Faith words made simple. If you are new to church or beginning to explore Christianity, this guide will help explain some common words you may hear at Gateway Church.
Grace is God’s undeserved love and kindness.
It means God does not wait for us to earn His love or fix ourselves before He reaches toward us. Grace is God loving us, forgiving us, helping us, and transforming us because of who He is.
Salvation means being rescued, forgiven, and made new through Jesus.
Christians believe sin has separated us from God, but Jesus came to restore that relationship. When we trust in Jesus, we are forgiven, welcomed into God’s family, and given new life.
Faith means trust.
Christian faith is trusting God, believing in Jesus, and choosing to follow Him. Faith does not mean having every answer. It means placing your confidence in God and taking the next step with Him.
Prayer is simply talking with God.
You can pray with simple, honest words. You can thank God, ask for help, confess your struggles, share your fears, or sit quietly in His presence. Prayer is not about performance. It is about relationship.
Worship is our response to God.
We worship when we sing, pray, listen to Scripture, give thanks, serve others, surrender our lives, and honour God with our choices. Worship is not only music. It is a life turned toward God.
Scripture is another word for the Bible.
Christians believe the Bible is God’s Word and the foundation for our faith, teaching, and way of life. Through Scripture, we learn who God is, who we are, and how to follow Jesus.
Gospel means “good news.”
The good news is that God loves us, Jesus came to rescue us, sin and death do not have the final word, and through faith in Christ we can be forgiven, restored, and made new.
Sin is anything that separates us from God’s design for our lives.
Sin is more than breaking religious rules. It is the condition of the human heart that turns away from God and chooses our own way. Jesus came to forgive us, free us, and lead us into new life.
Repentance means turning around.
It is turning away from sin and turning toward God. Repentance is not just feeling bad. It is choosing a new direction with God’s help.
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward decision to follow Jesus.
It is a public declaration that you belong to Jesus, have received His grace, and want to follow Him with your life.
Discipleship means learning to follow Jesus.
A disciple is someone who learns from Jesus, walks with Jesus, obeys Jesus, and becomes more like Jesus over time.
The church is not just a building.
The church is the family of God — people who follow Jesus, worship together, care for one another, grow in faith, and serve the world in His name.
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence at work in us.
The Holy Spirit helps us know God, understand Scripture, resist sin, grow in Christlike character, receive comfort, and live with courage and purpose.
A Life Group is a smaller group of people who meet to build friendships, study Scripture, pray, ask questions, and grow together.
At Gateway Church, Life Groups are one of the best ways to find community and take your next step.