We are moving to Cleveland!!!

Dear Friends,

We have big news. We are moving to Cleveland! We are very excited to announce that Colin has been asked to become a Pastor at Gateway Church – Old Brooklyn. 

Gateway is a church that was planted by Tony Loseto, a former member of Crossing Church, where we have been members for the last four years. Gateway began by meeting in a home in January 2014 and has been holding services in a local high school since January 2015. You can learn more here: http://gatewaychurcholdbrooklyn.com/

Here’s why we are excited about this opportunity and want to be a part of this church:

First, the church needs help in areas we are able and gifted to help. Tony is currently the only pastor and only staff member. The opportunities to reach people with the good news of Jesus are far beyond what one person can do. Colin will be able to serve as a co-pastor who does all of what a Pastor does including preaching, shepherding, counseling, discipling, outreach and evangelism, and leading the church. Marianne will also be able to serve by helping plan and execute outreach programs (especially to youth and families at the local recreation center), discipling women, and helping with children’s ministry. God shows in His word that ministry is a team sport, not an individual work. Jesus sent out the disciples two by two, the apostles worked in teams with other apostles and disciples, and the church is to be governed by a plurality of elders. We want to use our gifts to serve Gateway Church, support Tony and his wife, Beth, and help provide stability for the church that can only be found through having a team of leaders.

Second, the need is overwhelming. Gateway is located in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood which is five miles south of downtown Cleveland and home to 32,000 people. It is a working class community that is middle to lower income and has a good mix of older adults, younger couples, and families. In this neighborhood, there are not strong churches that believe and preach the Gospel. A lot of people have little or no access to biblical teaching and the gospel of Jesus Church. Simply put, this is a community that needs to hear the good news of Jesus and is not being reached by other churches.

Third, we want to help the church do more of what’s already happening. Pastor Tony and the members of the church are already reaching the community and seeing a great response. Last year, four volunteers from the church put on a block party at the rec center and over 500 people from the neighborhood showed up. The church has seen more successful events since then, and while this is extremely encouraging, more ministers are needed to serve to reach the people who are showing up at this type of event and others. As Jesus said, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. We want to be a part of what God is doing in Cleveland so more people come to know, love, and worship Him.

So what’s next? Our hope is to move to Cleveland later in the summer. To make this happen we will be meeting with, calling, and asking individuals to consider how they can partner with us in this ministry. We are currently working to raise financial support, so we can work at least half-time for Gateway Church. We need individuals to commit to partner with us through prayer, through financial support, and for some through coming to serve with us in Cleveland on a short-term team or permanently. 

Will you consider partnering with us in each of these ways to bring the good news of Jesus to Old Brooklyn and its surrounding neighborhoods in Cleveland?

If so, please contact Colin at Mattoon.Colin@gmail.com or at 971-285-7881. You can also contact Marianne at Marianne.Mattoon@gmail.com or 503-926-2882

Thanks,

Colin and Marianne Mattoon

PS - We are also currently looking for jobs. If you have any leads or contacts there, please share them!