Gateway Community Church

There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church: A football player without a team; a soldier without a platoon; a tuba player without an orchestra; and a sheep without a flock.

But the most understandable (and biblical) picture is that of a child without a family.

1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the church as "... the family of God. That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth."

God does not want his children growing up in isolation from each other, so he created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:19, "... you are members of God's very own family ... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian."

A Christian without a church family is an orphan.

In our mobile society, people have few roots. People are no longer surrounded by the extended family of aunts and uncles, grandparents and brothers and sisters that provided a safety net for previous generations.

Everywhere you look there are signs that people have a deep hunger for fellowship, community and a sense of family. A loving church family can help fill that void.

Information on this page was taken from an article written by Rick Warren and published in the Baptist Press, Oct 17 2005