Core Values

“Our beliefs form our values and virtues, and these define the Glory City Church culture.”

The following Glory City Church pillars, values and virtues (lived values), inspired and developed by Katherine Ruonala in her apostolic leadership grace across our movement, encompass the culture of our global family. The Glory City Network (GCN), our local churches and our various ministries and departments hold in unity to these distinguishing characteristics before God as a mandate on the earth. Across the GCN and within our churches, we carry various visions, missions and distinct Kingdom endeavours. What unites us across it all and undergirds our culture, is our mutual endeavour to express the following pillars, values and virtues as our global apostolic identity.

Our Pillars

Our foundation

When we prioritise intimacy and discover our identity, the knowledge and love of God will Increase on the earth.

“We intimately know God as His redeemed sons and daughters, and we are recognised in the world by our love for one another.”

“Jesus is the truth about God and the truth about us.”

“Being born again is the beginning of an ever-increasing, relational opportunity to know God and make him known, through the word and the Spirit.”

Our Values

Defining Our Culture

Intimacy

The priority and pursuit of His presence through personal and corporate worship, prayer and encounter.
(John 4:24, Ephesians 5:18)

Developing healthy daily habits of fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit through the scriptures and in prayer.
(2 Corinthians 13:14, John 14:26)

With God as our highest personal aim, and with each other in our church, families, children and our friendships.
(John 17:3, John 13:35)

Identity

Knowing who we are as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and seeing this truth impact the world around us.
(2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 4:17)

Knowing the goodness and the love of God revealed in Christ. (Colossians 1:15, 1 John 1:5)

We prioritise growing in demonstrating the Kingdom and God’s love through the gifts of the Spirit, divine healing and a miraculous, revival culture.
(John 14:12, Mark 16:17-18)

Increase

We seek to equip the saints to impact every sphere of society with the light of Christ, by raising up and releasing the five-fold graces, to help form healthy saints, healthy marriages and healthy families.
(Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 John 2:6)

We seek to grow in hearing His voice, releasing His words and cultivating an apostolic culture which empowers, releases and outworks His purposes.
(1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Corinthians 12:28-31)

Healthy families raise healthy children! We seek to reach the lost and disciple them in a healthy family culture through outreach, missions and media.
(Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 9:37-38, Acts 6:7)

Our Virtues

How We Live Out Our Values

We continually grow and step out in the confident belief that God will do what He says He will do. (John 14:12)

We have courageous expectations for what God will do through our community and families, in our neighbourhood and in the nations.
(Hebrews 11:1)

We seek to live immersed in God’s love and be known in the world for the love we have for one another. The compassion of Christ moves us to manifest Him.
(John 13:35)

We are fun to be around, and we celebrate our salvation with passion and delight.
(Romans 14:17)

We seek to live in freedom from sin by faith, putting our inherited holiness into practice.
(2 Corinthians 7:1, Romans 6:6-7, 1 John 2:29)

God demonstrated His love through giving, and so do we as His children, in our time, our love and our resources.
(John 3:16)

We are children of God, and we treat each other with honour, respect and integrity.
(Romans 12:10, 1 Timothy 5:1)

Jesus demonstrated that as new creations, it’s in our nature to passionately and selflessly serve others.
(John 13:12-20)

We are open hearted, honest and vulnerable, motivated by our desire to build healthy relationships and a healthy community.
(2 Corinthians 6:12)

In all that we do, we believe that God is worthy of our greatest, so we seek to bring our whole hearts and integrity in representing Him well.
(2 Peter 1:5)

We believe there is always more to learn and grow in, and more of God to experience, so we never outgrow our pursuit of knowing Him.
(Colossians 3:12)

We don’t change the subject from the things God has spoken, staying firm in our faith, the things He has called us to, and our walk with God. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

IntimacyWe live to know God, and to make him known

God created humanity from the superabundance of his love, for the purpose of relationship with Him and with each other. All that we do in the Christian life should be the love response to knowing the Father. God did not create humanity to fix a problem or fill a void, but to have a family. Intimacy with Him is our highest value and calling. The Kingdom of God is a family.

THIS LOOKS LIKE

  • Koinōnia (Fellowship with God and with each other)
  • Relational Revival, meeting in church groups and doing Kingdom life together.
  • Worship / Prayer / Encounter

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

IdentityJesus is the truth about God and the truth about us

This is our core identity statement. When we understand the nature of God through Christ alone, and rightly define ourselves through Christ alone, as those conformed to His image (Romans 8:29), we will live fruitful and healthy Christian lives, walking with the Father.

THIS LOOKS LIKE

  • Knowing who God is (The Goodness and the love of God)
  • Knowing who we are (Righteousness and sonship)
  • Living as the Priesthood of all believers who know their Father

“As he is so also are we in this world.” – 1 John 4:17

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” – Colossians 1:15

IncreaseBeing born again is not our end goal, but rather our entrance into the increasing Kingdom of God!

We believe that as we grow in intimacy with God and in understanding of our identity in Christ, the Kingdom of God will increase on the earth.

The increase of the Kingdom of God is our family business. When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God He often spoke of it’s increase on the earth, from the time of His resurrection to the time of His return.

THIS LOOKS LIKE

  • Increasing of the Family of God in our personal lives, our community and the world. (Evangelism / Discipleship)

  • Increasing the Kingdom of God in the spheres of society that we find ourselves in, as salt and light to the earth and carriers of God’s government as kings and priests.

  • Increasing in character and love. The Kingdom of God is as much about this as it is about the power of God.

“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” – Isaiah 9:7