ABOUT US

We are a community from all over Orange County that loves Jesus. For us, love is being a community for the community. Where people can rest. And grow. Make friends. Learn. Gather. Dive in and make a difference or take time to renew themselves. Together.

COMMUNITY VALUES

PURPOSE OVER PREFERENCE: We choose humility in order to place our greater purpose over our personal preferences.

DEMONSTRATION OVER DICTATION: We value demonstrating God’s love with our actions instead of just dictating what love means.

AUTHENTICITY OVER FLAWLESS PRODUCTION: We choose to be honest, authentic, and vulnerable as we strive for excellence together rather than trying to create a flawless production that looks perfectly polished.

PRESENCE OVER STRUCTURE: Our structure and plans always bow down to what the Holy Spirit is doing in a room, leaving freedom for God to move.

BELONGING BEFORE BELIEVING: No one has to believe all the “right things” in order to be welcomed into our community. We create a safe environment where anyone can belong as he or she explores who God is, asks questions, and walks out his or her faith journey.

CORE BELIEFS

City Gate is connected to the Association of Vineyard Churches. The five core values of Vineyard USA Churches are:

PARTNERING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: We do not live and serve by our own strength, but we partner with the Holy Spirit and lean on His power.
EXPERIENCING AND WORSHIPING GOD: Experiencing God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and worshiping Him is a key part of our faith and Christian life.
RECONCILING PEOPLE WITH GOD AND ALL CREATION: Just as Jesus reconciles people to God and to each other, we aim to be a healing community that promotes reconciliation.
ENGAGING IN COMPASSIONATE MINISTRY: We care about the poor, the lost, the vulnerable, the outcast, etc., and show others the compassion of Christ just as Christ Himself has shown us mercy.
PURSUING CULTURALLY RELEVANT MISSION IN THE WORLD: We are called to share the Gospel with the world, and we desire to reach those far from God in creative, innovative, and culturally relevant ways.

We align with the Statement of Faith of the Association of Vineyard Churches. You can access it by clicking here.

HISTORY

City Gate is the melting pot of various church communities. The River Community Church of Tustin was started in 2002 and merged with Newport Vineyard in 2013, eventually becoming Vineyard at the River. After years of serving on staff, in 2019, Don Wheeler became the Senior Pastor of our blended church community. Following several years of transitions involving leadership, vision, physical location, etc., Pastor Don felt a prompting to “rebrand” the church with a new name reflecting a new identity. Just as God renamed people in the Bible whenever He launched them into new identities and missions, the church leadership felt God renaming our community as:

CITY GATE.

In biblical times, the City Gate was where people came to gather – to buy and sell, to have fellowship, to be together and connect.

Our church feels called to be a “city gate” in Orange County.

We offer a place where anyone can gather, feel a sense of healthy family, and connect to a welcoming community. We foster an environment where people can truly belong, ask questions, take risks, make mistakes, and be embraced as they begin and grow in their journeys with Christ.

City Gate is full of unique, messy, imperfect people who come from all walks of life and have chosen to love one another with authenticity as they pursue God’s purpose for their lives.

In March of 2021, City Gate opened its doors for the first time in the city of Santa Ana, CA.

CITY GATE.
A COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.

STAFF

Don Wheeler

Senior Pastor

Email: don@citygateoc.com

Don wears a lot of hats: pastor, counselor, grandpa, father, husband, and avid frog lure collector. He grew up enjoying the outdoors, with a special love for fishing. Don studied psychology and biblical lit at Oral Roberts University and later earned his Masters in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine with an emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy. Don has served in ministry for 15 years. He has traveled to Africa multiple times and has a deep passion for missions.

Don has been married for over thirty years and adores his wife, Kelly, and their amazing daughter, son-in-law, & two grandsons!

Caitlin Guess

Administrative Pastor & Missions Director

Email: caitlin@citygateoc.com

Caitlin has been involved in missions for about 15 years. She has lived and served in Latin America, Micronesia, Mozambique, and Uganda. As a side project, Caitlin manages a nonprofit, Thrive Global, that empowers vulnerable communities in Africa. She is passionate about serving both overseas and in her local community here in Southern California.

She loves writing, the art of storytelling, learning about new cultures, being in nature, and spending time with her family. Caitlin and her husband, Brian, are huge ocean lovers and enjoy going on beach/outdoor adventures with their son as often as they can.

Lynn Alt

Director of Family Life & Benevolence

Email: lynn@citygateoc.com

Lynn and her husband of forty-three years, Ed, have been a part of this church for over eighteen years. They are proud to have three children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren!

Lynn loves the people at City Gate OC and sees the church as family. She feels privileged to be able to serve and be a part of all God is doing among the City Gate community. Throughout the years, Lynn has served in various areas including benevolence, special events, women’s ministry, the prayer/ministry team, and the Sozo team. Currently, she is on staff as our Director of Family Life and Benevolence. In her free time, Lynn enjoys walks around her neighborhood lake with her Bernedoodle, Sadie, as well as spending time with her kids and grandkids (and great-grandkids)!

ABOUT US

COMMUNITY VALUES

CORE BELIEFS