Gateway Community Church, Austin, TX

That's where I was today. Gateway Community Church is a seeker church in Austin, Texas. I have a cousin that attends church here. He was raised in the baptist denomination, but enjoys going to church here because of the emphasis on authenticity he finds here. Their Sunday morning services are very intentional about reaching skeptics and seekers in the Austin area. You can tell in the music and the preaching, where the lyrics aren't very theologically deep, and the messages invite people to investigate the claims of Christ.

My cousin Robert told me about some of the changed lives who go to this church, including an atheist who came to know Christ as a result of people ministering to him from this church. The service began with a band singing 3 songs, leading the congregation in worship. It was a high energy experience with a lot of participation. Then the children's pastor shared some announcements, asking for 75 volunteers to help in children's activities this summer. Next, a guy shared a testimony about being real. This was from the heart. He asked some hard hitting questions about authenticity. Next was an offering, with the band playing "Welcome Back," from the 70s television hit "Welcome Back, Cotter." After this a soloist came to the mic and sang a song that led right into the message. The pastor, John Burke, even referenced the song at the end of the sermon.

Even though it was a seeker service, the pastor referenced several verses from the gospels. At the end of the service, there was no invitation, but the pastor closed in prayer. Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier, that announcements were displayed on the screen during the offertory - "Welcome Back." And as the children's pastor was sharing announcements even earlier in the service, specific slides would come up as he shared about the upcoming events.

The church has a great bookstore and coffee shop. This is a very inviting area, where people can visit before and after the service. Here's their weekly schedule:

Each Sunday:
•	Three identical services every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. We have plenty of room at the 9:30 and 12:30 services.
•	Exciting age-appropriate kids programs available for children birth through grade 4 at all three services.
•	Junior High (6th - 8th grade) meets Sunday mornings at 12:30 p.m.
•	High School meets every Wednesday night at 7:15 p.m.
•	Deaf interpretation available during 9:30 a.m. service.

Another cool thing is the blog that people are invited to check out after the messages. At this blog, called "Second Helpings," is a list of discussion questions from the sermon. People can go over the questions by themselves, or in small groups. This particular day, the pastor was beginning a new series called "God in Sandals: What we know about the Heart of God from the life of Jesus." The church's website goes on to describe the series, even giving the titles to the upcoming messages:

Jesus lived among real people with real problems, just like you and me. We can learn much about who God is by looking at how Jesus interacted, responded and lived life among us. Over the next six weeks we’ll take a look at His wisdom, forgiveness, masculinity, creativity, friendship and truth-speaking.

Date	Message
June 3:	Wisdom - John Burke
June 10:	Forgiveness - John Burke
June 17:	Masculinity - John Burke
June 24:	Creativity - John Burke
July 1:	Friendship - Betty Blake Churchill
July 8:	Truth-Speaking - Rick Shurtz

It was a great day of worship. If you are in touch with a skeptic, this is a great church for them to visit. They come in contact with people just like them. The people in this congregation represent people who are at different stages in their walk with Christ, many who are just checking out Christianity for the first time, even those who are struggling with addictions. This church welcomes all kinds of people. Love and grace are felt here. The pastor's brand new book, "No Perfect People Allowed" could be the theme of this congregation.