FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the mission of Gulf Church?
Our mission is to inspire people to follow Jesus. We have learned personally that Jesus makes your life better, and makes you better at life. We accomplish our mission by creating environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders.
I heard that Gulf Church is a non-denominational church. What does non-denominational mean?
It means that we are not affiliated with a denomination, such as Baptist, Methodist, etc. In organizing this church, our foremost desire was to be an attractive environment for those who do not regularly attend church. For the most part, our feeling is that denominational titles mean more to churched people than unchurched people. We clearly state what we believe on the “Who We Are” page of our website.
What is the leadership structure?
The phrase we use to describe the function of government at Gulf Church is that we are guarded by the Elders, guided by the Staff, and gifted through the attendees. However, in more specific terms, the church government is built around two teams of people.
Staff Team
Elder Team
The Staff Team consists of those employed by the church. The purpose of this team is to lead the church, determine programming, give vision to the various ministries, and to oversee the day-to-day operations.
The Elder Team functions primarily as discerners and shepherds. They serve as the conscience and guardians of the church. Their role is to evaluate everything going on in the church in light of three things; our mission, our resources and our doctrinal statement. The Elder Team consists of men and women who serve 3-year terms. Elder Team members are chosen by the presiding Elder Team and meet the qualifications of Elders/Overseers outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:5-9.
Why doesn’t Gulf Church have Adult Sunday School?
We believe that sustained life change happens best in the context of a small group environment within a home. A small group environment is a place where people can pursue spiritual growth and authentic relationships. By encouraging adults to meet in homes during the week, rather than on Sunday mornings, our attendees can participate with a volunteer team on Sunday mornings. We have also found that meeting in a home is a safe, predictable environment where no one slips through the cracks. Additionally, we feel that the strategy of meeting in homes is a good stewardship of our resources that would otherwise go towards adult education facilities.
What is the financial situation?
We are 100% dependent on the generosity of our attenders. As a church, we strive to be great stewards of all that is given to us as an organization and to be transparent with our financial status. Financial records are available upon request. Your generosity to our church and, more importantly, what God is doing in the lives of people through our church, is greatly appreciated. Gulf Community Church is a 501(c)(3) organization, and as such all gifts are tax-deductible. You can give to our church online by visiting this page.
What about membership?
At Gulf Church, we want you to know that the moment you walk through the doors, you belong here and can consider this place your church home, no title needed. Since we don’t have traditional membership, you won’t be able to “join” the church as a “member” – but we hope you become fully engaged in the life of the church. You can engage with us through serving strategically, connecting in a group, inviting others, and giving systematically. Those who are fully engaged with us are considered our members.
4 Things:
Serve: We believe when people engage in service it leads to life change. Whether you serve on a ministry team in our church or in our community, God calls us to serve one another.
Connect: Growing spiritually doesn't happen when we know what Jesus says. It happens when we apply what he says. Application happens best within the context of community. To grow spiritually, you have to be connected relationally.
Give: We are 100% dependent on the sacrificial giving of the people here at The Gulf. It’s what allows us to create excellent environments.
Invite: We believe it's vital that as we become fully engaged in church, we invest in unchurched people in our lives.
How can I get connected to a Volunteer Team?
Stop by the Guest Services Desk on a Sunday morning, or visit this page.
How can I get connected to a Community Group?
Stop by the Guest Services Desk on a Sunday morning, or visit this page.
Will we ever have our own building?
We certainly hope so. Our dream is to one day have a permanent facility for our church. However, we do not view a building as a destination for our church, but rather a natural next step in the growth of our ministry in Naples. Not only would we utilize a permanent facility for our Sunday services and other ministry-related events throughout the week, we would make our facility available for public use.
If you have any further questions that were not answered above, please contact info@gulfchurch.org.