Thank you for your interest in serving as a volunteer in a Family Environment: Waumba Land, UpStreet, Transit, and/or InsideOut; and in a Group Environment. We appreciate your willingness to take the time to complete the application process and continue the team member on-boarding process. There are a few things we want to make sure we say as you begin on-boarding.
*This application is also used as an annual agreement with current volunteers.
By choosing to enter into a leadership role in one of our Family or Group Environments, you are entering into a position of authority. Our children, teenagers, and adults will watch you closely and take what you say seriously. 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 sexual relationships, substance abuse, and social media. 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 Family and Group Environment volunteers to communicate and model:
Regarding Sexual Behavior:
Our interpretation of Scripture leads us to teach that sex was created by God as an expression of intimacy between a man and woman within the context of marriage. The desire is for our leadership to remain consistent and clear in this teaching while preventing situations where leaders might feel forced to represent something they are not or teach something they do not believe. In light of this desire, we ask the following:
- If you are involved in a sexual relationship outside of marriage, we ask that you not volunteer in a Family or Group Environment at this time but allow us to connect you into other areas of the church to serve.
- If you are pursuing a same-sex relationship, we ask that you not volunteer in a Family or Group Environment at this time but allow us to connect you into other areas of the church to serve.
- If you are involved in watching pornography as a regular part of your weekend or weeknight routine, we ask that you not volunteer in Family or Group Environment at this time but allow us to connect you into other areas of the church to serve.
- In the spirit of being a good role model, if you are single and living with a member of the opposite sex, we ask that you not volunteer in Family Ministry at this time but allow us to connect you into other areas of the church to serve.
Regarding Substance Behavior:
If you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse, 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 in a Family or Group Environment, we would love to talk with you further. While we might disagree on the timing of your involvement, we don’t want to miss an opportunity to partner with what God is up to in your life.
- If you have been arrested for or convicted of an alcohol or drug-related offense in the past twelve months, we ask that you not volunteer at this time.
- If you are currently being treated for alcohol or drug abuse, we ask that you not volunteer at this time.
- If you have used marijuana or any other illegal substance during the past twelve months, we ask that you not volunteer at this time.
- If consuming alcohol to the point of being unable to drive or to the point of it being illegal for you to drive yourself home is a regular part of your weekend or weeknight routine, we ask that you not volunteer at this time.
Regarding Social Media Behavior:
The kids in your small group will visit your Facebook page. So will their parents. If you blog, use Instagram, or maintain a Twitter account, some in your group will opt to keep up with you through those mediums as well. 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. We realize this is a judgment call.
Our hope is that the time you spend volunteering at South Ridge will be meaningful and will help you to be part of a team helping people take their next step in a growing relationship with Jesus. All of the jobs within the church are valuable and necessary for the accomplishment of our mission. When we work together as a team, there is nothing that we can’t accomplish.
The following is your commitment:
- I will pursue Jesus as the Leader of my life through Bible reading, prayer, and fasting (Luke 18:1; Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 5:1-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22)
- I will follow the command and example of Jesus by participating in baptism and in communion (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 22:7-23)
- I will regularly engage in the life of South Ridge by attending weekly services, connecting in Gospel-centered community, serving those within and outside of this church, and giving to support the mission and vision of this church (Matthew 25:14-30; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Hebrews 10:23-25; Titus 3:14)
- I will support others by working with a Gospel-centered attitude, encouraging my fellow teammates, following direction given my my environment leader, and maintain healthy relationships (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:2; 1 Peter 3:8)
- I will confess my sin to God and to other trusted believers and repent and seek help with my sin (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5; James 5:16; 1 John 1:6-10)
- I will yield to the elder team of this church while striving for unity and peace with this church (Ephesians 4:1-3; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5)
- I will notify the appropriate staff member if I decide to leave this church for righteous reasons (Acts 15:36-39)
