Section 5 Service Environment

Attendance & Absences
Grievance Procedures

 

Attendance & Absences

Because you're a volunteer rather than an employee at Green Bay Community Church, attendance may seem like a sticky issue to discuss.  If you simply don't show up to fulfill the ministry service you've agreed to, the church can't really "terminate" you because you don't work for pay, but you could be asked to reconsider serving until you are able to fulfill your commitments.

We need reliable people to fulfill the ministries and programs of the church—the people we serve are depending on us.  If you have excessive absences beyond the scope of this guideline, you may be relieved of your volunteer duties.  See Section 6 of the handbook for more details about termination and resignation.  We expect no less commitment from our unpaid workers than our paid workers.

So attendance—whether it's for training meetings, fun times with ministry team members, or during your scheduled time of serving—is a commitment you must make and then take seriously. Again, the people you serve are depending on you.

Some absences will likely be necessary.  You may get ill, injured, or may be called out of town for business or personal reasons.  If you know in advance that you won't be able to serve during a time you're scheduled, or that you can't attend a scheduled meeting, be sure to inform your leader.  Additionally, ask for a list of other approved volunteers who might be able to substitute for you if you don't already have such a list.  Then make an effort to find your own substitute or to "trade" scheduled service times with another volunteer.  Finding a replacement is primarily your responsibility, not your leader's.

If your absence is caused by an emergency, inform your leader.  You should still make an effort to search for a replacement, but under some circumstances, you may not be able to accomplish this.

If your leader notices a pattern of absences, he or she may follow up to see if something besides illness seems to be the real reason you're not able to serve.  Don't consider this a confrontation.  Your leader—and all the leadership of the church—has two concerns.  One is for the people who may be left out if you're unable to serve.  The other is for you.  Perhaps you're not in a place of ministry that "fits" you.  If this is the case, your leader can work to plug you into a place of serving that better matches your gifts and skills.  In fact, this is an area where you should be proactive.  Rather than avoiding a ministry task that you feel uncomfortable performing, go to your leader and ask about other needs in the church.  There are bound to be plenty of other places to serve, and there's bound to be one that fits you.
 


Grievance Procedures

While GBCC hopes that every ministry experience is a positive one, we also recognize that volunteers may become dissatisfied.  This can occur because of strained relationships with fellow volunteers, relationship with your leader, or disagreement with the church's practices and policies.

The church encourages you to work toward quick resolution of these kinds of situations, which usually don't go away with time.  In fact, tension typically gets worse, eventually deteriorating to a degree where you might feel that your only option is to resign.

The following steps are based on Matthew 18:15-16:

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."
—Matthew 18:15-16, NIV

Grievance Process

  1. With an attitude of love and care, speak directly to the person who has offended you.  Try to explain the facts as well as your feelings about the situation in a calm manner that is free from accusation or blame.  Often, you can diffuse the situation and clear up conflicts during this step because you communicate to the other party that you truly desire to resolve the situation. The point of this exchange is to be heard.
  2. However, if the other person doesn't listen, or you can't resolve your differences privately, bring the matter to your leader's attention.  Make sure the leader understands that the problem is affecting your service.  The leader should arrange a meeting between you and the other party. Again, it is important for the issue to be aired and heard.
  3. If you don't feel satisfied with the answers that your leader provides (or if you feel uncomfortable discussing the problem with your leader, for example, because the problem is with your leader) you should ask a member of GBCC's Resource Team to accompany you to discuss the problem with the other party involved. If the tension exists between you and a co-worker the ministry leader should be involved in this step. (Click here for a current list of Resource Team members)
  4. If the issue remains unresolved after completing the first three steps, you should approach an Elder for further counsel.