Family Ministry Agreement

Thank you for your interest in serving as a volunteer in family ministry. We appreciate your willingness to take the time to fill out an application and to attend one of our orientations and to be interviewed. There are a few things we want to make sure we say up front as you begin the orientation process.

By stepping into a leadership role in one of our family ministry environments, you are stepping into a position of influence. Our children and teenagers will watch you closely and take what you say seriously. And we think that is a good thing. Leaders should be role models. The challenge is that being a role model is all-encompassing. As a role model, your lifestyle is part of the equation. What you present on Sunday should be consistent with who you are in your various roles the remainder of the week.

In the past, that was all that needed to be said. There was consensus around what constituted consistency between Sunday morning behavior and life in general. As culture has changed, however, there is a need to be more specific. The three issues that surface the most have to do with social media, sexuality, and substance abuse.

The last thing we want to do is put you in a position where you feel pressure to teach, represent, or appear to give assent to a view on one of these subjects that you do not personally embrace. So on these three subjects, here is what we expect volunteers to embrace, communicate, and model:

Regarding Social Media Behavior:
The kids in your small group will visit your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Snapchat, Pinterest, personal blog, etc.). So will their parents. While social media can be a great connection tool, it also serves as a window into your life beyond Sunday. In light of that, we ask that you leverage social media with your group members in mind. Be thoughtful about the pictures and videos you post as well as the way you choose to express your thoughts and opinions. We realize this is a judgment call. In reality, each of us represent Jesus to a watching world. Keeping this thought in mind will help us all leverage social media in a way that honors Him. If you have any questions regarding your specific situation and the requirements outlined in this document, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Regarding Sexuality:
Our interpretation of the Scripture leads us to teach that human beings were created as male and female and that sex was created by God as an exclusive expression of intimacy between a man and woman within the covenant of marriage. Our desire is to be consistent and clear in this teaching while preventing situations where any volunteer leader might feel forced to represent something he or she is not or to teach something he or she does not believe. In light of this desire, if you disagree with or identify in a way that is inconsistent with this statement we ask that you have a conversation with a staff member about when it might be appropriate for you to serve in family ministry or about other service options within the church.

Regarding Substance Behavior:
If you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse or excessiveness, this might be something God uses in a positive way to steer a future generation in a different direction. If you feel that this is part of your message, and perhaps part of your motivation for wanting to get involved with family ministry, we would love to talk with you further. We believe that with sufficient time away from excessive use and/or abuse of drugs or alcohol, people can make progress toward more healthy behaviors. If consuming alcohol or other drugs to the point of being unable to drive or to the point of it being illegal for you to drive is a regular part of your weekend/weeknight routine, we invite you to meet with us for a conversation about when it might be appropriate for you to serve in family ministry. If in the past twelve months you have been in inpatient or outpatient treatment in regards to substance abuse, or if you have ever been arrested or convicted for a substance abuse related matter, we invite you to meet with us for a conversation about when it might be appropriate for you to serve in family ministry.

Personal Release Agreement:
As part of my volunteer experience with Journey Christian Church, Inc. (Journey), I understand that my name, image (in photograph and/or video), or statements, (collectively “Contribution”) may become part of a promotional video or product produced by Journey. I grant Journey and Journey’s publishers and partners the right to use my Contribution in all forms and media and for use in advertising and promotion. I waive my right to approve of or inspect the use of my name, image, and/or statement in the product and acknowledge that I have no ownership rights in the product. I release Journey and Journey’s assigns, licensees, and successors from any claims that may arise regarding the use of the Contribution including any claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, infringement of moral rights, rights of publicity, copyright, or right to compensation.