First Baptist Church’s young adult director wanted to do more than teach weekly Bible studies to his class. He wanted to help them develop a heart for ministry and engage them in the work of the church. So he held frequent fellowships and even began counseling the young people under his charge.

It worked of course. The class mushroomed as young adults were drawn to the class, finding the spiritual and emotional guidance they were looking for.

But then a young couple began having marital problems, and they turned to their director for help. He began counseling the couple, and the situation appeared to be improving. Unfortunately, the relationship eventually disintegrated, and the couple blamed the church. They said they had been given bad advice by their Bible study director.

When you’re in the business of helping people, you don’t expect to have to worry about risk.

The truth is, risk is a common element in every type of program offered by your church. Whether you sponsor whitewater rafting trips for young adults or coordinate Bible study groups held in your fellowship hall, your ministry can be held liable for anything that goes unexpectedly wrong. And while you share general “business” risks with other organizations, many of the risks you face are directly related to the ministries you provide, the people you serve and the locations where the ministry occurs.

Because the ministry programs offered by churches differ so widely, determining appropriate risk management measures is a highly individualized process. A one-size-fits-all approach just won’t work. To protect your ministry against liability associated with your ministry activities and outreach programs, you need to identify major risk areas and develop strategies for addressing those risks.

The Ministry Protection Plan
A Ministry Protection Plan is a resource for leaders of churches and ministries. It explains their organization’s philosophy about potential risks that could adversely impact ongoing ministries and outlines their risk management priorities and strategies. Since every ministry is different, with unique challenges and opportunities, your plan should be customized to match your culture, resources and needs.

Ideally, the Ministry Protection Plan creates an environment where your ministry can take more risk, not less. But for this to occur, you’ll need to develop a comprehensive plan.

Developing your Ministry Protection Plan
While it does take time to develop, a Ministry Protection Plan doesn’t have to be difficult.

The first step is to determine your philosophy concerning risk and risk management. You’ll also need to identify your ministry’s tolerance for uncertainty and the role of risk within your ministry programs. To do this, you’ll want to answer the following three questions:

1. What is our approach to risk-taking and risk management? Do you embrace risk-taking or do you value a high degree of safety for your people, staff and volunteers?
   
2. What do we hope to accomplish by embracing risk management? Do you want to prevent adverse events from occurring or minimize the personal and financial consequences of adverse events that occur despite your efforts to avoid them?
   
3. Who is responsible for risk management in this organization? Is risk management the responsibility of a board or committee, the senior pastor or administrator, or has someone been given the title of “risk manager”?

Once you’ve established your philosophy and tolerance for risk, you can isolate specific areas of your ministry that need to be included in the plan. This is a four-step process:

1. Identify your ministry’s major ministry or outreach areas.
   
2. List the specific risks that could arise from this ministry or outreach.
   
3. Note the specific risk management strategies your church has adopted to address these risks.
   
4. Where strategies do not exist, develop procedures for addressing risk.

Every ministry offers programs and activities designed to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people who participate in that ministry. Regardless of your ministry objectives, risk is an element that can’t be ignored. Fortunately, an awareness of risk doesn’t have to overshadow your ministry efforts. The best protection is the kind of proactive prevention that can occur once you’ve developed your Ministry Protection Plan.

So take some time to think about your risk management philosophy. Meet with your leadership to discuss the risks inherent in your ministry. Then, nail down your Ministry Protection Plan and enjoy the freedom of pursuing your ministry objectives within the parameters of your plan.

If you have questions about specific ways you can protect your ministry or you’d like guidance in developing your personalized Ministry Protection Plan, the GuideStone Property and Casualty Program can help. Give us a call at 1-877-455-GSPC (1-877-455-4772) or visit our Web site at www.GuideStonePropertyCasualty.org.