VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK

Inviting people to God, community, and wholeness

VOLUNTEERING - THANK YOU!

Volunteering at Bethany provides an opportunity to engage in the life of the community in meaningful ways that help ourselves and others step into a deeper walk with Christ. In 1 Peter 4:10, Christ asks us to "use the gifts you've been given to serve others." Thank you for saying "yes" to this call! Volunteering takes various forms, but it always provides an opportunity to be transformed as we walk together in our journey of discipleship.

This is your church! Bethany is a group of believers who call this church home, and our hope is that as you join a team, whether by helping make Sundays happen, serving the local community, or investing in the life of those around you, you will feel a deeper, greater connection to God, your community, and yourself.

The aim of this handbook is to help you understand more about volunteering at Bethany. If you have any questions or need more information about the procedures and practices at BCC, please contact your ministry leader or reach out to our general email: staff@churchbcc.org.

VOLUNTEER ROLES

At Bethany, there are three main volunteer roles, each of which have particular requirements to best serve, care for, and protect the population that we are serving. Depending on the specific volunteer area, there may be additional requirements.

Event/Group Volunteers usually serve at a particular event or during Sunday services with a larger group in public settings and serve in a role that requires minimal or on-demand training. Volunteers for a one-time event are not required to review the Volunteer Handbook.
Volunteers Serving with Vulnerable Adults work with vulnerable adults¹ and must complete certain requirements before serving.

¹ At Bethany, we consider vulnerable adults to be anyone who is socially vulnerable, such as those who are refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and those experiencing homelessness, or those who have a physical or cognitive disability.

Family and Belong Ministry Volunteers consistently serve children, youth, and adults with disabilities. These volunteers have a more extensive set of requirements that must be met before serving.

If you aren't sure which volunteer role you're signing up for, contact your leader.

BEING A VOLUNTEER

Process

The process of becoming a volunteer is dependent upon the specific volunteer position. However, the basic process is as follows:

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

When volunteering at Bethany, you will engage with a variety of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Below are some guidelines that can help as you engage volunteer work with the community:

Embody BCC's Core Theology, values, and practices, remembering in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity, always keeping Christ at the center of all that we do.
Provide a hospitable and safe environment for all congregants, especially those that belong to vulnerable groups.
Remain respectful and courteous in demeanor and communications with those inside and outside the church, and treat all people with respect and dignity.
Display honesty and integrity in volunteer relationships, refusing to gossip, slander, mislead, or behave in any way that would cause others to turn against one another.
Receive and offer feedback graciously and respectfully.
In all interactions, maintain an awareness of boundaries. Be sensitive to the appropriateness of engaging both verbally and physically.
Serve with integrity and generosity.
See Conflict Resolution section for guidelines on responding to issues that may arise

Any volunteer operating in conflict with these guidelines may be subject to reassignment or dismissal from their volunteer position. Please bring any questions to your ministry leader before signing this form. By signing, volunteers confirm they agree to and will abide by these guidelines.

Confidentiality

All records and verbal, written, or digital information relating to BCC or its congregation are confidential. Volunteers must, therefore, treat all matters accordingly.

Common examples of information that should remain confidential include:

Any congregant data
Names, emails, and phone numbers of congregants or other volunteers
Medical conditions, allergies, or personal information of congregants
Confidential prayer requests, life situations, or other needs.

Volunteers may not disclose any confidential information unless authorized or required to do so by law. If you are unsure about the confidential nature of specific information, ask your ministry leader for clarification.

By signing this form, volunteers confirm that they agree to and will abide by this confidentiality agreement.

Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is when you have a personal or financial interest that may interfere with the interest and mission of BCC (see Policy 3.2 - Conflict of Interest in the BCC Policy Manual). BCC asks that each volunteer use good judgment, high ethical standards, and honesty in all volunteer-related interactions. To avoid situations which may constitute or be interpreted as conflict of interest, no Bethany volunteer will engage in any business or incur a liability for a debt, cost, or legal duty on behalf of Bethany as a result of their actions that is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her duties or that might benefit the private interest of that volunteer or result in a possible transaction that would benefit that volunteer, such as:

Using church mailing lists, newsletters, or other communication channels to promote a service or product unrelated to Bethany's ministries.
Soliciting gifts or favors from attendees or vendors while performing volunteer duties on behalf of BCC that result in a personal benefit to the private interest of that volunteer.
Soliciting congregants to make a purchase or investment in a business in which the volunteer has a vested interest.

Please talk to your ministry leader ahead of time before engaging in any activity or event that may be perceived as a conflict of interest.

Use of Substances

Volunteers are expected to abstain from the use of illegal or age-restricted substances, such as vape, tobacco, and alcohol, on church premises and during BCC activities. The use of these products on BCC campuses by any person is prohibited. A volunteer taking a prescribed medication with side effects that may impact volunteer duties must inform and obtain approval from their ministry leader. BCC funds may not be used for the purchase of or reimbursement for any of these controlled substances.

SAFETY & ABUSE

Interacting with Vulnerable Populations

It is Bethany's goal and priority to keep all congregants and volunteers safe while engaging in church-sponsored activities. The protection of everyone is the responsibility of staff and volunteers. To that end, we have highlighted some guidelines below to ensure the safety and protection of all, especially vulnerable populations. If you have any questions about these guidelines or observe behavior that you feel violates these guidelines, please report the action immediately to a ministry leader or pastor. Alternatively, you may email staff@churchbcc.org.

Vulnerable populations include vulnerable adults (as defined on page 3) and all minors.

Appropriate Physical Contact. All staff and volunteers are required to observe the following guidelines:

Infant – 3 years: For babies and small children, it is fine to pick them up and hold them on your lap, and give hugs. This is necessary to calm them and make them feel loved and safe. However, please do not kiss any children or get close to their face unnecessarily. This is for the health and safety of our children. If a child can sit on a floor without crying, let them.

4 year – High School: As you engage with kids and students in the life of the church, you are part of their larger story of faith. We encourage you to recognize children and students by offering a fist bump, high five, and verbal praise, as appropriate. Side hugs that are initiated by the child are okay. Avoid drawing attention to a child's body, and focus instead on their character and positive behavior. We follow a 2 adult rule, meaning that no minor is ever alone 1:1 with a non-family member adult. A second adult must always be present.
Buddies: For this demographic, appropriate behavior is dictated by the specific child. Similar to above, encourage the child with praise on their character and positive behavior while limiting physical contact until you know the child.
Vulnerable Adults: For vulnerable adults, some acceptable methods of interaction include waving, thumbs-up, high-fives, fist bumps, or handshakes. Mobility devices or tools that assist people with disabilities should be treated as extensions of their body and only touched with permission.

Verbal Interactions. People in vulnerable populations often are experiencing or have experienced extremely difficult circumstances. Observe the following guidelines during your interactions:

Be compassionate and validate their feelings or anything they may share with you.
Use caution when asking personal questions or making any comments.
Remain aware of non-verbal cues.

When a difficult subject is brought up or something deeply personal or vulnerable is shared with you as a leader, you can use a variation of Mark Ostreicher's pastoral care first aid approach.² That approach is:

1.) "Thank you for sharing this with me" - recognize the courage it took to share this with you or the group.

2.) "God loves you" - affirm in them that God is big enough to handle all aspects of our lives.

² Oestreicher, Mark, ed. Four Views on Pastoring LGBTQ Teenagers, La Mesa, CA: The Youth Cartel, 2018.

3.) "We love you / We care for you" - depending on what's appropriate, let them know that the church is a place that they can still belong.

4.) "We're willing to walk with you" - this might mean sending them to a pastor or staff member or walking with them yourself.

After these four steps, engage a staff member in following up with them, as appropriate.

If you observe behavior that you are uncomfortable with, report it immediately to your ministry leader or pastor.

