Pastor John has served as the Associate Pastor at Gateway Christian Center in St. Petersburg, Florida for eight years. Over the last few years the Lord has put in their hearts to plant a church in St. Petersburg. Their desire is for people to have their very own relationship with God. Their passion is to inspire others to experience a true relationship with Christ that results in a changed life. This only happens through authentic relationships that love and challenge us to grow closer to Jesus.
Mission Statement
We exist to live a life of intimacy, consecration and obedience to Christ, continually growing in the knowledge of Him so that we may be an accurate reflection of His love, grace and character to others in order to encourage those around us to actively pursue their own relationship with Christ and fulfill their personal calling and ministry.
Vision
We aspire to be a place where the lost and hurting find authentic Christians that truly live the love, character and power of God by developing intimacy with Christ and each other through devotion to prayer, God-centered worship, and Biblically sound messages that challenge and inspire.
Core Values
Intimacy: To have a deep abiding relationship with Jesus that is not a cliché, but a true relationship through prayer, worship and the Word that results in a lifestyle of repentance and spiritual growth. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.” I John 2:6, II Chron. 7:14, Ps. 27:4, Is. 55:6, Phil. 3:9-11
Value: People must be seen the way God sees them and loved the way God loves them. They are precious to Him because He sees beyond where they are to what they can become through His grace. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.” I John 3:18, Jer. 15:19, Matt. 22:36-40 , Lk. 6:32-38, John 13:35, 15:12-13, Phil. 1:5-7, Col. 3:14, 13:1-13, I John 4:21
Family: To build strong, healthy marriages and families that reflect God’s love and grace through classes, discipleship and mentoring. “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deut. 11:19, I Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9
Discipleship: God’s chosen method of growth is through discipleship, building people through authentic, intentional relationships that train and mentor. Matt. 28:19, I Cor. 4:15
Community: To cultivate an environment where relationships emerge through events, services and group ministry that foster interaction, causing people to grow together in Christ while building trusting relationships. Ps. 133:1, John 17:11, Romans 12:5, I Cor. 1:9-11, I Cor. 12:11-30, Col. 3:14, Heb. 10:24-26
Team Ministry: To draw on the strengths, experience and spiritual wisdom of the team and to be a place where everyone is involved in serving. “The anointing upon all of us is far greater than the anointing upon any one of us.” When we are together in one accord, our effectiveness multiplies. Prov. 11:14, I Chron. 13:2, I Cor. 12:12-26
Relevant Teaching: Teaching and preaching that does more than inform, but equips, inspires and challenges people to make real changes in their lives by relating to them where they live while remaining Biblically sound. Nathan spoke to David’s roots when he rebuked him using the analogy of a shepherd in 2 Sam. 12:2-3. Prov. 8:10, Col. 2:8, I Tim. 6:20-21, Titus 1:9
Holy Spirit: To allow the Holy Spirit to move with signs following, confirming His Word in ways that give glory and honor to Jesus and causes people to draw closer to Him. Joel 2:27-29, Mark 16:17, Acts 1:8
Missions: To be active in support of global missions through financial, spiritual and practical means such as monthly support, intercession and short term mission trips. Mark 16:15, Rom. 10:15, III John 5-8
Outreach: God’s heartbeat is for souls! To never be isolated within the four walls of the church by consistently reaching out to the community in creative ways with the love and Truth of the gospel. Luke 14:23 “Then the Master said to the servant, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that My house may be filled.” Luke 15:4, Matt. 9:38
Statement Of Faith
The Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God: true, immutable, steadfast, and unchangeable (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
The Eternal Godhead
We believe that God is triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the Three are coexistent, coeternal, and equal in divine perfection (1 John 5:7).
The Fall of Man
We believe that man, created in the image of God, by voluntary disobedience fell into the depths of sin and iniquity, bequeathing sin’s nature and consequences to all mankind, with their accompanying loss of intended meaning and purpose (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12).
The Plan of Redemption
We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, took our place, and with His life’s blood purchased the pardon for all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Titus 2:14).
