check with the office to schedule your group’s or
ministry’s events.
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October 23-November 20 – Operation Christmas Child. Each Gateway
family/individual is encouraged to fill a shoebox with gifts for a
male OR female child in ONE of the following age ranges: 2-4 years,
5-9 years, or 10-14 years old. Gifts may include small,
age-appropriate toys and/or toiletries that fit into a shoebox.
Family photos and personal messages are also encouraged. A $7
donation should also be included to cover shipping. Pick up a
brochure from the missions table; it has all the information you
need and must be included in your shoebox. Use a provided shoebox,
one of your own, or a plastic one with a lid you buy from the
store, and begin filling it now. The shoeboxes must be returned
unwrapped to the missions table no later than November 20 so they
can be packed up, and delivered to a local drop-off site.
Samaritan’s Purse will then pick them up Monday, November 21, sort
them, and ship them around the world. This is a great opportunity
for whole families (including small children) to work together to
make another child’s Christmas bright and meaningful. Last year
Gateway donated 75 shoeboxes—how about making it 100 this year?
November 20-December 4 – Gateway is hosting an Angel Tree again
this year. Watch for a Christmas tree decorated with angel tags
provided by the Salvation Army. Each tag will list the gender, age,
and suggested toys for the child. If you would like to give a
Christmas gift to local children who would otherwise not receive
one, take a tag, or two. Buy something for the listed child, but do
not wrap it. Attach the angel tag to the gift and return it to
Gateway by December 11. Help make Christmas brighter for children
around our city. The presents will be picked up by the Salvation
Army the weeks of December 5-9 and 12-14.
Missions is definitely on the move at Gateway and is making an
impact. Gateway offers a variety of mission opportunities to suit a
variety of time schedules, skill levels, and interests. Read how
Gateway volunteers are already following the Great Commission set
forth in the New Testament. For those not yet involved in missions
work of some kind, please prayerfully consider offering your
services for any opportunities in which you feel led to
participate. God can use you, so do not hesitate. There is a place
for you in missions!
Parents— Do you need an afternoon to yourself to relax or to do
some power shopping for Christmas? If so, your
kids 4 years old through 5th grade are invited to an afternoon
filled with food, fun, service projects, and the
opportunity to make gifts for family members on Sunday, December
11! In order to properly prepare,
pre-registration by Sunday, December 4, and a $5 fee will be
necessary to provide the craft projects. Registration
forms will be available at all children’s registration
areas.
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More families need our help with food during these tough
financial times and our food supplies are dwindling. Please help us
restock our Bread Basket shelves so that we will not have to turn
anyone away.
November 6 – Canned goods (i.e. soup, meat, vegetables,
fruit)
November 13 – Toiletries (for men, women, and children)
November 20 – Dry Goods (i.e. spaghetti, rice, flour, etc.)
November 27 – Paper Goods (i.e. paper towels, toilet paper,
Ziploc bags)
Please drop these items off on the Missions table in the
Information Hallway.
There is a lot to be thankful for in the student ministry at
Gateway.
We have a great place to worship. We have vehicles, or friends’
vehicles, to get to church. While we are at church we can worship
without shame or persecution. Our youth group is growing in every
way each year—not only numerically but spiritually! I see students’
hearts beating along at the same rhythm with God’s on a regular
basis. That is why we are doing another Collide Out series this
month! Our students love learning about the heartbeat of Christ and
actually doing something to reflect it.
This month we are going to take a hard look at James 1:27 and
learn how to have a relationship with God that He finds pure and
faultless. On Saturday, November 12th we are going to volunteer at
some people’s homes that are in need.
The Collide Out series will run for 3 weeks, then we will take a
Thanksgiving break on November 23, only to resume back with our
Christmas series, called “RedboXmas,” on November 30.
We have started working on Gateway’s Christmas Musical. Please
make note of these (revised) rehearsal dates and times:
Wednesday, November 2 (6:00 - 6:30pm) Wednesday, November 9
(6:00 - 6:30pm) Sunday, November 13 (12:00-2:30pm; includes lunch)
Thursday, November 17 (7:00-8:30pm) Sunday, November 27 (12:00
-2:30 pm; includes lunch)
Please also note the following December rehearsal dates and
times on your calendars now:
Saturday, December 3 (9:30 am - 12:30 pm) Sunday, December 4 (8
am; sing with adults at both services) Monday, December 5
(7:00-9:00 pm Dress Rehearsal) Tuesday, December 6 (7:00-9:00pm; if
needed)
Program Dates - Thursday, December 8 and Friday, December 9.
Contact Laura Fletcher, SHINE’s director, with any questions
regarding this schedule or SHINE at [email protected].
A group of 13 Gateway volunteers traveled to Piedras Negras, in
Mexico’s Coahuila State (southwest of San Antonio, Texas), October
3-10 to host a dental clinic and complete renovations and repairs
on a local church in Kilometro 10. God allowed us to clean the
teeth of nearly 100 patients in four days’ time at the dental
clinic and also blessed us with a local dentist to assist those
having more serious issues. The Kilometro 10 Christian Church
experienced an extreme makeover, complete with reinforced beams, a
brand-new sheetrock ceiling, repainted exterior and door, new
lights and ceiling fans, new electrical conduit, and even a few new
tables and a books of the Bible sorting game for the children.
Because of your generosity, God accomplished these feats and moved
the hearts of those in Mexico and on the team. May He receive the
glory for all He does in Mexico and at Gateway.
Fall
Back
Armed Forces Care boxes filled with your donations were sent to
our Gateway servicemen serving here and abroad. Thank you for
keeping our servicemen connected to their church family.
Thank you for your donations of diapers and wipes that were
delivered to the Pregnancy Resource Center. They were greatly
needed and appreciated.
Due to your generous donations of toiletry items, sixty personal
care kits were delivered by our Mexico Mission team to two Mexican
churches, along with an additional 35 dental-only kits distributed
from the clinic. iGracias!
