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Location:
6425 Jefferson Rd. For
directions, click here.
Visit Joseph Slifes' Andy Hine's Blog: Our
mission To the
degree that we demonstrate God's grace and
truth in our worship, our teaching, our
personal relationships, and through the
ministries of the church, people will
experience the character and presence of
God. We
envision a renewal of Christian life and
commitment throughout the Church of
Greater Athens, as well as widespread
spiritual awakening among those who have
yet to believe the gospel. Our
vision: seeing Greater Athens become a
habitat for Divinity. We
minister the love and power of Christ in
many ways, including through corporate
worship, Bible teaching, music, prayer
ministry, small groups, and Holy
Communion. Gateway
members participate in Walk
to Emmaus
(a renewal ministry), Kairos
(a prison ministry), and the Lay Witness
Mission movement. Once a
month, a team from Gateway Church conducts
worship services at Lee
Arrendale State
Prison
in Alto, Ga. Gateway
members also conduct services weekly for
Alzheimer's patients at Arbor Terrace, an
assisted living facility in
Athens. In
addition, Gateway helps support a number
of local ministries, including
Covenant
Care
Services
(a crisis pregnancy and adoption
ministry), Overcomers
(a ministry to people overcoming
addictions), The Sparrow's Nest (providing
clothing to the needy), Athens
Urban
Ministry
(an outreach to the homeless, the
disabled, the working poor, and the
lonely), and the Food
Bank of Northeast
Georgia
(distributing food to those in
need). We also
provide support for mission work in
Brazil,
Ethiopia, and India. Joseph Dye Joseph knew he needed help. Several years ago, his mother had kicked him out of the house for drug abuse. For a while he had slept on friends couches, but eventually even that luxury had disappeared. Now Joseph was homeless and helpless, living in an abandoned house behind a Golden Pantry, with barely enough food to survive.
Today was Christmas Eve, and Joseph had never felt worse. He now fully realized the low he had sunk to. Yet even then, as he laid on the ground of the broken house, God's Spirit comforted him.
Joseph returned and began to attend church, where he developed a true relationship with Jesus, the One who saves from the lonely night. He became more involved with ministry, and developed his gift of preaching.
Today, Joseph is a pastor. He uses his experience to share how God's mercy can transform us from hopelessness to victory in Christ. He is married to his bride, Becky, and has three sons. He lives in Jackson County, and comes to Gateway from Bold Springs UMC.
Contact him at: pastor@GatewayUMC.org
Alex Smith
After
serving many years on the staff of the
University of Georgia, Nancy now handles
many of the administrative tasks for
Gateway. She is also a talented
artist. Nancy is
married to author and speaker,
Roque
Fajardo. E-mail:
office@GatewayUMC.org Daniel West Daniel became Gateway's web servant very recently. He is planning a major overhaul of the site, and would appreciate any suggestions. He attends Athens Academy High School. E-mail:
webservant@GatewayUMC.org Sometimes
referred to as "a walking revival," Rick
is on the road much of the year, preaching
and singing the life-giving good news of
Jesus Christ. In addition to
his
ministry
in the U.S., Rick preaches frequently in
his homeland of Brazil. Rick and
his wife, Mary Lucy, have three grown
children: Rick, Sammy, and
Sandy. Formerly
a college professor and pastor in
Oklahoma, Dr. Acuff has "retired" to
Georgia. Gene and
his wife, Marion
(a widely published author), live in
Watkinsville, just south of
Athens.
Gateway
Church gathers
for worship
Sundays
at 10:30 a.m.
(Hwy. 129) in Athens,
Georgia.
Ministry
of the
Word:
Recent
sermons
methodistthinker.com
for United Methodist news and articles
Gateway UMC
Simply
put, our mission at Gateway is
helping
people experience
God,
through vital worship, biblical truth,
positive relationships, and hands-on
ministry.
Our
vision
Our
ministries
Our
leaders
Pastor
Worship
Leader, Lay Liturgist
Alex Smith has been the worship director at Gateway since January of 2010. He has been married to his beautiful bride Audrey since 2007. He grew up in Norcross, GA and moved to Athens in 2003 to start school. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2007 and is currently seeking his masters in divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is also the youth pastor and worship leader for the Sparrow's Nest Mission Church youth group which reaches out to urban and at-risk youth.
Nancy
Fajardo
Secretary
Web
servant
Clergy-in-Residence
Rick
Bonfim
United
Methodist General
Evangelist
Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ),
Retired