MISSIONAL PURPOSE for Faith Community United Methodist Church:

In gratitude for God’s love and grace, we exist to help all persons become God’s children and to grow through faith in Jesus Christ.

VISION:

Faith Community United Methodist Church seeks to continually:

• Show unconditional love and care to all
• Intentionally reach out to welcome and incorporate others into relationship with Christ and his church
• Become increasingly more Christ-like through active learning, relationships, and living our faith
• Actively worship God and serve others for the transformation of the world

CORE VALUES:

1. We have a growing personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
2. The Bible is the inspired true Word of God that is the foundation of our lives and the source of our beliefs.
3. We live to serve Christ, one another, our community, and our world.
4. We value all persons as created in God’s image; treating all with compassion, love, and acceptance.

1.1          PURPOSE

The pages of this handbook provide a general overview of procedures and guidelines that Faith Community United Methodist Church has established for its volunteers. Please read through it carefully.

The handbook should serve as a guide for you as you begin or continue your service at the church. However, it’s obviously not possible to anticipate all situations that could arise in ministry or provide information that answers every possible question. As a result, the church reserves the right to modify, supplement, rescind, or revise any policy or provision, with or without notice, as necessary or appropriate. However, at all times, the church will comply with all applicable laws.

Nothing in this handbook creates a contract of employment. Both traditionally and biblically, churches have long relied on unpaid workers to fulfill their calls to service–not because of reward or remuneration–but out of love and obedience in personal relationship to God. Of course, different ministry roles require different skills and personality types, and neither the church nor the servant can always predict whether things will be a good fit. Therefore, while we hope that your service is both long-term and rewarding, either you or the church can terminate this relationship at any time.

Finally, it’s important that you read and understand the contents of this handbook. If you have any questions or need additional information, please talk with your designated ministry supervisor. If your supervisor doesn’t know the answers, he or she will find the answers and get back to you in a timely manner.

1.2     WELCOME

Welcome to your new position at Faith Community United Methodist Church . The staff and ministry leaders of the church are excited about your gifts and skills, and we look forward to your Kingdom service as part of the church’s mission.

At our church, we sincerely believe that God equips all believers to serve in ministry. In 1 Peter 2:9, God calls his followers “a royal priesthood;” 1 Corinthians 12:1 says that “God gives [spiritual gifts] to each one, just as he determines.”  We sometimes use the term “volunteers” as a convenient way of referring to those who serve, but what we’re really talking about is people who lovingly respond to Jesus’ call to serve in His ministry.

Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that during your service at Faith Community United Methodist Church, you’re representing both our congregation and the Lord as you live out every aspect of your life. As you minister to others here, as well as in your private life away from church, you should be striving toward living in a way that serves as an example to others of your own deepening relationship with God.

1.3     STATEMENT OF FAITH

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, in his sinless life, in his miracles, in his vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood, in his bodily resurrection, in his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in his personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Source: National Association of Evangelical; www.nae.net)

1.4     OPEN DOOR POLICY

Faith Community United Methodist Church encourages all volunteers to provide input and suggestions concerning the ministry area in which they serve, as well as the overall operation and programs of the church.

Your input and suggestions will likely receive the timeliest attention and action if you initially bring your comments to the individual you report to—your team leader. This first step of providing input is especially vital in situations where you have a problem with your supervisor. However, if for some reason that results in inaction or you don’t receive a response, you should approach either the ministry coordinator (representative on the church governing board), a pastoral staff member, or the senior pastor.

This open door policy is important to increasing the quality of the church’s ministries, as well as for correcting problems that may exist in processes or relationships within specific areas of ministry. The church welcomes all input by members, who should sense the freedom to voice any comments or concerns without fear of retribution or reprisal. We know it can seem difficult to initiate such conversations, but Jesus told us directly (see, for example, Matthew 18:15) that we should take the initiative to resolve such things.

1.5     GENERAL GUIDELINES

As a volunteer serving Faith Community United Methodist Church and reaching out to those beyond the church, you agree to be “above reproach” so that the world will see, hear, and respond to the grace of Jesus Christ; and you agree to seek a careful, exemplary Christian lifestyle to encourage other believers and strengthen the church.

You desire and agree that the following statements describe your character as a Christian who desires to serve others:

1. I have made a commitment to Jesus Christ as my Lord.
2. I am a member (or am actively pursuing membership) at our church.
3. I will serve in harmony with the policies and statement of faith of our church.
4. I support the church with my time, money, and loyalty, including participating in the ministries and worship services on a regular basis.
5. I am known for a dedicated Christian life, according to the standards of God’s Word, and I am committed to put any sinful practice out of my life so that my influence to others might be helpful and not a hindrance (Romans 14; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).
6. I am committed to unity, church teamwork, and biblical respect for church leadership (Philippians 2:1-4; Hebrews 13:7, 17).
7. I recognize, accept, pursue, and hold in highest regard the biblical instruction concerning family and marriage responsibility (Ephesians 5:22–6:4; Colossians 3:18-24; 1 Peter 3:1-7).
8. I will not use my volunteer ministry position to further my own interests.
9. I will be genuinely interested in everyone that I serve.
10. I will respect the privacy of the people I serve, and hold in confidence information obtained in the course of my service.
11. I will also respect the privacy of fellow workers, leaders of various ministries within the church, and the church itself.  I, upon completion of my service, will continue to respect the privacy of and maintain confidentiality about those I ministered to, fellow workers, and the church.
12. I will treat my fellow workers with fairness, courtesy, and good faith.
13. I will not exploit the trust of those I serve, my fellow workers, or my supervisors.
14. I will not engage in or condone any form of harassment or discrimination.
15. I will extend respect and cooperation to my fellow workers, my team leader, and to the leadership of the church.
16. If I know that a fellow worker has violated biblical standards, I will follow the biblical principle of bringing this directly to that person’s attention. If this fails to change his or her behavior, I will take the next step and ask one or two others to confront the person with me. If this also fails, I will discretely bring the violation to the attention of church leaders.
17. I will accurately represent my training, experience, skills, competencies, and gifts as they relate to filling a ministry position.
18. I have total commitment to provide excellent ministry wherever God calls me to serve.
19. I will continually assess my own personal strengths, limitations, biases, and effectiveness.
20. I will seek assistance for any problem that impairs my ability to serve in this ministry.