Leadership and Volunteer Policy

Purpose/Summary: We are committed to a healthy environment for every aspect of BCBC Ministry.  This guidance provides the roles in BCBC ministry that require membership for service.

Applies To: BCBC Volunteers 
Maintained By: BCBC Youth and Community Life Pastors 
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders-November 13, 2023
The following ministries require membership for at least 6 months before consideration for service. In addition to membership requirements, prospective teachers and leaders will interview with the appropriate pastoral staff member before being designated to a leadership or teaching position.

Children's Ministry (background check is required and must be renewed every 5 years)
  • Director
  • Comfort Cove Teachers (Infant to Pre-K)
  • Wake Zone Small Group Leaders (K-5th Grade)
  • Adult worship leaders and adult actors 
  • Vacation Bible School Director 
AWANA (background check is required and must be renewed every 5 years)
  • Commander
  • Assistant Commander
  • Directors
Youth Ministry (background check is required and must be renewed every 5 years)
  • Leaders 
Young Adult Ministry
  • Leaders
 Adult Ministry
  • Community Life Group Leaders
  • Adult Study for Sunday Services
 Women's Ministry
  • Women’s Leadership Team 
 Men's Ministry
  • Men’s Leadership Team
 Financial Ministry
  • Team Leader 
  • Team Members
Worship and Praise Team
  • Praise Team Leader
  • Audio/ Visuals Team Leader
  • Sound and Media Team Leader
  BCBC Website and Facebook Team
  • Website Team Leader
  • Social Media Team Leader
 Special Events and Outreach Events
  •  Leadership Team 

Mission Policy

Purpose/ Summary: This policy/procedure is a clearly defined philosophy regarding missions. By providing a clearly defined philosophy we will provide, 1) direction; 2) protection; and 3) a comprehensive balance to the mission area.  The intent of a comprehensive approach is to provide a course for the church now and for many years to come.  
Applies To: All BCBC Elders and Mission Committee Members
Maintained By: BCBC Elder Board
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders - November 13, 2023
Direction:  Beginning in 2016 the mission budget will be established at a set rate of 12% of the general fund.  Churches which give over 8% are considered in the exceptional category in the USA, so we view 12% of the general budget as still a very exceptional commitment of BCBC to missions.  This generous 12% will be the established percentage year-in and year-out.  Furthermore, the division of those monies going to the mission budget (which will be fully operational by January 2018) is as follows:
  •  35%     foreign (individuals or agencies supported that are not local) 
  •  30%     active BCBC projects (eg. water purification to Honduras)
  •  20%     local (ministries in local community designed to meet the physical, emotional and/or spiritual needs of those around us)
  •  10%     crisis (to meet crises around the world during the year - this will be at the directive of the elder board)
  •  5%       flex fund.  These are funds available for needs prioritized below:
  1.  Those in the body seeking to go with a mission agency for longer than a couple of weeks (with longer time commitments taking highest priorities)
  2.  For missionaries we already support who present personal needs that we might be able to meet at the end of the year.
  3.  Other mission concerns            
Protection:  Some people want a budget of 20-30% going toward missions while others want far less than 10%.  Some want to only give a certain dollar amount of the budget to missions like all other programs and that’s it, but what that “set” amount should be varies widely from individual to individual.  The church must be able to move forward in the future without re-litigating the issue of mission year-to-year and board-to-board between various people of differing preferences.  Therefore, we are setting the amount at 12% of the general budget.  This is being set and will remain as the policy from the board.             
Balance:  This philosophy provides a comprehensive balance.  For years we have felt a greater need to engage the body in missions more directly (rather than passively supporting a number of people) and wanting to create a much larger footprint in our local community.  

