Today John Burke reminded our staff why we do what we do at Gateway, “We are in the people business.” It was 1997 when John clearly knew God was calling him to leave Willow Creek to start a church in Austin for the 85% of the city that isn’t connected to a church. Not just to create a church for people to ‘attend’ because of great music or relevant teaching, but a place for people to connect into community and grow with others.

As we move into the new year, thousands of people will be attending Gateway seeking answers to spiritual questions. One critical component is whether we are able to connect those who come.

Critical next steps for our staff include:
1. Taking ownership – check back in with people who you are trying to connect. Don’t just hand them off and assume they got connected.
2. Lead our leaders to connect others – if we all connect just 2 people during the next month, we’ll see hundreds of new relationships form.
3. Get creative – look for barriers to connection that you can remove. People are just looking for excuses to leave. Be proactive in solving potential challenges.