Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures

1. INTRODUCTION

Qualifications for all Leadership

1. Shall give evidence of a genuine experience of salvation. (John 3:3, Rom 6:23).
2. Shall be a person filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues. If they do not possess this experience, they should be seeking this experience. (Ephesians 5:28).
3. Shall be a person who manifest the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12)
4. Leaders should manifest the Fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)
5. Leaders must be willing to follow guidelines and to receive correction from those in authority. (Proverbs 3:11)
6. Leaders must be well versed in the Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15)
7. Leaders must be active members of the Church. (Hebrews 10:25)
8. Leaders must be denomination-ally neutral in our ministry, teaching only that which has been approved. (1 Corinthians 3:3-11)
9. Leaders must be totally committed and available to the Lord. (2 Timothy 2:3-6, Hebrews 12:1-2)
10. Leaders must be obedient to the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:2)
11. Leaders must work in forgiveness as a lifestyle in order to minister effectively. (Matthew 6:14-15)
12. Leaders must be supporting the Church through their tithes. (Mal 3:8-10)
13. All leaders will refrain from being part of any club or organization that is a secret fraternity, club, or society.
14. Whereas the Bible admonishes us to be good examples, we recommend that all leaders refrain from the use of tobacco, alcohol or narcotics in any form. (Should someone being considered for leadership and have the habit of smoking, they should be seeking the Lord in helping them stop.)
15. Leaders are expected to actively take part in the ministry of winning souls.
16. To become a leader you must have been active in Church for a period of 90 days prior to appointment. (I Th. 5:12) (Their previous pastor may submit a questionnaire on behalf of person to eliminate the 90 day waiting period) or (Be holding ministerial credential)
17. All people that will be working with minors and children in any way must complete an application for children/youth work and be approved prior to working in these areas.
18. Any leader that will be transporting youth or children by vehicle shall have good driving record.

GENERAL DUTIES

1. They shall perform their duties as designated in the following job descriptions.
2. They shall not talk about any of the leadership in a derogatory way. (This is ground for immediate dismissal)
3. Any problems that may arise within the church shall be brought before the pastor immediately.
4. No leader shall conduct or take part in any meeting involving the church membership that has not been approved by the pastor prior to the meeting.
5. Any leader hearing gossip shall judge whether it is important and, must immediately report to the pastor. If his spouse hears gossip then she shall report it to her husband where he shall determine if it is necessary to report to the pastor. If it is not important then it shall be dropped and not picked up again.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

1. Leaders shall always be clean, bathed and well groomed.
2. It is important that you do not have bad breath. Use breath fresheners or mints frequently.

3. Men should check watch band for odor. While praying for people your wrist is directly in front of their nose and we do not want to offend.

Personal hygiene plays an important part in how people perceive the church. You are a representative of our church and we want to do the best we can.

1. OUR ORGANIZATION
2. WELCOME TO OUR STAFF

Welcome to our staff. Our goal is to help you grow in the ministry that God has called you to. If you ever have a problem or a suggestion we want you to feel free to come and talk with us. We want you to know that our door is open to you at any time, feel free to come and talk. We consider our leaders very important to the operation and ministry of this church.

 

1. WHERE WE ARE NOW

We are a church on the grow, with a vision of helping people. Strong people make strong churches.

1. WHERE WE ARE GOING

We have a vision of reaching our entire community with the gospel. Helping families become the best that they can be. Our goal is not so much to build a church but to build strong people for strong people build strong churches.

1. OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR LEADERS

To our leaders we commit ourselves, our time, and our resources. Our goal is to help you excel in the ministry that God placed on your life. We commit to be open with you and share the knowledge we have, that you might grow. We will exhort and correct as the situation dictates with love.

1. CONTINUED GROWTH WILL BRING CHANGE

We realize there is change in growth. These changes many times bring with them unique problems. With this in mind be want to be prepared to deal with these things in the most effective ways to insure the continuing growth of our leaders and church. These problems bring conflict which must be handled effectively.

