Paul Stewart

Becoming

This past weekend at The Gateway we began a brand new sermon series simply entitled “Becoming”. A series that will explore three categories of spiritual practices - contemplative, communal and missional - that will help us become more like Christ (you can listen to the podcast HERE).

Now, a lot of people think that spiritual disciplines are only for priests or ascetic monks living in a cave. But the truth is we are all becoming something. Our daily decisions, habits, relationships are shaping our lives. So what are we becoming?

I believe that the goal of Christian spirituality is not simply to become nicer people, better citizens or even good parents/spouses. These should certainly be byproducts, but the destination is Christ. Christianity’s goal is that we become more and more like our founder.

It’s our dream that we would not just be a church that believes in something, but a people who are becoming more and more like that which we believe in. Believers who see their faith as more than a one-time event or just a small compartment of their life, but people who want to be entirely transformed from the inside out by Jesus Christ.

See Jesus never meant for us to just believe or just behave, he meant for us to become. To imitate his way of life. During the course of His ministry, Jesus did so much more than simply pass on theological truths…

• He withdrew from the crowds to spend time alone with his Father; 
• He gathered a group of twelve men and invested his life into them; 
• He reached out to those discarded by society, the lowest of the low and the poorest of the poor. For this, He became known as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

He who was all became nothing.

To follow Christ is a process, and it is a process of change that involves the heart and head and body —a step by step walk of both inward change and outward expression; physical and spiritual acts of worshipful obedience. 

When Jesus said in John 14:6 -- “I am the way…” he used the word not just as a simple noun designating a road that leads to a destination, but as a rich metaphor for life.  

In other words, Jesus didn’t just lay out the path for heaven, He came to show us a radically new and abundant way of life.

Jesus brought heaven to us.

“All the way to heaven is heaven, because He had said, “I am the way.”

-- St Catherine

What's in a Name?

I was recently asked why we chose the name "The Gateway Church" which is a great question and not something I've ever really articulated before. 

Basically we chose the name for three major reasons...

• First, our church is located in the Western Gateway Neighborhood downtown Des Moines. We are near the Gateway Park, Gateway Market and the Gateway Lofts. Along with all of the restored buildings, new restaurants and cultural festivals we want to be part of the fabric of this emerging neighborhood. 

• Second, Jesus refers to himself as a "Gate" or the "Gateway" to life (Matthew 7:14; John 10). We want to be a place where people who are far from God can come and meet the risen Christ and enter into His abundant, eternal life. 

• Finally, we want to be a "Gateway" bringing people together from all over the city. A mosaic of people with different racial, religious, economic, generational and political backgrounds coming together to make a positive difference in Des Moines and around the world. We believe "The Gateway" can and will be a place where people with a lot of differences can come to learn from the ancient scriptures as well as from one another. 

So the next question might be why "The" Gateway Church. That's easy, because gatewaychurch.com was already taken by a terrific church in Austin, TX (We are still in negotiations over the twitter name). 

Matthew Flowers

Last year I performed a wedding at the Living History Farms. I remember being really impressed with the photographer - he handled the rather dramatic bridal party with ease and by the time we arrived at the reception he was already streaming the photos on a large iMac at the back of the room. 

A few weeks ago I ran into him again at the Apple store (surprise) and asked if he would be willing to visit The Gateway Church and capture some of the magic of our last "preview" service. He agreed. 

Yesterday I received a DVD in the mail from Matthew Flowers Photography and was quite literally stunned. These pictures are amazing!

Be sure to check out the entire album and if you are in the Des Moines area and need a photographer for any reason, give Matthew a call. You will not be sorry.

Week Two Review

Yesterday we continued our series Echoes of a Voice - a sermon series taken, in part, from N.T. Wright's Simply Christian. It is a series that explores the universal longings of the human spirit; longings for relationship, for spirituality, and justice. Longings that are within each of us. Longings that we believe point beyond the natural world to a transcendent, personal and loving God.

Yesterday we explored our universal longing for beauty. The way in which we are moved by a sunset, or a work of art, or by looking into the eyes of a little baby.

We all long for and appreciate beauty and yet beauty, like justice, slips through our fingertips.

It seems for every snow-covered mountain there is a hole somewhere being filled with human debris. We are captivated by the sound of waves hitting the shore and yet terrified of hurricanes and tsunamis. And for every beautiful piece of art or clothing or music there is a corporation waiting to strip it down for mass-production or an advertiser anxious to use it to sell us something else.

