7 Church Risk Management Policies That Will Keep You Out of Court

People can serve God and make friends at churches, which are busy and growing locations. But when your church grows, especially when it has between 900 and 2,500 members, it has to deal with more legal and operational issues that, if not managed correctly, could result in costly lawsuits, damage to your reputation, and problems with your mission.

Policies for handling risks properly are what keep a church safe, legal, and prosperous. These guidelines not only protect your church from legal issues, but they also help create a culture of trust, responsibility, and compassion. This guide talks about seven fundamental rules that your church should follow, with examples and ideas that are right for your stage of growth. It goes together with the Tier 2: THE FOUNDATION PLUS PLAN, which provides comprehensive legal and operational support.

1. Child Protection Policy: Keeping the Most at Risk Safe

The kids and teens in your church need the utmost care and safety.

Why It Matters: Churches that don't have good child safety rules put kids in danger and the church at risk of being sued.

Main Parts:

• Criminal and reference checks must be done on all staff and volunteers who work with children.
• Training: Everyone needs to learn how to keep kids safe and stop abuse.
• Supervision: Make rules and ratios for watching over kids' programming.
• Reporting: Make it easy and private for people to report abuse claims that respect state laws.
• Policy Enforcement: Be clear about what will happen if someone defies the rules.

2. Policy for Screening and Managing Volunteers: How to Put Together a Team You Can Trust

Volunteers are incredibly crucial to your ministry, but you need to pick and manage them well.

Why It Matters: Volunteers can damage individuals or get into conflict with the law if they aren't carefully screened and looked over.

Key Parts:

• How to Apply: Fill out all the forms and go to the interviews.
• Reference Checks: Ask people you trust about the person's character and work history.
• Training: Teach people in certain roles about church rules and safety.
• Clear Role Definitions: Everyone should know what their role is and what is expected of them.
• Ongoing Supervision: Regular check-ins and evaluations of how well you are doing.

3. Policy for Keeping Everyone Safe at Work: Keeping Everyone Safe on Your Property

Keeping the physical environment safe minimizes the chance of accidents and legal problems.

Why It Matters: If someone gets wounded on church property, they may be able to sue or file an insurance claim.

Main Parts:

• Finding and fixing faults (such as wet floors or poor wiring) on a regular basis is a way to identify hazards.
• Plans for emergencies: Clear plans for how to get out of the building and a list of individuals to call in case of an emergency.
• Training for safety: Teach staff and volunteers how to look for and report hazards.
• Reporting accidents and close calls will help keep people safe.

4. Policy on Harassment and Discrimination: Making a Space Where Everyone Feels Safe

Everyone has the right to worship and serve without being harassed or treated unfairly.

Why It Matters: Not dealing with harassment or discrimination can undermine morale and cost a lot of money in lawsuits.

The Main Parts:

• Clear Definitions: Make it clear what kinds of actions and discrimination are not allowed.
• Complaint Procedures: Make it easy for people to submit problems without anybody else knowing.
• Investigation Protocols: Explain how to fairly and quickly look into concerns.
• Disciplinary Actions: Give out sanctions for breaching the rules.
• Training: Make sure that staff and leaders learn about these issues on a regular basis.

5. Making Sure Leaders Are Honest About Conflicts of Interest

People will trust your church's leaders if you can stop disagreements from happening.

Why It Matters: If you don't notify people about conflicts, they can make terrible decisions and sue you.

Key Parts:

• Leaders ought to let the church know about any personal or financial interests that might affect their choices.
• Recusal Procedures: Make guidelines for when people with conflicts of interest can't vote or talk about things.
• Every year, keep signed conflict of interest declarations as verification.
• Enforcement: Tell them what will happen if they don't tell the truth.

6. Policy on Data Privacy and Security: How to Keep Personal Information Safe

It is both right and wrong to keep members' and donors' information safe.

Why It Matters: If your data is stolen, someone could take your identity, get in trouble with the law, and lose your trust.

Key Parts:

• Limits on Data Collection: Only get the data you need.
• Access and Storage: Use passwords to protect data and only let certain people see it.
• Use and Sharing: Be explicit about who can use the data and who can share it with others.
• Breach Response: Know how to quickly deal with data breaches.

7. Policy on Financial Controls: How to Keep Church Property Safe

Strong controls stop fraud and make sure everything is transparent.

Why It Matters: A church's reputation and finances can suffer if it doesn't handle money well.

Key Parts:

• Persons who handle, approve, and record transactions are not the same persons. This is called "segregation of duties."
• Expense Approvals: You need to have written approval before you may spend money.
• Regular audits: Look at your company's finances as well as your own.
• Clear Reporting: Give leaders and the congregation clear reports on the church's finances.

How the Foundation Plus Plan Helps Your Church Deal with Risk

Churches can get the FOUNDATION PLUS PLAN:

• Policies that are prepared by professionals and can be altered to match the needs and size of your church.
• Legal evaluation and advice on how to follow the rules so that policies stay helpful and up to date.
• Training and help with putting policies into effect so that leaders and volunteers can understand and follow them.
• Meetings every so often to alter policies as your church grows and the law changes.

Conclusion: A Church with Strong Policies is Stronger

Putting these seven rules for managing risk into action will make the church a safer and stronger place to be. This foundation keeps your ministry focused on its goal and keeps it from getting derailed by legal and operational issues that may have been avoided.

Your church may confidently put these critical protections in place and keep growing with the support of the FOUNDATION PLUS PLAN.

Links Inside

• Tools for Handling Risk in the Church
• Services for Checking Out Volunteers
• Help with Financial Controls in the Church

Other Sites' Links

• Child Protection Policy Guidelines - Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - Harassment

Caution

You should not consider this blog post as legal advice; it is only for informational purposes. Get advice from a lawyer who is licensed to work with your religion.