Stay Centered

January 14th 2024 (week 52)

Romans 12

At the risk of repeating myself I do love the humorous analogy about churchgoers (I’m one of course) that says they all go into church looking as though they’re going to the dentist………. …..and come out looking as though they’ve been. I am certain that I have previously fallen into that category.

Sometimes, it could have something to do with not being able to be who we are amongst our church family. I know that having experienced real forgiveness in Christ when I became a Christian I was then able to be “myself”, the real me, warts and all.

That presented a huge change. I had spent the first twenty five years of my working life well dressed, suited and booted, and pretending to be the bee’s knees (I was convinced I was off course). It was only when yet another crisis hit my life and dragged me down to such a low place that I realised I had succeeded in fooling only me. The expensive clothes I wore had become nothing more than a suit of armour that I put on each day to face the world, trying desperately to be something I wasn’t.

Following my Damascus Road conversion I was freed up to be the person I believe God wants me to be, however inadequate I might feel at times. But sadly, I know that didn’t continue and during a period some years ago I wasn’t being the real me. As a result, I was going to church with my “suit” on again. But this time it wasn`t the clothing that was the problem, but my perspectives of what church should be, of what other people thought of me, and most importantly of what I thought of myself.

We need to be real in our church families. If we can’t show our vulnerabilities, how can we be expected to be the real people God wants us to be. It’s only when we are authentic, however miserable and rotten that might be, how big a failure we may feel, and how vulnerable we are allowed to be, that God can begin to work in us and through us. It’s then that we will begin to find our place in the church family and to live out the life demonstrated in Romans 12.

However, before we allow ourselves to dive so deep that we are in danger of running out of air we need to address the reasons behind our emotions. When we do that honestly, we are likely to find, as I did, that our focus has shifted from God to us. To quote Rick Warren writing in The Purpose Driven Life, “When God is at the centre you worship. When he’s not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The moment you put him back at the centre, you will have peace again”.

Shalom!

Prayer: Lord, some of us struggle with being the real people you want us to be. Some of us are just frightened Lord and we need your help to keep you at the centre of our lives. Fill us with the knowledge of your boundless, transforming love for each one of us.

Neil Bromage, 14/01/2024

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and when

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our service

The main service begins at 10.30am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our worship leader. We typically have two songs followed by a children's slot. The children and youth will then normally go off to their respective groups. If you have children you will be able to spot and speak to one of the leaders - they will be wearing a bright yellow t-shirt! There will usually be a time of prayer and communion. We normally have another time of sung worship followed by a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

When our team is available we serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 12pm, after the service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

sunday services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids/teens:

Creche - from approx. 6 months to 5 years (decided on a child by child basis)
Limitless Kids (4/5 - 11/12 years)
Limitless Youth (school years 7-11)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for two worship songs and the “Kids slot” and then go to creche or Limitless Kids. Limitless Youth may go out at the same time as the children but sometimes stay in the service to take communion before going to their class. Children can be picked up by parents after the service ends (but not before 12pm).

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a couple of groups that meet every week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to Join a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries and regularly support various missionaries who are part of the Elim Missions work:

Toddlers & Co weekly group
Foodbag provision
Open Doors Team
Church in the Cafe
Youth Community Outreach

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at the church.

Best Wishes
The Gatehouse Church Team

About us

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you. (*Mandatory Fields)

*Name:

Telephone:

*Email Address:
*Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.