The concept of "accountability" may initially evoke feelings of discomfort or vulnerability, as it demands a level of commitment and transparency. However, for believers in Christ, accountability is a fundamental aspect of our faith, one that God Himself requires of us. The Lord, who knows and sees every facet of our lives, both the hidden and the visible, desires that we live in constant awareness of His presence. His divine purpose for us is to serve Him wholeheartedly, dedicating every aspect of our lives to honour and obedience in alignment with His perfect plan for His children.

Godly accountability is a journey of spiritual growth, where we continually deepen our wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of who God is and what brings Him pleasure. It entails cultivating an intimate relationship with Him, extending love to all people, and making choices driven by obedience and love for Jesus, even when they might run counter to our emotions.

For followers of Jesus, the call is clear: to approach every aspect of our daily lives as if we were serving Jesus Himself, rather than pursuing self-interest or seeking the approval of others. This principle encompasses our involvement in church activities, our responsibilities in both Christian and secular employment, our engagement in volunteer work with organisations, and our conduct in our private and social lives.

GCS, as an organisation, comprises dedicated volunteers committed to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with every individual, and it operates without any salaried staff. To fulfil this mission faithfully and in accordance with the biblical principles that form the foundation of GCS's ethos, we place great emphasis on trust and accountability among our members, both existing and new. This commitment is essential to safeguarding the organization's reputation, the integrity of its members, and the well-being of those we engage with in our endeavours. Therefore, we kindly request all who join our mission to embrace accountability under the oversight of the organization.

We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this document as you seek God's guidance for your life's journey and contemplate your potential role in supporting GCS's important work.

Thank you for your dedication and partnership in advancing the mission of GCS.

Our unwavering commitment is to emulate the life and teachings of our ultimate example, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the indwelling presence of His Spirit, we continually strive to align every aspect of our lives with His divine character and purpose. This pursuit is characterised by:

• Following the footsteps of our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
• Sensitively yielding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Bringing glory to our Heavenly Father.
• Cultivating and nurturing a profound love for the Lord and His Word.
• Exercising compassion towards those who have not yet found salvation.
• Embracing the heart of a servant.
• Walking in unwavering faith in Jesus.
• Maintaining vigilance and a posture of prayer.
• Embracing a Godly, Christ-like lifestyle.

As devoted servants of Jesus Christ, we recognise the paramount importance of fostering a deep and intimate communion with God. We firmly believe that the extent and depth of one's connection with God directly impact their ability to overcome the temptations of the flesh, the allure of the world, and the pitfalls of pride.

This Christian lifestyle, as defined in the Bible, is not merely a choice but an imperative for those engaged in the vital and enduring proclamation of the Gospel.

We consider it a profound privilege to serve the Risen Christ, and our lives are dedicated to offering ourselves willingly as living sacrifices for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the fulfilment of His divine purposes.

Mission Statement

“To communicate the Good News of the Gospel Message

relevantly to every person in all the world.”

Vision Statement

“To equip hundreds, to teach thousands, to reach millions…

...until the Job is done!”

Statement of Faith

The Lausanne Covenant is widely regarded as one of the most significant documents in modern church history. Emerging from the First Lausanne Congress in 1974, with John Stott as its Chief Architect, it served as a great rallying call to the evangelical Church around the world. It defined what it means to be evangelical and challenged Christians to work together to make Jesus Christ known throughout the world. It is a covenant with one another, and a covenant with God himself.

The following statement of faith reflects the doctrinal view of GCS Missions and must be affirmed by every GCS Missions administrator, missionary, and staff member. This statement serves as the standard of belief for individuals, organisations and churches who wish to join with GCS Missions.

The Lausanne Covenant

Introduction

We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, from more than 150 nations, participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne, praise God for his great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship he has given us with himself and with each other. We are deeply stirred by what God is doing in our day, moved to penitence by our failures and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. We believe the Gospel is God’s good news for the whole world, and we are determined by his grace to obey Christ’s commission to proclaim it to all mankind and to make disciples of every nation. We desire, therefore, to affirm our faith and our resolve, and to make public our covenant.

1. The Purpose of God

We affirm our belief in the one-eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of his will. He has been calling out from the world a people for himself and sending his people back into the world to be his servants and his witnesses, for the extension of his kingdom, the building up of Christ’s body, and the glory of his name. We confess with shame that we have often denied our calling and failed in our mission, by becoming conformed to the world or by withdrawing from it. Yet we rejoice that even when borne by earthen vessels the gospel is still a precious treasure. To the task of making that treasure known in the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to dedicate ourselves anew.

2. The Authority and Power of the Bible

We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God’s revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God’s people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the many-colored wisdom of God.