We are struck by the beauty of our planet but we are also very aware of its ugliness.

Why?

GK Chesterton viewed this world as a cosmic shipwreck. A person’s search for meaning resembles a sailor who awakens on a deserted island surrounded simultaneously by wreckage and treasure.

In Romans 8 Paul helps us appreciate natural beauty. The world is full of beauty, but the beauty is incomplete. The beauty we see in creation is part of a larger whole that will be accomplished when God renews the heaven and earth. The reason the world is so beautiful is that it is straining forward.

We live between creation and new creation, and as Christians we are called to new creativity. We are called to anticipate the new creation; to provide signs and foretastes of the coming kingdom; to add to the beauty. 

Some Photos

     

The Grand Opening

Yesterday was a good day.

It was the culmination of a six-month journey we’ve been on to start a brand new church from scratch. We spent most of that time meeting with a handful of people in our living room dreaming and praying about a new kind of church in the heart of the city.

Our launch team worked hard to immediately begin serving together and to build relationships downtown Des Moines. Our goal was to create a positive image and buzz in the city in preparation for our opening day.

Yesterday we launched with 204 people at our Grand Opening service. People from all over the city, from all walks of life, who had heard about us in all kinds of different ways - outreach events, newspaper articles, websites, twitter, friends and family.

But yesterday was just the beginning.

Those of us who are starting this church hope to continually grow in loving God, loving others and our world. 

Our prayer is that as this new church comes together we will begin to embody the vision and the values the Lord has placed on our hearts. That we would become a life-giving community engaging in God’s life-changing truth and committed to life-long spiritual growth. A church committed to worship and beauty - unleashing the creativity inside the human spirit to change the world. That more and more people will be drawn in by our love, and begin their own journey toward loving God and loving people. And, thus, we will join God’s renewal one life at a time.

How Does a Church Use Social Media?

The good people of Lava Row, a social media consulting firm here in Des Moines, stopped by the Village Bean today during our "great coffee purchase" (more on that later). They asked me to describe how we've used social media to launch The Gateway Church.

Here's how I responded

Special thanks to Nathan and Hillary for stopping by!

The Paper

Yesterday the Des Moines Register ran a nice piece on me and The Gateway Church in their "Get to Know" column. Check it!

The Trailer

Every great film is accompanied by a great trailer - a series of selected shots that lay out the premise of the story without producing spoilers. The goal is to build anticipation by creating mystery.

While the best way to experience The Gateway Church is to come and be a part of our community, we wanted to create a way for people get a taste of our church without ever stepping in the doors.

A snapshot of what God is doing in our midst.

Enter Sam.

Sam is a filmmaker who moved back to Des Moines this summer after completing rehab. He ended up at a tailgating event we put on this summer and caught on to the vision of our church. As his faith grew so did his desire to produce films again.

This is the first work Sam has done since before rehab. It’s a trailer for our church, for the story we are hoping to tell in Des Moines, but it’s also a trailer for Sam’s life. Which is really cool.

Take a look. Pass it on. And come check us out this Sunday @ 10am in the Temple for Performing Arts!

The Gateway Church Promo from The Gateway Church on Vimeo.

A Personal Touch

Over the past few days I have been drinking A LOT of coffee.

I've visited over 20 different coffee shops, quite a few grocery stores, libraries, a university campus, food courts and restaurants and even a handful of bars. 

I've been handing out "rave" cards and putting up posters promoting The Gateway's Grand Opening service on Sunday, September 13th.

A few observations:

• I love this city! The weather has been fantastic and the city looks beautiful. There are so many cool spaces Des Moines. Definitely the best-kept secret in the midwest.

• Local coffee shops are SO much better than franchises. I've always kind of known this, but have always seemed to end up in a chain. This has given me a chance to see the differences up close. Local baristas are nicer, the coffee tastes better, the stores have more character/charm, and they are all excited about promoting community events (even a new church!)

• The word about Gateway is spreading. I've visited a number of places and asked to display our materials and have been literally overwhelmed with how many respond, with a smile on their face, "Oh The Gateway Church! I've heard of you!" One of our main goals over the past six months was simply to build a positive reputation within the city. It's happening.

