Preface: I agree that a church should take necessary steps to protect children and young adults from abuse. In fact, any church should take efforts to prevent any form of abuse and report it when it comes to the church's attention.
My wife and I just started going to a new church earlier this year. When I expressed interest in volunteering, I was given the new volunteer package. In all the years of church going, I've never seen anything this extensive.
What I was given was a multiple page handout prepared by a legal office. The actual volunteer application is 4 pages long (yes, there is generous white space for answers) and includes the usual name and address, criminal background, license information if you want to drive the church van, and references. In fact, on the top of the first page, it explicitly states this is not an employment application.
My problem is the church made the sweeping generalization that all its ministries are children/youth ministries. While I can complete most of the form, I can't give any references (both professional and personal) because the references must explicitly "must have seen you work with minors and be able to speak to your ability to serve young people." There go any professional references as I work in a back office where young people don't come. Since I've never done youth or children's ministry, I have no volunteer contacts to use either. I'm done.
While I can commend the church for their diligence, it's disappointing that there is no alternative for someone like me who has no interest in children's or youth ministry. As much as I would like to volunteer at my church, I can't. They have closed that door on me.
Someone did mention to me they've done this program for about 12 years now. What do you think: am I overreacting or did the church overreact?
My wife and I just started going to a new church earlier this year. When I expressed interest in volunteering, I was given the new volunteer package. In all the years of church going, I've never seen anything this extensive.
What I was given was a multiple page handout prepared by a legal office. The actual volunteer application is 4 pages long (yes, there is generous white space for answers) and includes the usual name and address, criminal background, license information if you want to drive the church van, and references. In fact, on the top of the first page, it explicitly states this is not an employment application.
My problem is the church made the sweeping generalization that all its ministries are children/youth ministries. While I can complete most of the form, I can't give any references (both professional and personal) because the references must explicitly "must have seen you work with minors and be able to speak to your ability to serve young people." There go any professional references as I work in a back office where young people don't come. Since I've never done youth or children's ministry, I have no volunteer contacts to use either. I'm done.
While I can commend the church for their diligence, it's disappointing that there is no alternative for someone like me who has no interest in children's or youth ministry. As much as I would like to volunteer at my church, I can't. They have closed that door on me.
Someone did mention to me they've done this program for about 12 years now. What do you think: am I overreacting or did the church overreact?
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