3. The Uniqueness and Universality of Christ

We affirm that there is only one Saviour and only one gospel, although there is a wide diversity of evangelistic approaches. We recognise that everyone has some knowledge of God through his general revelation in nature. But we deny that this can save, for people suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. We also reject as derogatory to Christ and the gospel every kind of syncretism and dialogue which implies that Christ speaks equally through all religions and ideologies. Jesus Christ, being himself the only God-man, who gave himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only mediator between God and people. There is no other name by which we must be saved. All men and women are perishing because of sin, but God loves everyone, not wishing that any should perish but that all should repent. Yet those who reject Christ repudiate the joy of salvation and condemn themselves to eternal separation from God. To proclaim Jesus as “the Saviour of the world” is not to affirm that all people are either automatically or ultimately saved, still less to affirm that all religions offer salvation in Christ. Rather it is to proclaim God’s love for a world of sinners and to invite everyone to respond to him as Saviour and Lord in the wholehearted personal commitment of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted above every other name; we long for the day when every knee shall bow to him and every tongue shall confess him Lord.

4. The Nature of Evangelism

To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gifts of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Saviour and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so be reconciled to God. In issuing the gospel invitation we have no liberty to conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify themselves with his new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into his Church and responsible service in the world.

5. Christian Social Responsibility

We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all people. We therefore should share his concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression. Because men and women are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, colour, culture, class, sex, or age, has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served, not exploited. Here too we express penitence both for our neglect and for having sometimes regarded evangelism and social concern as mutually exclusive. Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty. For both are necessary expressions of our doctrines of God and man, our love for our neighbour and our obedience to Jesus Christ. The message of salvation also implies a message of judgment upon every form of alienation, oppression and discrimination, and we should not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist. When people receive Christ, they are born again into his kingdom and must seek not only to exhibit but also to spread its righteousness in the midst of an unrighteous world. The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.

6. The Church and Evangelism

We affirm that Christ sends his redeemed people into the world as the Father sent him, and that this calls for a similar deep and costly penetration of the world. We need to break out of our ecclesiastical ghettos and permeate non-Christian society. In the Church’s mission of sacrificial service evangelism is primary. World evangelization requires the whole Church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. The Church is at the very centre of God’s cosmic purpose and is his appointed means of spreading the gospel. But a church which preaches the cross must itself be marked by the cross. It becomes a stumbling block to evangelism when it betrays the gospel or lacks a living faith in God, a genuine love for people, or scrupulous honesty in all things including promotion and finance. The church is the community of God’s people rather than an institution, and must not be identified with any particular culture, social or political system, or human ideology.

7. Cooperation in Evangelism

We affirm that the Church’s visible unity in truth is God’s purpose. Evangelism also summons us to unity, because our oneness strengthens our witness, just as our disunity undermines our gospel of reconciliation. We recognize, however, that organisational unity may take many forms and does not necessarily forward evangelism. Yet we who share the same biblical faith should be closely united in fellowship, work, and witness. We confess that our testimony has sometimes been marred by a sinful individualism and needless duplication. We pledge ourselves to seek a deeper unity in truth, worship, holiness, and mission. We urge the development of regional and functional cooperation for the furtherance of the Church’s mission, for strategic planning, for mutual encouragement, and for the sharing of resources and experience.

8. Churches in Evangelistic Partnership

We rejoice that a new missionary era has dawned. The dominant role of western missions is fast disappearing. God is raising up from the younger churches a great new resource for world evangelization and is thus demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelise belongs to the whole body of Christ. All churches should therefore be asking God and themselves what they should be doing both to reach their own area and to send missionaries to other parts of the world. A re-evaluation of our missionary responsibility and role should be continuous. Thus, a growing partnership of churches will develop, and the universal character of Christ’s Church will be more clearly exhibited. We also thank God for agencies which labour in Bible translation, theological education, the mass media, Christian literature, evangelism, missions, church renewal and other specialist fields. They too should engage in constant self-examination to evaluate their effectiveness as part of the Church’s mission.

9. The Urgency of The Evangelistic Task

More than 2,700 million people, which is more than two-thirds of all humanity, have yet to be evangelised. We are ashamed that so many have been neglected; it is a standing rebuke to us and to the whole Church. There is now, however, in many parts of the world an unprecedented receptivity to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are convinced that this is the time for churches and para-church agencies to pray earnestly for the salvation of the unreached and to launch new efforts to achieve world evangelization. A reduction of foreign missionaries and money in an evangelised country may sometimes be necessary to facilitate the national church’s growth in self-reliance and to release resources for unevangelised areas. Missionaries should flow ever more freely from and to all six continents in a spirit of humble service. The goal should be, by all available means and at the earliest possible time, that every person will have the opportunity to hear, understand, and to receive the good news. We cannot hope to attain this goal without sacrifice. All of us are shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices which cause it. Those of us who live in affluent circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple lifestyle to contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism.