• Good design matters. I am with Mark Batterson who says, "The greatest message deserves the greatest marketing." No one wants to put up an ugly sign in their coffee shop; and even if they did, no one would look at it; and even if they did look at it, they wouldn't want to come to your church. Most managers took one look at our sign and put it up right next to the Arts Center promo. Nice!

• Despite everything I just said, there is NOTHING better than a personal touch. I tried to introduce myself to every manager or barista I could and ask permission to put up our sign. This goes a long way. By the way, the people in Des Moines are beautiful!

Anyway, if you are in Des Moines, look for these in a coffee shop near you! And thanks again to Chip and Casey at Fearless Films for the design work. They are the best!

Preview Service

The Gateway Church is hosting 3 preview services leading up to our Grand Opening on September 13th. Our preview services are more than practice, they are a chance for us to build momentum, connect with people, invite people to be a part of our church and bring the gospel to reality. 

Our first preview service is tomorrow, August 23rd in the Temple for Performing Arts.
Service: 10:00-11:15am
Gateway Kids: infant-5th grade
Hope to see you there!

The Gateway Church Invite Video from The Gateway Church on Vimeo.

Hugh Gallagher

Last night I attended Rob Bell's "Drops Like Stars" tour here in Des Moines with a group of friends from The Gateway Church. It was excellent. Rob is such an incredible communicator and his ability observe, react and adjust to a brand new audience (he had never been to Iowa before) was fascinating. 

Anyway, if you want to get a feel for the night buy the book.

For now I wanted to share one story Rob shared last night. It is the story of Hugh Gallagher who applied to NYU and was asked this question:

3A. ESSAY: IN ORDER FOR THE ADMISSIONS STAFF OF OUR COLLEGE TO GET TO KNOW YOU, THE APPLICANT, BETTER, WE ASK THAT YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD, OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE HELPED TO DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON?

 Here is how he responded:

I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat 400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me.

I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.

But I have not yet gone to college. 

Rob Bell in Des Moines

Rob Bell.
Hoyt Sherman.
This Thursday night. 
Exploring the art within the agony.
Be there.

Our First Guest Speaker

I am SUPER excited to announce our very first guest speaker at The Gateway Church. On Sunday night October 11th we will be welcoming New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller to Des Moines! Don is in the middle of his 'Million Miles' tour and will be speaking that night, along with Susan Isaacs, in our space at the beautiful Temple for Performing Arts downtown Des Moines.

Its fitting that Don is our first guest speaker. About six years ago I arrived at a crossroads in my life. I knew I was called to full-time ministry, but I hated so many things about the church. Honestly, I felt like I would probably end up taking the first ministry position that came my way, stick it out for a couple of years, then burn out and leave the church. I just didn’t see how I could be myself and work in the church. 

I went on a spiritual retreat and asked God, “Why does following you mean conforming to a set of rules and regulations that feel so empty?” 

I brought Blue Like Jazz with me on the retreat. It’s the only book I brought besides the Bible. On Saturday morning I picked up the book and I didn’t put it down again until I finished it on Saturday evening. I set the book down and I got on my knees and started crying. I thanked God for giving me this book. For the first time in my life I realized that being a Christian didn’t just mean fulfilling a list of church requirements. It was more like starting a journey with Christ, learning to walk in step with the Holy Spirit, and allowing God to use every experience in life to transform me into the person he created me to be.

I've only met Don once (and I don't think he would remember me) but I am really excited to hear him speak at The Gateway Church.

The Premiere

Last week I drove out to Troy, Michigan with four members of our launch team to pick up our equipment from Portable Church Industries. On Friday morning we moved it all into the basement of the Temple for Performing Arts (and it all fit!!!). 

On Sunday we held our first Preview service in the Grand Hall. About 36 members of our launch team arrived on Sunday morning and set-up our church for the very first time. It went amazingly well!

The sound was good, the auditorium looked great, and about 10 nursery/preschoolers enjoyed their brand-new rooms! 

   

At 10:00am we held a dedication service. We worshipped and prayed, thanked God for this incredible space and maybe most importantly we confessed for the ways we have neglected His mission in our lives and our church. We prayed that God would show us grace and help us start The Gateway Church in the right way, for the right reasons to reach the lost. 

I'm not gonna lie, it was a dream come true.

Over the next six weeks our launch team will tweak, practice and prepare for guests on September 13th!