It is crucial to educate your staff and volunteers properly on what constitutes harassment and discrimination with thorough and regular training. There should be clear rules in place that management, staff and volunteers all understand and follow.
If your ministry does not have training instated, consider the following resources:
Seek out a risk management company to engage in educational resources or purchase training subscriptions.
Hire external legal experts, if your organization’s budget allows, to advise your policies and procedures and lead regular training for your staff. If your budget does not allow, consider seeking out pro-bono lawyer groups to advise on your policies and procedures and provide training for your staff and volunteers.
Identify a willing church member with a legal background to own the risk management training for your ministry and stay informed of workers and employee laws.
Hire HR Consultants who provide training and workshops on a contract basis.
Utilize Legal Assistthrough Brotherhood Mutual®, a free legal response service staffed by Brotherhood Mutual in-house attorneys. They provide complimentary risk management guidance in response to your questions about legal issues — including safety and security — contracts, religious freedom and more.
A great first step is to incorporate ongoing training into a regular program that both your staff and volunteers must attend, maintaining a written record of attendance.
We designed these resources to empower your ministry and its people to stay protected. If you have any further questions about how to protect your ministry, feel free to reach out to a GuideStone® team member today at (214) 720-2868, and they'll be glad to help. With GuideStone on your side, your ministry can manage risks while focusing on spreading the good news.
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