1. CHURCH ATTENDANCE

It is assumed that all leaders and members of the staff are “born again” Christians. Therefore, it is expected that regular church attendance will be a part of your schedule. Regular church attendance is herein interpreted as attending all regularly scheduled church services. In the event of special scheduled services (i.e. evangelistic, or revival meetings) your attendance is expected as often as possible. It is your responsibility to inform those that you are accountable to as to your absence. This helps us in preparing to meet the needs of those that attend any particular service. (You are important in us being able to accomplish this)

1. TITHING

Whereas the Bible teaches tithing, we urge all our leaders to make this covenant with God. Our leaders are expected to support the church and its programs with their financial means.

 

1. CONFIDENTIALITY

It is the responsibility of all church leaders to safeguard sensitive information regarding the church. The nature of our ministry and the

economic well‑being of our church and its constituents is dependent upon protecting and maintaining proprietary church information. Continued service with the church is contingent upon compliance with this policy. Sensitive church information is defined as “any information that would in any way bring harm or bring disunity unnecessarily”.

1. DISAGREEMENTS

Any time there are two people there will eventually be disagreements. When these disagreements happen one of two things may take place.

1. They will not talk about it.
2. They will discuss it and get it straightened out.

We want such an atmosphere where you do not feel intimidated when you have such a problem, but you can come and discuss the situation and get it straightened out.

1. CONFLICT

Wherever there are disagreements then there is conflict.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

The choice is not whether to experience conflict or not, but whether it will be managed constructively or destructively. The most effective organizations are ones that develop processes for managing conflict.

Definition of Conflict:

Conflict is simply a clash of differing points of view, of opinions, of values.

A conflict is a situation in which two or more human beings desire goals which they perceive as being attainable by one or the other but not by both.

That condition which always exists when two or more interdependent parties interact.

The active striving for one’s preferred outcome which, if attained, precludes the attainment by others of their preferred outcome, thereby producing hostility.

 

An expressed struggle, perception of incompatible goals, perception of scarce rewards, and interdependence coupled with interference are the common elements underlying all conflicts.

Conflict is the interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatible goals and interference from each other in achieving those goals.

Conflict may then be defined as a situation of competition in which the parties are aware of the incompatibility of potential future positions and in which each party wishes to occupy a position that is incompatible with the wishes of another.

One of the reasons we experience conflict so acutely within the church is that everything hinges on relationships. Working with people, especially within a volunteer organization, can drain you physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Success in ministry often depends on getting along with people.

1. Causes of Conflict

There are various and multiple causes, or sources, of conflict. Rarely is conflict the result of one isolated incident or single cause. There are usually multiple contributors to conflict and they all interact with one another. However, in conflict situations, primary causes can be isolated.