10. Evangelism and Culture

The development of strategies for world evangelization calls for imaginative pioneering methods. Under God, the result will be the rise of churches deeply rooted in Christ and closely related to their culture. Culture must always be tested and judged by Scripture. Because men and women are God’s creatures, some of their culture is rich in beauty and goodness. Because they are fallen, all of it is tainted with sin and some of it is demonic. The gospel does not presuppose the superiority of any culture to another but evaluates all cultures according to its own criteria of truth and righteousness and insists on moral absolutes in every culture. Missions have all too frequently exported with the gospel an alien culture and churches have sometimes been in bondage to culture rather than to Scripture. Christ’s evangelists must humbly seek to empty themselves of all but their personal authenticity to become the servants of others, and churches must seek to transform and enrich culture, all for the glory of God.

11. Education and Leadership

We confess that we have sometimes pursued church growth at the expense of church depth, and divorced evangelism from Christian nurture. We also acknowledge that some of our missions have been too slow to equip and encourage national leaders to assume their rightful responsibilities. Yet we are committed to indigenous principles, and long that every church will have national leaders who manifest a Christian style of leadership in terms not of domination but of service. We recognise that there is a great need to improve theological education, especially for church leaders. In every nation and culture there should be an effective training programme for pastors and laity in doctrine, discipleship, evangelism, nurture, and service. Such training programmes should not rely on any stereotyped methodology but should be developed by creative local initiatives according to biblical standards.

12. Spiritual Conflict

We believe that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil, who are seeking to overthrow the Church and frustrate its task of world evangelization. We know our need to equip ourselves with God’s armour and to fight this battle with the spiritual weapons of truth and prayer. For we detect the activity of our enemy, not only in false ideologies outside the Church, but also inside it in false gospels which twist Scripture and put people in the place of God. We need both watchfulness and discernment to safeguard the biblical gospel. We acknowledge that we ourselves are not immune to worldliness of thoughts and action, that is, to a surrender to secularism. For example, although careful studies of church growth, both numerical and spiritual, are right and valuable, we have sometimes neglected them. At other times, desirous to ensure a response to the gospel, we have compromised our message, manipulated our hearers through pressure techniques, and become unduly preoccupied with statistics or even dishonest in our use of them. All this is worldly. The Church must be in the world; the world must not be in the Church.

13. Freedom and Persecution

It is the God-appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of peace, justice, and liberty in which the Church may obey God, serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and preach the gospel without interference. We therefore pray for the leaders of nations and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought and conscience, and freedom to practise and propagate religion in accordance with the will of God and as set forth in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also express our deep concern for all who have been unjustly imprisoned, and especially for those who are suffering for their testimony to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their freedom. At the same time, we refuse to be intimidated by their fate. God helping us, we too will seek to stand against injustice and to remain faithful to the gospel, whatever the cost. We do not forget the warnings of Jesus that persecution is inevitable.

14. The Power of The Holy Spirit

We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent his Spirit to bear witness to his Son; without his witness ours is futile. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth and Christian growth are all his work. Further, the Holy Spirit is a missionary spirit; thus, evangelism should arise spontaneously from a Spirit-filled church. A church that is not a missionary church is contradicting itself and quenching the Spirit. Worldwide evangelization will become a realistic possibility only when the Spirit renews the Church in truth and wisdom, faith, holiness, love, and power. We therefore call upon all Christians to pray for such a visitation of the sovereign Spirit of God that all his fruit may appear in all his people and that all his gifts may enrich the body of Christ. Only then will the whole church become a fit instrument in his hands, that the whole earth may hear his voice.

15. The Return of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power and glory, to consummate his salvation and his judgment. This promise of his coming is a further spur to our evangelism, for we remember his words that the gospel must first be preached to all nations. We believe that the interim period between Christ’s ascension and return is to be filled with the mission of the people of God, who have no liberty to stop before the end. We also remember his warning that false Christs and false prophets will arise as precursors of the final Antichrist. We therefore reject as a proud, self-confident dream the notion that people can ever build a utopia on earth. Our Christian confidence is that God will perfect his kingdom, and we look forward with eager anticipation to that day, and to the new heaven and earth in which righteousness will dwell and God will reign forever. Meanwhile, we rededicate ourselves to the service of Christ and of people in joyful submission to his authority over the whole of our lives.

Conclusion

Therefore, in the light of this our faith and our resolve, we enter a solemn covenant with God and with each other, to pray, to plan and to work together for the evangelization of the whole world. We call upon others to join us. May God help us by his grace and for his glory to be faithful to this our covenant! Amen, Alleluia!

