Core beliefs

As GC2 ministers, we believe...

...in one God who, by the testimony of Scripture, is one divine Being in three eternal, co-essential, yet distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

...that Jesus is the Son of God by whom and for whom God created all things. As God revealed in the flesh for our salvation, he was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is the Lord of all, worthy of honor and reverence. As the prophesied Savior of humanity, he died for our sins, was buried, raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, where he mediates between humanity and God. He will come again to reign as King of kings over all nations.

...that the Holy Spirit is the divine Comforter promised by Jesus Christ and sent from God to the church on the Day of Pentecost. As the third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is God in us. The Holy Spirit transforms humans through repentance, baptism, sanctification and continual renewal.

...that the Holy Scriptures comprised of the Old and New Testaments are the foundation of truth and the accurate and infallible record of God's revelation to humanity.

...that salvation is forgiveness and deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. It is the gift of God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by personal merit or good works.

...that repentance is the change of mind and attitude toward God that follows conviction by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Repentance entails a keen awareness of one's hopeless, sinful condition apart from the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

...that the church is the collective body of all believersregardless of denomination, who are called by God and in whom the Holy Spirit abides. The church began on the Day of Pentecost and was commissioned to preach the gospel, to teach everything that Christ commanded, to baptize and to nurture the flock.

...that the gospel is the message preached by Jesus Christ and by the church about salvation through faith in Jesus and the reconciliation of humanity to God through Jesus as mediator. It is the good news of what God has done, is doing, and will do through Christ, and the central message of the Old and New Testaments.

For a full statement of our beliefs see WCG Statement of Beliefs.

For resources related to understanding and teaching these core beliefs click here.

Ministry ethos

As GC2 ministers we are stewards of God's grace who seek to be...

Christ-centered. Our personal identity centered in Christ; modeling leadership substance and style after the example of Jesus; viewing ourselves as under-shepherds of Jesus, the great “Shepherd,” who is also the “Overseer” of our souls (1 Peter 2:25); following Jesus while co-ministering with him in his leadership of the church.

Love-motivated. Ordering all we do in love; not self-seeking; doing no harm; relating to those we lead with friendship (trust, respect and interdependence); promoting a unity that is expressive of the outgoing, mutual life and love of the triune God.

Grace-filled. Avoiding legalism; modeling and facilitating relationships with God and between people rooted in God’s unconditional acceptance in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-10); viewing ourselves as shepherds of people’s souls (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:25) not policeman of their lives; rather than autocratic and controlling we seek to be gentle, encouraging, accepting and helping (1 Thessalonians 2:7); modeling the the grace of God in Christ, which is rooted not in the worthiness of the recipient but in the goodness of the giver - seeking the good of all those led regardless of personality or merit.

Spirit-led. Seeking to walk in step with the Spirit; circumspect in using our personal spiritual gifts in step with the Spirit’s purposes and continuing direction (2 Timothy 1:6-7); taking great care not to rely on the flesh (including reliance on the law) as a benchmark of church governance; taking great care not to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19); appointing others in ministry in accordance with the Spirit’s gifting.

Word-directed. Allowing the gospel of Jesus Christ, conveyed in Scripture, to be the norm of our leadership and thus of our church’s corporate life; keeping a clear focus on the gospel, de-emphasizing those things that are peripheral to, or that detract from its essential message (2 Timothy 2:16-19). 

Mission and vision-driven. Focused on leading the church in obedience to the Great Commission; mobilizing the church for this work by building God’s people up in their faith and equipping them for works of service, leading to maturity and effectiveness; discerning and communicating a compelling vision for fulfilling this mission locally; serving as a catalyst for change; ably leading members to embrace and pursue clear and attainable mission-enhancing strategies and goals.

Servant/equippers. Leading not for gain, prestige or power (1 Peter 5:1-4) but for the good of those led; serving as a slave of Christ and steward of his gospel and the many other gifts of God’s grace to the church; viewing self as facilitator and equipper who helps members work together to accomplish the Lord's work (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Involved shepherds. Active in directing “the affairs of the church” (1 Timothy 5:17); vigilant yet gentle in watching over the church as a shepherd watches over sheep.

Those who share freely. Fostering interdependence through encouraging collegiality; promoting the ministry of all believers in accordance with calling and giftedness; utilizing decision making processes that emphasize collaboration and consensus building in response to the Lord’s direction.

• To the lead and discipline of the Holy Spirit, including his testimony in Scripture
• To the whole body of Christ in loving mutuality
• To supervisors within established church governance structures

For a more detailed presentation of this ethos see "Leadership Principles" (chapter 4) of the WCG Church Administration Manual.

Description of a disciple

As GC2 ministers we seek to glorify God by multiplying mature disciples of Jesus. These disciples are people of all ages who participate actively in the outflow of the love and life of God which is theirs through the Spirit in union with Jesus Christ.

We seek to help them experience and express this love and life by growing through the Spirit's transforming grace in the following personal characteristics that typify disciples of Jesus:

Grace-based. Relating to God on the basis of his love, acceptance and provision in Jesus Christ.

Christ-centered. Worshipping God by trusting in and living in loving allegiance to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Word-directed. Living a life ordered in the gospel and characterized by faithful stewardship of God’s gifts of grace.

Spirit-formed. Conforming to Christ through the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit, which is embraced by faith and exercised through spiritual disciplines.

Fellowship-building. Participating in the grace-filled fellowship of a local church leading to a community of purpose, hope and expectancy.

Disciplemaking. Sharing God’s grace with others by pursuing Jesus’ mission out of the fullness of Jesus’ heart.

For more information concerning how to facilitate the development of these defining characteristics of a maturing disciple of Jesus click here.

Ministry foundations

As GC2 ministers we seek to facilitate the emergence of these defining characteristics of a mature disciple by providing environments where disciples consistently encounter the following six life-enhancing ministry foundations:

God's love. As a disciple of Jesus is embraced by an atmosphere that expresses God’s love, they will begin to relate to God more and more on the basis of his grace (acceptance and provision) in Christ. This will yield a heart for and commitment to ministry relationships that are based in grace, not in human performance or a desire for personal power or gain.

God's person. As a disciple of Jesus experiences joy and awe in knowing God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they will learn to trust in and live for God through loving allegiance to Christ their Lord.

God's story. As a disciple of Jesus is immersed in God’s story of creation and redemption conveyed in Scripture, they will, through the Holy Spirit’s ministry, increasingly have their hearts and minds molded by and conformed to the living Word of God, Jesus Christ.

God's will. As a disciple of Jesus experiences dependence on God, they will increasingly embrace through the spiritual disciplines the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit. Out of this spiritual formation will flow whole-life stewardship that bears the fruit of the Spirit rather than the works of the flesh.

God's people. As a disciple of Jesus experiences hope-filled and expectant vision for ministry, they will develop a deep and abiding sense of personal calling to active participation with Jesus in and through the local church.

God's purpose. As a disciple of Jesus encounters passionate commitment to the Great Commission, they will increasingly be emboldened to reach out to build redemptive relationships through which disciplemaking followers of Jesus of all ages are multiplied.

For more information concerning these foundations click here.