In Practice - Proactive Policies August 07, 2007

Difficult situations. As a church leader, you've probably been there. Some conflicts and inappropriate behavior beg for correction and re-direction. When churches in the midst of these situations contact us for advice, the heartbreaking reality is that many of them could have been avoided if pro-active policies had been put in place from the beginning. There's nothing like learning from our mistakes (and we've made our share!), but why not eliminate as many sensitive scenarios as we can in advance?

It takes some forethought and advance effort, but you will reap untold rewards when you invest time in creating unmistakably clear guidelines for your staff and volunteers. The goal: conduct beyond reproach. And when that doesn't happen, solid policies give you an straightforward starting point for establishing accountability, as opposed to inconsistent judgment calls. Think about the wide range of ministries offered by your church: What is and isn't "appropriate touch" for your children's ministries? Can alcohol be served at small group functions? What should happen when a pastor is counseling a member of the opposite sex?

We've developed extensive resources to help you in this area. The Employee Policies and Procedures Handbook is a great place to start. And you can also check out Ed's 10 Commandments of Purity for pastors that he shared at a marriage retreat last year.

Of course, we don't want to create so many rules that our staff and volunteers are ill-equipped to perform their roles effectively. Rather, we should strive for smart guidelines that establish a safety net for all parties involved.