Core Values

1. God's Word - The Bible:

The Bible stands as the cornerstone of our ministry, serving as the divinely inspired Word of God. It holds the ultimate authority in guiding our lives and shaping our ministry endeavours. We are steadfast in our commitment to diligently study the Scriptures, apply their teachings in our daily lives, and faithfully impart their truths.

2. Love:

Love, a conscious choice, forms the bedrock of our actions. Our every endeavour is an expression of love for God, His people, and every individual we encounter. Whether interacting with GCS colleagues, church leaders, church members, the general public, or individuals of different religious persuasions (or none), every member of the GCS Team is dedicated to extending the highest degree of respect and love in all circumstances.

3. Jesus' Body and Bride - The Church:

The church, as both the body and bride of Christ, holds a central place in our mission. We are deeply committed to collaborating with local churches in fulfilling the Great Commission.

4. The Great Commission - Evangelism and Discipleship:

We wholeheartedly embrace the Great Commission, which compels us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone, prioritizing urgency and culturally sensitive presentations. Additionally, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive discipleship for each new believer and fostering partnerships with like-minded organizations that share our vision.

5. Dependency on God - Prayer and Fasting:

Our commitment to prayer and fasting underscores our dependence on God for the salvation of the lost and for His divine guidance, strength, and empowerment through the Holy Spirit as we carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached.

6. God-Honouring Witness - Integrity:

Integrity is the cornerstone of our personal and organisational conduct. We adhere to a life of unwavering integrity, marked by accountability in every facet of our existence, including:

• Lifestyle choices
• Interpersonal relationships
• Financial stewardship
• Ministry management
• Ethical evangelism practices

These core values serve as the ethical and spiritual compass guiding our actions, ensuring that we honour God, demonstrate Christ's love, and faithfully fulfil our mission to proclaim the Gospel.

GCS, an organisation staffed entirely by volunteers without salaried personnel, places a premium on trust and the safeguarding of sensitive internal information. To protect both the integrity of our mission and the confidential nature of our operations, we have established the following agreement, which every Team Member is required to acknowledge and sign:

1. Commitment to the Local Church:

Every member of the GCS Team commits to active membership or attendance at a local church, or fellowship.

2. Personal Study and Spiritual Growth:

Each GCS Team Member is encouraged to engage in daily Bible reading, study, and prayer. Volunteers involved in evangelism are expected to participate in the GCS Mentorship Programme (or an equivalent program as agreed upon).

3. Interdenominational Work:

GCS's primary mission is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and promote discipleship. Team Members will refrain from promoting any particular denomination or doctrinal perspective.

4. Commitment to Spreading the Gospel Regularly:

Team Members are expected to actively support and participate in the regular dissemination of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. Financial Responsibility:

Team Members are not authorised to expend organisation funds unless provided with explicit written instructions and permission, along with clear guidance.

• All approved expenditures must be accompanied by a receipt.
• Full-time GCS Team Members are required to register as "self-employed" unless they are retired from employment. Compliance with tax laws is mandatory, and for the UK information can be found at www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/self-employed.
• We recommend registering with an organisation like Stewardship Services www.stewardship.org.uk or similar, for guidance on receiving financial contributions in support of your ministry. GCS workers are expected to faithfully report and submit all financial income for tax purposes, with an openness to provide tax returns to the trustees if requested.

6. Policies & Procedures:

GCS Team Members must acquaint themselves with and adhere to GCS's established policies and procedures, which are accessible through the GCS Office.

7. Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Websites, etc.):

Each Team Member is responsible for upholding GCS's vision, mission statement, statement of faith, core values, and accountability and confidentiality agreement when participating in any social media activities related to GCS. When making posts on behalf of GCS, Team Members are expected to adhere to provided guidelines.

8. Confidentiality:
   • Team Members may have access to confidential information regarding other Team Members and GCS, including technology data, passwords, business details, financial information, and internal operations.

• Confidential information must remain strictly confidential and may not be disclosed to any third party under any circumstances.
• Upon departure from the organisation, Team Members are legally bound to maintain the confidentiality of all organisational details, operations, and information, refraining from sharing it with any third parties.
• Breach of this confidentiality agreement will result in appropriate legal actions.

9. Leaving GCS:

Upon leaving the GCS Team, Team Members must:

• Return all confidential information held on their electronic devices.
• Delete said information from their electronic devices once it has been returned.

By signing this Confidentiality Accountability Agreement, Team Members not only affirm their commitment to the principles and values essential for the trust and integrity of GCS but also recognise the legal and ethical obligation to protect the internal details and operations of the organisation from any unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

By signing this Confidentiality Accountability Agreement, Team Members not only affirm their commitment to the principles and values essential for the trust and integrity of GCS but also recognise the legal and ethical obligation to protect the internal details and operations of the organisation from any unauthorised disclosure to third parties.