           By dividing up the 12% into five areas (foreign, projects, local, crisis, flex), it provides an overall strategy that the whole body can understand and support.  Everyone who is a part of BCBC will now know exactly how their monies are being used to meet needs locally and beyond as well as our ability to develop our own missionary projects and still be able to meet crises that arise throughout the world.  We feel that each of these five areas is the overall task of the mission ministry and therefore must be budgeted and maintained.  
            This allows the church to have a vital stake in the overall spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of those in our own community.  It also allows for the spread of the gospel through missionaries.  The budget will allow us to develop projects that encourage the body’s participation.  It will have built into it the ability to respond as the body of Christ to crises that arise all around the world.  Finally, it will offer some flexibility to meet other situations that inevitably come up in the course of any given year.  
            We believe that this comprehensive approach will serve to encourage more ownership in missions within the body (as some will want to focus on local impact, others on foreign support, others on developing projects, and still others on responding to crises around the world).  We also believe that it will create more awareness and joy in the body as to the ways our monies are serving the cause of Christ.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Protection

Purpose/Summary: This procedure describes the requirements and responsibilities for ensuring appropriate collection, processing, use, protection, disclosure, and disposal of personal information entrusted to Brice’s Creek Bible Church (BCBC). 
Applies To: All BCBC employees, full and part time. All BCBC Volunteers 
Maintained By: BCBC Financial Elder 
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders - November 13, 2023 
1.   Introduction Brice’s Creek Bible Church (BCBC) is committed to providing reasonable protection from loss, inappropriate use, or inappropriate disclosure of the personal information that is entrusted to the church, church members and its visitors. In an effort to provide protection that is as consistent as possible for all individuals who provide personal information to the church, BCBC has established this policy. 
2.   Definitions Personal Information/Personally Identifiable Information (PII) – Any information that can be used to identify, contact, or locate a single individual.

3.   PII Responsibility for Church Leadership (Pastoral Staff and Elders), Church       Employees, Volunteers and Other Users
  1. Ensure that individuals who are in a position to collect, process or use personal information complies with this policy. 
  2. Each BCBC Elder board member shall review procedures within their Ministry area of responsibility to address gaps, consistency, and compatibility with other BCBC Ministries to ensure a common information protection strategy exist throughout the church.
  3. Immediately report any actual or suspected mishandling, unauthorized access, Unauthorized disclosure, loss, or misuse of any information or information system. This  includes U.S. Postal Service tampering and Information Technology (church computer) tampering.
  4. Storage of PII will be done in a manner to deter inappropriate use.
  5. Disposal of PII will be accomplished using the Confidential Management disposal bin located outside the church office.

Spending Approval Policy

Purpose/Summary: This procedure describes the requirements and responsibilities for ensuring appropriate spending approval.
Applies To: All BCBC Employees, Elders, Members and Volunteers
Maintained By: BCBC Financial Elder

Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders-November 13, 2023
1.   Introduction: Brice’s Creek Bible Church (BCBC) is committed to being a good steward of the gifts and offerings received to support this church body, its ministries and properties. This policy has been established to support that stewardship and provide consistency in our spending approval processes.  
Individuals to whom authority has been delegated are expected to exercise that authority at all times in the best interest of BCBC and its ministries. The Elders have the final authority and are responsible for all spending activities within their ministry. This includes the authority to make special purchases that may be outside of the agreed upon budget for that calendar year.

2.   Spending Methods: 
  • Request for Payment Document –A document that is primarily used for authorizing payments of a routine nature. 
  • Request for Advance Payment Document – A document primarily used during the planning stages in support of BCBC expenditures. When properly executed and approved, this document will help alleviate the use of personal funds to purchase on behalf of BCBC.
  • Request for Reimbursement Document – A document that, when properly executed and approved, authorizes funds to be returned to an individual who has used their personal funds to purchase on behalf of BCBC. Must be signed by Ministry Elder responsible for the event/use of funds.
  • See church office or an ministry elder for a copy of this form.
3. Responsibility of the Financial Elder, Elders, BCBC Credit Card Holders and Ministry Delegates.
1. Ensure that prior to any spending on behalf of BCBC, verification of the expenditure requirement has been accomplished by one of the BCBC spending authorities; a BCBC Elder or a Delegate of that Elders Ministry or a BCBC Credit Card Holder. 
2. Each BCBC Elder shall review spending within their Ministry area of responsibility to ensure that spending meets budget plan requirements.
3. Immediately report any spending that appears to be unauthorized.
4. Elders ensure that the Request for Payment Document, the Request for Advance Payment Document and the Request for Reimbursement Document are promptly and properly filled out and signed.
5. Prior to expenditures exceeding $5,000, the Financial Elder will be notified for a review and recommendation to the Elder Board.

