Student Ministry Guidelines

Our goal is to create and sustain a safe, secure, and encouraging environment where students can thrive. This policy will help in accomplishing that goal each week.

Conduct Guidelines

1. One-on-one conversations

Private, one-on-one conversations should take place in an open, public setting where others can observe but not hear. Under no circumstances should a student and a staff member or volunteer of the opposite sex be alone together.

2. Communication

Appropriate communication with students, parents/caregivers, and volunteers is necessary for
an effective and healthy ministry. Older Students are more interested in engaging, give-and-take conversation. This is the Student Ministry Policy for communication:

Social Media/Text/Email

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• Volunteers/staff should not be “friends” on social media with students 12 years of age and younger.

• Do not “direct message” students on any social media platform.

• Under no circumstances will an adult engage with a student via Snapchat or any such social media platform where past communications are not easily accessible or are automatically deleted.

• When sending a message to a parent, caregiver, or volunteer of the opposite sex, make it a practice to include another adult in the message (spouse, volunteer, additional parent, etc.).

• Volunteers/staff should not send a private message to a student. If a message, text or otherwise, needs to be sent to a student, be sure to include at minimum one other adult in the message.

• Volunteers/staff should not post pictures of students on personal social media without permission.

• Volunteers/staff should not show students their own social media accounts or let students have access to their phones or devices for any reason.

• Volunteers/staff should not engage in phone calls with students unless it is for a specific ministry related purpose (i.e. asking or answering a specific question).

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3. Appropriate Touch

Appropriate touch is part of a healthy student ministry. These are safe ministry practices for
when, where, and how to use appropriate touch:

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• Short, congratulatory/greeting hugs. If a hug is given between male and female, it should be a “side hug” rather than a “front hug.”

• Brief, assuring pat on the upper back or shoulder

• Handshakes and high-fives

• Honor a student’s personal space by not getting close to their face or using force of any kind when showing affection

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The FBC Student Ministry Policy for actions you should avoid are listed below:

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• Never touch a student in anger or disgust.

• Never touch a student or parent/volunteer in any manner that may be construed as sexually suggestive.

• Never touch a student’s core between the shoulder/upper back and the knees, with your body or any object. This includes a student’s stomach, thighs, chest, lower back, and private parts.

• Never let a student sit on your lap.

• Avoid playing rough with students or letting students play rough with one another.

• Avoid tickling and wrestling.

• Never threaten students, even as a joke.

• Never allow students to discipline or humiliate another student.

• Avoid being alone in a vehicle with a student, unless you are related to the student.

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4. General Appropriateness

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• Physical punishment of any kind is prohibited for discipline of students. Students should be redirected verbally. If the problem persists, Parents/caregivers should be notified. Physical restraint should be used only in emergency situations (ex. two students are engaged in a physical altercation and not responding to verbal commands to stop).

• Volunteers/staff are prohibited from possessing any sexually oriented materials (magazines, cards, videos, films, clothing, etc.) on property or in the presence of students.

• Volunteers/staff are prohibited from engaging in the use of sexual innuendos, jokes, as well as crude humor/language.

• Avoid allowing students of opposite genders to be alone together.

• Volunteers/staff are prohibited from the use, possession, or being under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, or any illegal drugs while performing ministry duties.

• Volunteers/staff should never be nude in the presence of students. If a volunteer needs to change clothes, it should be done in private away from students (i.e. a separate room with door closed/bathroom).

• Volunteers/staff will wear modest clothing at all times.

• Volunteers/staff will be sensitive to and use good judgment with the content they expose students to or allow students to have access to while they are performing ministerial duties (ex. music, movies, etc.).

• For all student ministry events, especially those necessitating overnight sleeping arrangements, there should be 2 adults present. Adult leaders should NEVER under any circumstance sit, lie, or sleep in the same bed as a student.

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5. Observed or Alleged Abuse Procedures​

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• As indicated by Arkansas Law all staff and volunteers of First Baptist Church are Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

• All instances of non-consensual student-on-student sexualized behavior (based on observations or what a student says or is otherwise reported) must be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline first (844-SAVEACHILD) and the Student Ministry staff second.

• Any and all consensual student-on-student sexualized behavior taking place during youth activities and/or on FBC’s campus should be reported to the Student Ministry staff. The Student Ministry staff will be responsible for communicating with the parent/caregiver if/when deemed appropriate. The behavior may also need to be reported to the hotline if the ability of either party to provide proper consent is in question or if the age difference between the individuals is such that it breaks Arkansas law.

• All instances of Adult-to-Student abuse or reasonable suspicion of abuse (based on observations or what a child says) must be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline first (844-SAVEACHILD) and the Student Ministry staff second. The Student Ministry staff will be responsible for communicating with the parent/caregiver if/when deemed appropriate. Note: it is an expectation that the worker contact the Child Abuse Hotline first, if he/she has reasonable suspicion of child abuse or maltreatment. The worker will receive no censure or negative response from church staff for taking this important action.

• If an accident occurs at the church and a student is hurt, please notify the Student Ministry staff and, if helpful, take a picture of the injury to send to the Student Ministry staff . The Student Ministry staff will be responsible for communicating the incident to the parent/caregiver if/when deemed appropriate.