Wow! What an incredible Auction weekend we all enjoyed together in August! In the aftermath my mind was a whirlwind of emotions, but two stuck out more than any other: humility and deep gratitude. It was absolutely humbling to watch the outpouring of love, support and generosity we witnessed not only on Auction day, but also in the weeks and months preceding. On behalf of all the staff, and those who are served through the ministry of Gateway Woods, I would like to express deepest gratitude and thankfulness for the incredible blessings of the Auction weekend.

The work for the Auction starts with a committee made up of mostly volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of the ministry. Even when they should be kicking up their feet and taking a well deserved rest, they continue to meet soon after the Auction to assess what went well, and what still needs to be improved. The committee works together to not only pull off an excellent event, but also to seek continuous improvement. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Auction committee.

Our church representatives also begin to prepare months early for the Auction, as they solicit item donations, volunteers and support long before most others have begun to think about the coming event. Thank you so much for all you do!

We know that many faithful people pray for Gateway Woods, not only for the Auction, but year-round. We truly rely on the prayers of those we love!

And who wouldn’t be inspired by the sea of yellow jerseys that engulfed the campus as bike riders from east and west converged on the campus in a mélange of color, cheering and clapping. Thanks to all of the riders for making great effort to generate a building enthusiasm that united on Friday night.

All of this effort came together to bring a record setting total in excess of $470,000!

Then comes the day. After 20 years of personally watching Gateway Woods Auctions come and go, I still stand in awe at the outpouring of generosity, the fellowship, and the open hearts. Thank you for coming to join us on that exhilarating day!

All of this effort came together to bring a record setting total in excess of $470,000! In all this, we ultimately praise and thank God for His great bounty. Without the Lord’s blessing, we would truly have gained nothing. Oh, we might by our own efforts have garnered more money, but without the Lord’s blessing, we would have truly achieved nothing. It’s with that thought in mind we thank all of you, but most of all, in great humility, we thank our Lord. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

If you’re already making plans for next year’s Auction, be sure to mark you calendar for Saturday, August 1st.