Children and Youth Ministry Policies & Codes of Conduct and Behavior
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SAINT JAMES EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRY POLICIES & CODES OF CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOR Approved: September, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Children and Youth Ministry Vision - Mission - Core Values 2 Definition of Terms 4 Requirements for Anyone Working with Youth 5 Drivers 5 Disqualified Persons 6 Use and Storage of Documents 6 Supervisory Guidelines 7 Public View 7 Supervision Ratios 7 Safety Procedures 8 Permission Slips 8 Drop Off at On-Site Activity 8 Pick Up from On-Site Activity 8 Bathroom Use 8 Overnight Activities 9 Off-Site Activities 9 Social Media 9 Opting-In to Social Media Relationships 10 Publishing Personal Information 10 Injury On or Off Site 11 Desirable and Undesirable Behaviors 11 Code of Conduct and Behavior 12 Child/Youth Code of Conduct and Behavior 13 Behavior Improvement Procedures 14 Bullying 15 Responses and Reporting Observed or Suspected Abuse 16 Required Reporting 17 Response to Suspected Allegations of Abuse and Neglect Policy 18 Incident Response Plan for Suspected Abuse at Church or Church Event 19 Policy Management 20 Policy Review 20 Policy Approval 20 References and Agencies 21 Attachment A: Compliance Agreement Form 22 Attachment B: Child and Youth Volunteer Application 23 Attachment C: Child and Youth Volunteer Application- Short Form 27 Attachment D: Volunteer Driver Form 28 Attachment E: Child and Youth Safety Policy Incident Report Form 30 Attachment F: Permission to Obtain Background Check Form 31 Attachment: Permission Forms 32 Appendix: Protecting Children and Youth in Emergency and Unsafe Situations 1 CHILDREN and YOUTH MINISTRY VISION - MISSION - CORE VALUES OUR VISION What We Hope God Will Do Through Us As We Are Faithful to the Mission Our vision is for every one of our children and youth to be: POSITIVE that God loves them and that He has a good plan and purpose for their lives PERSUADED that God’s way really is the best way. PASSIONATE for Jesus Christ, for His church, for the needy, and for the lost. PREPARED for life, for relationships, for service, and for leadership. OUR MISSION What We Believe God Has Called Us to Do We believe God has called us, in partnership with parents, to: ● INVEST in the next generation of young people in significant ways by helping them see what God has done for them. ● INSTRUCT them in the core doctrines and disciplines of the Lutheran faith along with principles for living healthy, wise and productive lives. ● INSPIRE them by our example and challenge them to take faith-filled risks. ● IGNITE them with the awareness that we cannot by our own reason or strength accomplish this, but through the Holy Spirit we may have a passion for Jesus Christ, a love for the lost, a commitment to the local church, and finally, to launch them into the world prepared for life, for relationships, for service, and for leadership. OUR CORE VALUES How We Believe God Would Have Us Accomplish the Mission In order to accomplish the vision God has given us, the mission will be guided by the following core values: INVEST Time- We commit to investing in our children and youth by spending both quality and quantity time with them. Love- We commit to investing in our children and youth by loving them unconditionally, cheerfully, and faithfully, and expressing that love in appropriate ways. 2 Prayer- We commit to investing in our children and youth by praying for and with them faithfully. Mentoring- We commit to investing in our children and youth by mentoring them through their questions of faith and daily experiences in one-on-one or small group settings. INSTRUCT Teaching- We commit to instructing our children and youth in the core doctrines of the Christian faith in ways that creatively engage their hearts and minds. Equipping- We commit to instructing our children and youth to equip them to grow spiritually and to to lead healthy, wise, and productive lives. INSPIRE Modeling- We commit that in order to inspire our children and youth, we must be passionate followers of Jesus Christ and to lead healthy, wise, and productive lives. Challenging- We commit that in order to inspire our children and youth, we must challenge them to live for Christ with all of their hearts and to join us in taking faith-filled risks for Christ. IGNITE Mobilizing- We commit that in order to ignite our children and youth with a passion for Christ and others, we must regularly create opportunities for them to worship, serve the Church, minister to the needy, and evangelize. Launching- We commit that in order to ignite our children and youth and properly launch them into their future, we must prepare them for service to God, life’s challenges, for healthy relationships, and for leadership. FIVE THINGS WE HOPE EVERY CHILD AND YOUTH AT SAINT JAMES KNOWS … 1. God loves you and so do we. 2. You are safe here. 3. You are special. 