Community Change Assumptions

Financial Stress Fear

Closed Power Systems Needs

Prescriptive Expectations Desire For Power

Performance Get Even

Values Feel Important, Self-esteem

Leadership Style Methods

Legitimate Differences Goals

Emotions Stress

Personalities Outside Personal Factors

Sin Nature Of Volunteer Organization

The Flesh Structure Of The Organization

Attitudes Shades Of Color Regarding Everything

Change

1. Indicators of Conflict

SYMPTOMS OF CONFLICT WITHIN THE CHURCH

• Internal division
• Parish members informally organizing cliques and factions
• Increasing use of voting to make decisions
• Long, drawn-out, personally unfulfilled meetings
• Sharply increased attendance at certain meetings
• Decreasing attendance over the long run
• Increasing use of hostile language
• Experiencing other members as enemies
• Feelings of fear that the organization is out of control
• Win/lose attitudes in decision making
• People looking for conspiracies
• Conspiracies
• Increased discussion about the goals of the church indicating a breakdown in consensus
• Increased incongruity between what people say at meetings and what they say over the phone concerning church matters
• Unfocused anxiety and anger
• Displacement: people looking for reasons to disagree without naming (or sometimes without knowing) the “real” problem
• Acting out: over responding or other incongruous behavior
• Members transferring membership
• Every issue at every meeting experienced as part of a larger struggle
• Communication patterns change (often withdrawal of key people or groups or they become indirect)
• Friendship patterns change
• Increasing mistrust of others
• Painful pressure on the minister: trying to hold things together, sense of personal failure.
• Voting patterns indicating the rise of opposition to leadership
• Direct protest of a policy or a decision
• Change in attendance at meetings from well established members
• Change in revenue\pledges not paid
• A persisting issue of abrasive quality that just won’t be settled
• The withdrawal of support by some of the power structure
• An increase in polarization
• An increase in telephoning amongst the membership
• Frequent resignations from positions of leadership
• Polarization of opinions and the formation of factions
• Personal animosity develops
• Parties focus on the last insult
• Extreme positions are assumed
• The issues multiply and fuse

 

3. Predictable times of Conflict

Leadership is better prepared for conflict if they know when it is most likely to arise. It is one thing to know that conflict is coming, but it is even better to know when it is coming. Here are the ten most predictable times of conflict in the church.

1. i) Easter
2. ii) Stewardship campaigns

iii) New Staff

1. iv) The Pastor’s vacation
2. v) Changes in the pastor’s family
3. vi) A strong move of God changing lives within the church

vii) The completion of a new building

viii) Loss of membership

1. ix) Increase in church membership
2. x) Changes in tradition (CHANGE)
3. Congregational Patterns

Believe it or not, congregations, like individuals, have corporate patterns of dealing with conflict. The church is like a family and often the behavior of family members is practiced apart from the conscious decision of the individual (marital problems, divorce, abuse, suicide, etc…).

In the church family there are myriads of unwritten rules determining how one goes about disagreeing. Does one go directly to the pastor, gossip to friends, publicly avoid it but work behind the scenes to get one’s way, etc…? We must learn to deal with congregational conflict even though it may not be a conscious choice.

5. The Conflict Cycle

Conflict arises when the actions of one party threatens the values, goals, or behaviors of another party.

Conflict always involves

1. i) Action

The behavior of one party;

1. ii) Threat

Threatens to take, damage or destroy a “territory” which is claimed by another party: thus,

iii) Reaction

Causing the threatened party to react in ways intended to protect the claim on their territory.

6. Mind and Emotion

Feelings are just as important as facts and figures in conflict management. People’s feelings during conflict must be acknowledged and expressed. To deny or repress feelings is to ask for difficulty later. If feelings and emotions are not expressed, they will stay with the individual resulting in a lack of commitment to agreed upon solutions, frustration at not being heard, and future displacement of those frustrations in other situations.

People must vent, especially when the conflict centers around emotionally charged issues. Help individuals express their feelings and give them permission to do so. Give permission to talk about feelings, not act them out. Ask them to identify their feelings, share them. By expressing that you desire to hear how they feel and understand them, you are helping that person feel supported, heard, understood, affirmed, and more in control of his/her feelings than if repressed or denied.

7. The Results of Conflict

Negative Results

Personal hurt

Possibility of rigid structures

Dysfunctional Church

Disintegrating and dissociation of relationships

Bitterness (didn’t get their way)

Positive Results

Empowerment process

Established identity

Group solidarity

Sets example for future conflict

Can find more creative/agreeable solutions

Issues are explored more fully and clarified

Stronger commitment to solutions

People are communicating

Develop new understanding of another’s point of view, assumptions, expectations

Brings about new ways of thinking and doing things

Self reviewal of attitudes and feelings

8. Communication in Conflict

Communication plays a key role whenever conflict exists. On the one hand, conflict cannot exist without communication and on the other hand conflict cannot be resolved without communication. Communication, then, can be used constructively or destructively; it can be used to enhance resolution or detract form it. Individuals, or groups, must be able to express themselves and be understood if resolution is to come. Thus, communication is an essential ingredient to the conflict process.

