Every church should have a policy statement for its men’s team ministry. A policy statement insures that the ministry operates in a safe and orderly way. Policy statements should be brief and easy to remember. No one benefits from a convoluted policy statement that is locked away in a drawer and forgotten.
Below is a basic policy statement that New Commandment Men’s Ministries gives churches to use as a starting point. All policy statements should be developed in conjunction with, and approved by, your church leadership. After final approval, give your policy statement to both your care givers (when you do their training) and care receivers so everyone knows the ground rules.
- All care givers must undergo background checks.
Most churches have this policy for volunteers who work with their children. Your men’s team ministry should have the same policy as well.
- No team member can go to the home of a care receiver alone.
We want each team building a relationship with its care receiver as a team, not as individuals. Adhering to this policy keeps everything above board.
- No team member can be alone in a room with a care receiver’s child of any age.
This policy protects both the children of care receivers as well as the care givers themselves (from false accusations).
- If a care receiver needs help with budgeting, debt relief, etc., your pastor or appropriate staff person must be notified.
This policy enables a team to help its care receiver with financial management, but requires church staff oversight during the process.
- At no time can a team member give a care receiver investment advice.
This policy protects a care receiver’s assets from a well meaning, but overeager and unqualified, team member’s “hot tips.”
- Building codes and city ordinances must be followed.
Doing something nice for someone doesn’t give a team the right to break the law.
- Work requiring licensed professionals must be done by licensed professionals.
Examples are brake work on a car or electrical work on a home.
Your church will have other concerns it will want to address in its final men’s team ministry policy statement. For example, one church’s insurance company required the church to not allow its men to get on the roofs of their care receivers’ homes. (I’ve dealt with the issue of liability in another post. You can read it here.)
A simple, easy to remember policy statement ensures that your men’s team ministry runs safely and smoothly.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
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