Fundraising Policy

Purpose/Summary: This policy establishes guidelines for Brice’s Creek Bible Church (BCBC) members to sell on church property and solicit donations outside the church. Additionally, it reinforces the importance of fundraising and is intended for church members and their outside of membership participants.

Applies To: All BCBC members and its non-member participants

Maintained By: BCBC Financial Elder
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders- November 13, 2023 
1.  Introduction: We believe that money allocated for any ministry, should be provided through Tithes and Offerings, however we recognize the need for fundraising and its importance to our many different ministries. Fundraising shall not to be used as a method to circumvent poor budgeting and planning. We recognize that fundraising aids in Spiritual Growth and the Joy of Giving. It creates opportunities for stewardship and ministry involvement for our children and others. It also provides a way for all that attend BCBC to participate in a ministry as God moves them. 
2. Requirements: A BCBC “Fundraising Request Event Form” (see church office for a copy) must be submitted to the Elder of the ministry associated with the fundraiser. This must be accomplished well (preferably 45 days) in advance of the requested date of the fundraiser so that a sound decision can be made. No action in regards to moving forward with the fundraiser will take place until the appropriate Elder has signed.

3. Authorized/Required Actions: The selling or donation of items on church property is allowed to take place by BCBC church members and their outside of membership participants.  All fundraising events must be coordinated through the church calendar (church secretary) BCBC strongly discourages fundraising on Sunday’s, however exceptions exist and must be presented in written form to the Elder Board. 

Procedures for Requesting Use of Church Facilities/Equipment

Purpose/Summary: This procedure describes the requirements and responsibilities to ensure that the Church maintains a warm, welcoming, clean, and orderly appearance and that the use of the facility will be a pleasant experience for all. It is the desire of Brice’s Creek Bible Church to offer the church facilities to those activities that will be pleasing and bring glory and honor to the Lord.
Applies To: All BCBC Members

Maintained By: BCBC Facilities Elder
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders  – To be revisited when established in the new building.
1.  Introduction: All Sunday and Wednesday night programs are determined by the Board.  Any other church ministries or activities must be scheduled through the Church Office at least two weeks in advance of their commencement.  The person responsible for the program will need to fill out a Facilities Use Form and obtain a copy of the Facilities Use Guidelines. 
Any regularly scheduled programs that will be requiring additional days and/or time must also be processed through the Church Office. Use of the facility will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis regardless of the event by securing a signed request form from the Church Office. 

