Dear Church at the Gate friends,

Welcome. Our sincere desire is that you sense the welcome of Christ through the people who make up Church at the Gate. We are only going to get bigger and bigger; therefore, it's imperative we become intentional about becoming smaller. In case that makes no sense to you, I'll say it this way... sociologists report that people tend to have a "relationship capacity" of about forty people. In our setting, that means that there are probably forty people who know your name and about forty people who you know by name. Yet, God has called us to be fruitful and multiply. We can't be obedient to God without continually adding people, so as we add people, we have to get intentional about linking people up. Joining a Life Group is the best way to stay in connected key relationships.

Our vision is for you, your family, and your friends to fully step into the Promised Life! We know that is not possible if we remain islands unto ourselves. God knew we needed other people to encourage us and strengthen us. So, he wants to surround us with people who are also striving to step into the Promised Life. We call our groups "Life Groups" because these are groups of people who gather together to grow into the fullness of the abundant life. The people in our Life Group are the people we do life with.

To be honest, we believe everyone is already in a Life Group. That is, we each are already with people every day in life. So, we don't want to just add something to your already busy calendar, we want to help you turn what you are already planning to do into a ministry expression. We don't want to simply rearrange the groups you are naturally in; we want to insure every group fulfills God's purpose. Be thinking of a group you'd like to see and send us suggested topics and ideas for future groups. Consider attending the Life Group Orientation. Be sure to read Pastor Ted Haggard's article "PURPOSEFUL RELATIONSHIPS" which can be found at the Information Center. It'll help you catch the vision for Life Groups at Church at the Gate!

Pick up a Life Groups booklet, select a group that interests you, contact the leader of the group and show up. Invite others to go with you. You will miss your window of opportunity if you sit around and wait for an invitation. This is your invitation!!

Whether you are "sailing smooth" or in the midst of a trial, you'll live life better over the long run if there are some people in your life who really know you. Besides, no doubt you have some things to offer others as well.

Pastor Steve
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