While it’s not possible to cover each and every possible issue, scenario, or factor when building out a policy document to govern your church, it’s imperative to do your best. For those bits and pieces that don’t seem to quite fit in any defined category, having a section in your policy document that addresses them all in one place is absolutely fine. Your policies and procedures should be a living, breathing, constantly-evolving document that grows with your church.
There’s no possible way to account for any situation that could potentially arise when you’re first setting out in working out policies and procedures. This simply isn’t humanly achievable. However, we’re called to be responsible and proactive, especially when it comes to guiding and leading a congregation of Christ-followers. Don’t worry – as overwhelming as this task may seem, especially at first, with the proper effort, dedication, resources, and faith, it’s one that is rewarding when done correctly.
My job is to come alongside church leaders like you and help guide your efforts in getting your community on-track and to a place of growth. I take great joy in helping all the pieces come together in a God-honoring, Christ-focused way that allows for thriving, effective, abundant churches full of new and growing believers.
Taking proper care of the church you as a leadership team have been entrusted with isn’t a task to be taken lightly. As such, it’s your responsibility to make sure points that need to be addressed are continually being thoroughly discussed and added to your policy document as needed. Here are just a few important attitudes and points to keep in mind during this process.
Protect Your Church
This goes beyond security, which we discussed in section 8. Protecting your church isn’t simply about keeping anything bad from tangibly happening to your members; it’s an overall attitude that must be adopted to ensure the overall health and growth of your congregation.
Protecting your church physically is important, yes, but protecting the hearts and minds you’ve been given to shepherd is crucial as well. From carefully choosing accurate, truthful teachings to share with your members to creating an environment that makes it impossible for evil to thrive in secret, protection (and the effective prevention of harm) is a necessary and God-given task.
The concept of protection and what that means on a practical level takes many different forms. For example, with the digital age we’re in, computers and technology are an inevitable part of communicating with each other and the outside world. The internet opens up a portal to other people, cultures, and ideologies that was never possible before. As such, it brings with it dangers and potential pitfalls that didn’t need to be accounted for previously. Having established protections for computer and internet usage isn’t something that may be immediately apparent as needed, but absolutely is.
Guard Your Church’s Infrastructure
Since computers and the internet are such a huge part of life and the daily function of any organization at this point, there’s a good chance most of not all of your church’s information, databases, and plans exist digitally. From attendee addresses to bank details, computers house an endless supply of valuable and sensitive information.
Unfortunately, as helpful as computers are, they can also be a weak point, allowing those with malicious intent (or even simply unfortunate circumstances like a power outage) to compromise data if not properly protected.
You as a church leader have a duty to ensure the sensitive data of your organization and members is safe from any potential mishaps. From hackers wanting to interfere with a community of believers to a storm causing damage to equipment and, therefore, a loss of information, there are a plethora of technology-related vulnerabilities to consider and guard.
Marketing and Advertising are Essential
Even though you may not view your church as a business, that is essentially what it is. Your desire to grow your community can absolutely benefit from the same principles as an entrepreneur looking to expand their business. Ensuring you’re taking the right steps to truly grow and maintain your church is something you can’t afford to put off or do poorly.
As with any strategic task, however, proper planning is required. Getting your church and mission “out there” in front of new people and attracting them inside your doors takes planning, effort, and consistency. Including your marketing efforts in your policy document is an important step toward taking them seriously and, in turn, reaping their benefits.