4. God has a plan for you. 5. God’s way really is the best way. Trust Him. 3 DEFINITION OF TERMS Activities sponsored by: phrases such as “activity sponsored by”, “activities sponsored by” and “church sponsored” encompass any event, group, ministry, program, or service provided by, or organized under, the auspices of Saint James. Child/Children: a minor from birth to age 11. Leader: the staff member or volunteer in charge of the class, activity, or event. Policy: mandatory requirement, e.g., mandated reporters of suspected child abuse Young adult: an adult age 19 to 23. Youth: a minor from age 12 to 18. Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church: may also be known or referred to as Saint James, Saint James Lutheran Church, Saint James Lutheran, SJLC, and the Church. Social media: including, but not limited to, email, texts, Facebook, and websites. Staff: anyone compensated for work by Saint James including, but not limited to, called pastors, full-time staff members, part-time staff members, temporary workers, interns, and independent contractors. Volunteer: one who offers of his/her own free will and without expectation of compensation to lead or provide care for the children and youth who participate in activities sponsored by Saint James. 4 REQUIREMENTS FOR ANYONE WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH Each staff member and volunteer plays a key role in fostering the spiritual development of the children and youth in our Church community. Use of Compliance Agreement Form All staff and volunteers working with children/youth will be asked to sign the “Compliance Agreement Form” indicating that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with the Saint James policies, practices, and procedures. Requirements for Volunteers. Volunteers working with children and youth must: ● Complete and submit a “Child and Youth Volunteer Application Form”. This form must be completed every five (5) years. In the interim years, volunteers will be required to complete a “Child and Youth Volunteer ‘Short’ Form” verifying that the information provided in their application is still accurate and truthful. ● Submit to an initial criminal background check with permission to run additional checks every five (5) years or more often if necessary. ● Be at least 18 years of age in order to serve in an adult volunteer role. Youth are encouraged to volunteer and may assist adults, but may not take the place of adult volunteers. ● Be a Saint James member for a minimum of six months with regular church attendance. Regular participation in Bible class is strongly encouraged. ● *Have lived in the community for 1 year and provided references that they are a person in good standing in the community. ● Attend an orientation meeting or meet with an appropriate staff person to review these guidelines and policies annually. *If the individual is new to the community or a new member, before working with children or youth they must provide additional references; including his/her previous house of worship leader, indicating the member’s good community standing for at least 1 year in that church. References will be checked and documented. Drivers ● All staff and volunteers who will be driving any children or youth to or from activities sponsored by Saint James must have a valid driver’s license, provide proof of liability insurance, be at least 21 years of age, and have a clean driving record. ● Individuals who have a driving record that suggests a compromise to child and youth safety will not be permitted to drive children or youth. ● Drivers who will be transporting children or youth for an extended period of time (for example, mission trips and retreats) must fill out a Volunteer Driver Information Form and be at least 25 years old. ● Drivers may be prohibited at any time, and for any reason, by Saint James. 5 Disqualified Persons Who Decides What constitutes a disqualifying factor that will keep a person from working with children or youth will be determined by the Lead Pastor and Church Board on a case-by-case basis in light of all the surrounding circumstances. Examples of Disqualifying Factor ● Any person who is currently under investigation for, has pleaded no contest or guilty to, or been convicted of criminal sexual conduct, neglect of a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, or physical abuse, will not be permitted to work or volunteer in any activities sponsored by Saint James involving children or youth. ● Generally, convictions for or pleas of no contest or guilty to an offense involving minors, violence, dishonesty, illegal substances, indecency, and any conduct contrary to the beliefs of Saint James will preclude someone from being permitted to work with children and youth. ● Failure to disclose a criminal conviction when requested may also be a disqualifying factor. ● While participating in or assisting with child/youth/adult programs, volunteers or paid staff are prohibited from the use, possession, distribution of illegal drugs, alcohol, pornography or the misuse of legal drugs.