Dear Gateway Church,

As you know, our world is facing a pandemic like we haven’t seen in many years, COVID-19, the Coronavirus. This is undoubtedly causing anxiety and fear for many of us, yet as followers of God we have the opportunity to exhibit faith and trust as we look to Him for peace amidst this challenging time. The scriptures remind us to bring our anxieties, fears, and requests to the Lord, “… and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 4:7

At Gateway, we are taking this developing situation very seriously by following updates as they come from local, national, and international health organizations. It is after much prayer and seeking the collective wisdom of our amazing leaders at Gateway and around the city that I decided to implement the following response:

- Until further notice, we will be live streaming our Sunday services at 9am and 11am on our Facebook page (click here). I encourage you as families to gather around your computers & phones during one of our service times to worship God, pray together, give, and hear from His word.

-All midweek prayer meetings, youth group, life groups, and other events are suspended (in-person) at this time. We are transitioning everything to online! Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to stay updated with what's happening with Gateway online!

- Gateway Academy will be closed until at least May 15th. I am so grateful and thankful for our Head of School, Chris DeSanctis. All official school related decisions will be communicated to staff and families from him directly.

While these decisions are difficult — I LOVE being with our Church family each week! — I believe these steps are the wisest way forward, currently, as we love the most vulnerable among us. We at Gateway love Staten Island, and I believe these steps are tangible ways to love our neighbors as ourselves.

I encourage you during this time in a few ways: 

1 - Take care of yourself and be wise about seeking medical attention if needed. We love you and want to see you soon. 

2 - Reach out to those around you and look to serve. How might God use you at this time to meet the needs of your neighbors? If you have any needs that arise, do not hesitate to reach out. We want to sacrificially love and care for our people and our community in the days ahead. 

3 - Commit time each day to prayer and the scriptures. The Lord often uses moments like this to remind us of our frailty and dependency on Him ALL THE TIME. Seek him on behalf of our Island and world. 

4 - Continue to faithfully support the ministry of Gateway. Our church is an extraordinarily generous community. You can continue to Give in one of two ways: mailing your checks to our address (200 Boscombe Ave. SI, NY 10309) or by clicking this link. 

In our current teaching series, Stepping out in Faith, we’re studying the life of Abraham and how he was called from the known to the unknown as he daily sought to trust and obey God (Hebrews 11:8). We worship the same God. He still calls us to have faith in him despite the circumstances. In God’s amazing sovereignty, he has been preparing us to exhibit faith as a community during this challenging time. Trust Him! He is faithful!

Serving Him Together,

Pastor Michael Luciano