During conflict communication tends to break down. We often find that people stop talking to one another, or when they do speak to one another, they are vague and cautious and only communicate when socially obligated. Sometimes people deliberately communicate false and inaccurate information, or malicious statements toward another. When this occurs, obviously the communication system has broken down and must be restored.

Nonverbal Communication

Healthy communication occurs when nonverbal behaviors and verbal statements are congruous and coincide with one another.

Good Listening

Good listening is not: Good listening is:

1. Merely waiting to respond 1. Hearing words and feelings
2. Condemnation of content or 2. Objective reception of both

How it is delivered

3. Clearly making your own case 3. Ability to restate other’s content and feelings
4. DISCIPLINE

In the event that there are disagreements that cannot be resolved, or where leaders are sowing discord among the brethren then charges may be filed against that leader.

All charges against a leader shall be in writing with the signature of at least two accusers. The Pastor shall appoint a suitable place and convenient time to meet concerning these charges.

1. No question can be asked nor any evidence be submitted, unless the question and evidence have a direct bearing on the charges already filed.

It is the duty of the chairman to enforce this procedure.

2. This board of Inquiry shall consist of the Pastor and all board members both Elders and Deacons. Should either party be dissatisfied with the decision rendered, he may appeal to the church body, whose decision is final. The defendant shall be considered innocent until proven guilty.
3. If the defendant confesses and truly repents and shows a contrite heart, recommendation is made for leniency, and if possible, full restoration, after a suitable time of probation of not less than 90 days.
4. If the charges are against the Pastor, the procedure shall be the same except the next in the chain of command shall act as chairman.
5. If the charges are proven true and of sufficient serious nature, the defendant’s name may be ordered removed from the church membership list. The defendant shall have the right to appeal to the Church Body, whose decision is final.
6. If the defendant is innocent and the charges are false, then the motives of the accusers may be examined, and if the accusers or witnesses are found to be untrue or malicious, then they shall be deemed guilty of malicious slander, trouble making and causing division, and as such may be disciplined, even to the extent of the removal of their names from the Church Membership list if considered of sufficient import.
7. A person who has once been tried and proven innocent, or who has repented and made restitution, shall not be tried the second time on the same charges. Any person or persons causing dissension or division by referring to the former charges, either by mouth or by writing, shall be liable to discipline. “where there is no tale-bearer, strife ceases” (Proverbs 26:20).
8. Any accused leader, after having been found innocent by the Church board, upon request, may have a letter of recommendation presented to the church body confirming their innocence.

 

1. RESTORATION POLICY

Dismissal and Restoration

1. It shall be left to the discretion of the Board of inquiry as to whether the circumstances of the case call for a leaders suspension with restoration, or if he shall be dismissed without restoration. In the event restoration is not feasible or fails, the leader shall be marked as per (Romans 16:17).
2. Restoration. When it has been determined, either by a confession of the leader involved or by deliberation of the Board, that there is cause for disciplinary action as a result of a violation of the Churches principles as set forth in the bylaws and leaders manual; it shall then be the responsibility of the Church Board to determine a program of restoration, if deemed feasible. Recognizing that the underlying principle involved in discipline is redemptive the following provision for restoration shall apply:
3. Period of Time. The period of restoration shall not be less than 90 days.
4. Procedure and Requirements. The following procedure shall be used by the Church Board in determining the specific requirements of restoration for the individual leader.
5. Suspension. The leader shall be considered to be under suspension during the entire period of restoration. The extent to which he may be permitted to minister, if any, shall first be determined by the Board of Inquiry. Certain offenses may not require complete cessation of leaders activities, although some restrictions or limitations may be imposed.
6. Completion of Restoration. When the restoration period is satisfactorily completed, the leader shall be considered in good standing and their status restored.