2. Facility Use Guidelines 
I.  Rules for Reserving the Facility:
  • It is the responsibility of the person reserving the facility and/or equipment to oversee that all of the guidelines are adhered to as set forth in the “Facility Use Guidelines”.
  • A Facility Use Form must be filled out on file in the Church Office with the name of the person reserving the facility along with names and phone numbers of the people on the clean-up committee.
  • It is the responsibility of the person reserving the facility to have in place prior to use of the facility, a person in charge of the actual clean-up of the facility.  Use of the facility will not be granted unless a person in charge of the clean-up has been appointed.
  • If clean-up has not been completed as set forth in the “Facility Use Guidelines” policy, future privileges for the use of the facility may be denied.  If you have any questions, at all, please speak to someone in the Church Office. 
 II.  General Information:
  • Keys:  Keys must be picked up two days prior to the event and returned no later than two days after the event.  You will be given a set of two keys-on key will open outside doors to the Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary and one key will open the inside doors for the Kitchen Pantry and Church Office. If you need to use the Church Office its use is limited to office equipment and the phone only.  *If children have to come into the Church Office to use the phone, they must be attended by an adult.  Children are not allowed to operate office equipment.  Office equipment may be used by church members only.
  • Doors:  Check all doors before leaving the building to make sure they are locked.
  • Lights:  Check all lights before leaving the building to make sure they are turned off.
  • Walls/Decorations:  No tape of any kind or objects that would create holes or mar the walls are allowed.  **Posters may be placed on the portable room dividers in the Fellowship Hall and bows may be placed on the chairs in the Sanctuary.
  • Floors:  Floors must be mopped and/or vacuumed in all areas used, including hallways, foyer, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. if necessary.  Please pick up any papers, etc. on the floor and put in trash.  If clothing or books or any other valuables have been left behind they may be brought to the Church Office with a note on them stating they are for Lost & Found.
  • Trash:  Check all trash containers in all rooms used and empty as required. Replace with trash liners.  Place trash in trash bin located behind the church.
  • Tables/Chairs:  Tables and chairs must be put back in the original order in which they were found.  For example, chairs around tables, in rows, etc. All table tops and chairs need to be wiped down.  Please do not drag tables across the floors. Borrowing/Transporting of Tables/Chairs: When transporting tables, they must be stacked top-to-top to avoid scratching. When borrowing tables and/or chairs for personal they must be returned no later than the next day.  If borrowing table/chairs on a Saturday, they must be returned that evening.  No tables/chairs can be borrowed on Sundays.
  • Paper Supplies:  If paper towels and/or toilet paper run out please replace. 
III.  Cleaning Procedures:
Sanctuary:
  • Arrange chairs neatly in their rows.
  • Make sure hymnals are placed under every other seat if their placement is disturbed and prayer cards are neatly in place under each seat.
  • Bows may be placed on chairs with Velcro if needed.
  • If other equipment needs to be moved, please check with the Church office.
  • Children are not allowed in the Sanctuary unless attended by an adult at all times.
Bathrooms: 
  • Clean sinks, toilet seats, and bowls if necessary.  
  • Mop floors if necessary. 
Kitchen:
  • Clean stovetops, countertops, sinks, and microwaves (inside & out)
  • Clean any used dishtowels and return to Church within two days of event.
  • Turn off all appliances.
Sound/Visual Equipment: 
  • Contact person in charge of sound/visual equipment.
  • Only authorized personnel are permitted to operate equipment.
  • Authorized personnel are to make sure everything runs smoothly and is off before leaving.
Classrooms:
  • Chairs must be placed back around tables or put in rows as they were found.
  • Tops of tables and chairs must be wiped down if needed.
  • Vacuum floors and pick up any materials left on floors. 

Elder Board Recommendations

Purpose/Summary: This policy/procedure is in line with our Constitution which allows for an elder to be re-nominated again and again. While not changing the Constitution, we would encourage sitting elders who have served two consecutive terms to consider not accepting another nomination if there are other men who have stepped up and are willing to have their name be placed for nomination.
Applies To: All BCBC Elders and Elder Nominees

Maintained By: BCBC Elder Board
Approved By: BCBC Board of Elders-November 13, 2023
 Transitions:  We encourage the following: 
  • An elder serving as Chairman can serve unlimited consecutive years and does not need to take a break from that position.
  •  An elder serving as Chairman cannot occupy the Treasurer position.
  • The elder board will select a new Chairman and Treasurer in June who will begin serving the following year so they can be groomed during the next six months.
  • A time will be set aside during the first board meeting of January where an elder who came off in December attends the meeting and spends about 45 minutes with the new elder in his position to offer any helpful advice and guidance. 
Elder Absence for Meetings: When an elder can no longer attend monthly elder meetings we request the following:
  • Notify the board immediately.
  • Explain the reason and duration of his absence.
  • An elder who misses three unexcused meetings (i.e., no prior notification) within a year will be asked to step down.
Elder Board Actions: The elder board will evaluate whether the elder should be asked to resign based on the following:
  • Can the elder maintain his workload or will that work be shifted to others?
  • Will those under that elder feel as if they are still being led or are drifting?
  • How does his absence affect the added demands upon the workload and the elder’s personal life?
  • Is this a “critical time” in the elder’s ministry area?