Abuse Prevention

BCC takes seriously our call to provide a safe, secure, and loving environment for all who enter our church. To uphold this value, our work is conducted in such a way to prevent harm and stop abuse as we become aware of it. The procedures address all forms of abuse (including physical, emotional, and sexual), as well as injury prevention, in order to promote safety and security.

We screen all employees and volunteers who work with children, youth, or serve in adult social services with criminal background checks.³ We train our staff, leaders, and volunteers on the nature of sexual abuse, our policies to prevent abuse, and the reporting procedures for suspected incidents via MinistrySafe training. Volunteers must authorize a background check (when required) and agree to comply with any policy and guidelines provided. A volunteer may be denied based on the results of their background check.

You may be asked to sign additional documents or take additional abuse prevention training, depending on your specific role.

The Safety and Abuse Prevention procedures protect Bethany's vulnerable congregants from harm, abuse, and neglect, mitigate the risk to staff and volunteers of false accusations of abuse, and preserve volunteer and community trust in Bethany's operations and mission. If any type of abuse is witnessed or suspected, BCC volunteers are required to report this to a staff member and ensure a report is made. Failure to comply with the guidelines and procedures may result in disciplinary action.

³ See BCC Policy Manual 2.03.

Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency, our number one goal is to keep congregants safe and calm. Familiarize yourself with the area where you serve by locating evacuation routes and safety equipment (first aid, AED kit, etc.).

Every BCC building has an emergency exit plan for a safe route out of the building. In case of an evacuation, do the following:

Treat every alarm as if it were a real life-threatening emergency. Call 911 in an emergency.
Encourage congregants to walk, not run, to the nearest exit. Stay calm and encourage others to stay calm.
Make sure congregants re-locate to a safe place until help arrives.
Never go back into the building until a BCC staff member or emergency personnel gives clearance.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

If and when conflict arises between you and a staff member, other volunteer, or congregant, use the following guidelines:

If it is safe to do so, first go to the person with which there is conflict to seek resolution. (Matthew 5:22-24)
If resolution is not reached or you feel additional support is needed, contact your ministry leader. (Matthew 18:15-17)
If the issue is with the ministry leader or you feel like the issue has not been resolved after meeting with the ministry leader, contact your location leader or lead pastor.
If you feel the issue needs to further be escalated or if there has been an incident of racial harm, please contact Executive Pastor Teylar Greer (teylarg@churchbcc.org).

SUPPORT & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Additional training materials and volunteer resources can be found in the shared Volunteer Resource Folder. Please consult with your ministry leader on what materials are required or recommended for your specific volunteer position.

Contact information for all staff is available on our website. You can also contact the general staff email at staff@churchbcc.org with any questions. Our goal is to support you not only as a volunteer, but as a whole person -- spirit, soul, and body -- so please do not hesitate to reach out any time to us. We want to meet with you regularly!

Below are some additional links and resources:

Main website
- Scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for our newsletters!
General contact form
Connect Card
Prayer Request
Events
Groups/Classes
Video and written resources

Thank you, again, for volunteering with Bethany! We sincerely hope that you have a great experience serving your community and an opportunity to encounter Christ as you serve. Should you need additional information or support, please let us know!

SIGNATURES

I have received, read, and understand the Bethany Community Church ("BCC" or "the Church") Volunteer Handbook ("the Handbook"). I understand that the Handbook is a summary of the Church's policies, including expectations of volunteers and standards of conduct. I agree to abide by these policies and understand that failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of volunteer position and eligibility to volunteer for other ministries.

I understand that BCC may change, rescind, or add to any policies, benefits, or practices described in this Handbook from time to time at its sole discretion, with or without prior notice. I understand that BCC will make efforts to inform me of any changes, but that it is my responsibility to ascertain the policy in force at any time.

I agree to complete any training or reading of additional documents for individual ministries, as required, for the specific volunteer position.

I further acknowledge and agree that this Handbook does not create or constitute an employment or volunteer contract, but rather contains guidelines and standards for volunteer conduct that I am expected to follow.

I agree and am ready to add my typed signature