Salvation Through Grace
We believe that salvation is wholly through grace; that no human righteousness or merit can contribute to our receiving God’s love and favor (Ephesians 2:8).
Repentance and Acceptance
We believe that, upon sincere repentance and a whole-hearted acceptance of Christ, we are justified before God through Jesus’ sacrificial death (Romans 10:6-10; 1 John 1:9).
The New Birth
We believe that the change that takes place in people at conversion is a very real one; that having received righteousness in Christ and having received of His Spirit, people will have new desires, interests, and pursuits in life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).
Daily Christian Life
We believe that it is the will of God that those who have been born again grow in sanctification, become partakers of His holiness, and daily grow stronger in the faith, power, prayer, love, and service (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an essential response to Jesus’ command, testifying to His lordship as Christ and King (Romans 6:4). We believe in observing the Lord’s Supper, receiving the broken bread and the fruit of the vine with joy and faith as we partake anew of the life and triumph of Christ’s Cross (1 Cor. 11:24-26)
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers believers to exalt Jesus, to live lives of holiness, and to be witnesses of God’s saving grace; we expect the Spirit’s incoming to be after the same manner as that in which He came upon believers in the days of the Early Church (Acts 1: 5, 8; 2:4).
The Spirit-Filled Life
We believe that it is the will of God that believers walk in the Spirit moment by moment, serving the Lord and living lives of patience, love, truth, sincerity, and prayer (Ephesians 4:30-32; Galatians 5:16, 25).
The Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows enabling ministry gifts upon believers, and that these gifts will build up the Body of Christ through edification and evangelism (1 Cor. 12:1-11); as evidence of a Spirit-filled life, believers should show spiritual “fruit”: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-25).
Moderation
We believe a Christians’ moderation should be obvious to others and that relationship with Jesus should never lead people into extremes of fanaticism; their lives should model that of Christ in uprightness, balance, humility, and self-sacrifice (Colossians 3:12, 13; Philippians 4:5).
Divine Healing
We believe that divine healing is the power of Jesus Christ to heal the sick in answer to the prayer of faith; He, who does not change, is still willing and able to heal the body, as well as the soul and spirit in answer to faith (Mark 16: 17, 18; James 5:14-16).
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe that the second coming of Christ is personal and imminent; the certainty of His coming and the fact that no man knows the hour of His coming prompt our evangelistic efforts; that the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven, the dead in Christ shall rise, and the redeemed will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
Church Relationship
We believe that it is our sacred duty to identify ourselves with a congregation of believers with whom we can worship God, observe the ordinances of Christ, exhort and support one another, labor for the salvation of others, and work together to advance the Lord’s Kingdom (Acts 16:5; Hebrews 10:24).
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is by divine appointment and that civil laws should be upheld at all times except in things opposed to the will of God (Acts 4: 18-20; Romans 13:1-5).
Judgment
We believe that all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ: the redeemed to be delivered unto everlasting life, and the unrepentant unto everlasting punishment (Revelation 20:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
Often times, people are treated as though the reason for their existence is to serve the machine of ministry. People serve as it's fuel, not it's purpose. The machine must continually be fed so it can continue to perform. Families and even one's personal walk with the Lord are sacrificed so that the show continues on. The problem is that God never called anyone to build a ministry. God wants us to build people and to make disciples.
I am not speaking of an unhealthy self-focused Christianity, but the opposite. We are to have two main focuses. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus responded to the question: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” We must love God like crazy and love people like crazy.
Whenever I meet with someone who is beginning to serve in the church, I always tell them, "I care more about you than what you do for me." The person is always more valuable to God than any need they may meet and should be more valuable to us as well. When people exist to serve our need, whether it is cloaked in ministry or not, we are selfish and not expressing God's love.
Are ministries bad? No. Ministries can be great when their focus is not the machine of "ministry". When we exist to love God and people, we become self-LESS and a wonderful example of what Christianity is supposed to be.
II Cor. 5:15 “...and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
-Pastor John Eldredge
John and JoAnna Eldredge have been married for fifteen years and are the parents of four beautiful children. They have served as missionaries and are both licensed ministers with the Foursquare Church.
