What Would You Do – New Ministry Leader

Wednesday, October 29th, 2025

You are the new ministry leader at your church overseeing the children’s and youth areas. This church does not seem to have much documentation and there aren’t very many policies in place. When you’ve brought up the topic to others in the church, their response is that “it’s a fairly small church and everyone knows the policies, so there’s no reason to stress about it.” They have a long list of needs and wants regarding the programs, and there are other more pressing things to worry about in the first quarter of the new year. On the other hand, you don’t feel comfortable without a plan. What would you do?

Answer: Your gut is telling you that this church definitely has a deficiency in this area, and you are right to be concerned. Having policies in place is arguably one of the most important things you can do for your church or organization. However, it can be a daunting task when you are starting a new position and trying to get to know everyone and the job, while also digging for more information about what has been done in the past.

The best thing to do is start small; choose one or two policies and build from there. As you know, one of the most essential policies to have in place is your abuse prevention policy. Start there, get feedback and don’t stress about having everything finished at once.