Core Values and Essential Leadership Characteristics


Our Values

We shape leaders who are:
  1. Followers of Jesus
  2. Connected to other believers and leaders
  3. Focused on living out their calling
  4. Missional in character and practice
  5. Relevant to their ministry context

Essential Leadership Characteristics

The faculty, staff and administration of Golden Gate work together through the Seminary's curriculum and co-curricular activities to shape leaders by encouraging and promoting personal, spiritual and professional growth in the following arenas:

Leadership characteristics related to being a FOLLOWER OF JESUS:
  1. Following Jesus (J1) --A Christian leader understands the biblical, theological, historical, personal, and experiential foundations of being a follower of Jesus.
  2. Spiritual Disciplines (J2) --A Christian leader practices the spiritual disciplines of being a follower of Jesus.
  3. Christ Commitment (J3) --A Christian leader demonstrates commitment to living as a follower of Jesus through knowing God through Jesus and knowing self.
  4. Integrity (J4) --A Christian leader demonstrates integrity, meaning he or she consistently applies biblical principles in character and actions.
  5. Wisdom (J5) --A Christian leader demonstrates wisdom, meaning he or she follows God’s Spirit to apply biblical principles to complex life situations.
Leadership characteristics related to being CONNECTED to other believers:
  1. The Church (C6) --A Christian leader understands the biblical, theological, historical, personal, and experiential foundations of the local church and the broader faith community.
  2. Servanthood (C7) --A Christian leader relates and serves effectively within his or her faith community.
  3. Courage (C8) --A Christian leader demonstrates courage, meaning he or she risks whatever is necessary to articulate and apply appropriate biblical principles for formative and corrective change.
  4. Creativity (C9) --A Christian leader demonstrates creativity, meaning he or she applies eternal principles in fresh and effective ways.
  5. Relational Competency (C10) --A Christian leader demonstrates relational competency, meaning he or she works with others in a Christ-like way to mobilize them to accomplish God’s purposes.
Leadership characteristics related to being FOCUSED on living out one's calling:
  1. God’s Call (F11) --A Christian leader understands the biblical, theological, historical, personal, and experiential foundations of joining God in His Kingdom purposes.
  2. Focused Life (F12) --A Christian leader focuses his or her life to live out a calling in accordance with God’s Kingdom purposes.
  3. Obedience (F13) --A Christian leader responds with active commitment to God’s call to join Him in His Kingdom purposes.
  4. Passion (F14) --A Christian leader demonstrates passion through his or her life toward the pursuit of God’s call.
Leadership characteristics related to being MISSIONAL in character and practice:
  1. God’s Mission (M15) --A Christian leader understands the biblical, theological, historical, personal, and experiential foundations of God’s redemptive purposes.
  2. Mobilization (M16) --A Christian leader influences and mobilizes others to accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
  3. Missions Commitment (M17) --A Christian leader demonstrates personal commitment to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Leadership characteristics related to being RELEVANT in one's ministry framework:
  1. Relevance (R18) --A Christian leader understands the biblical, theological, historical, personal, and experiential foundations of communicating the gospel in a meaningful way in context.
  2. Contextual Ministry (R19) --A Christian leader is capable of determining how to communicate the gospel effectively within different ministry contexts.
  3. Relevance Commitment (R20) --A Christian leader demonstrates a commitment to interpreting the gospel in his or her context of ministry.
  4. Vision (R21) --A Christian leader is capable of understanding and articulating the form of God’s mission for a particular ministry situation.