Vineyard Compassion Ethos & Values Statement
Vineyard Compassion is a charity which has been established by the Causeway Coast Vineyard church. We share the same faith-based ethos & values as CCV and also share their Statement of Faith (Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland Statement of Faith: www.vcuk.org).
STATEMENT OF FAITH: SUMMARY
The Christian Faith
States that God is the sole Creator
Determines that each individual is uniquely made in the image of God although is also fallen
Declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to save humankind from sin
Provides for a relationship with the living God in the person of Jesus Christ that defines what being a Christian means
Equips the Christian to live life through the power of the Holy Spirit and grow in holiness
Finds authoritative expression of its doctrine and moral character in the Bible
The Christian expression of Faith
Honours, obeys and glorifies God, acknowledging God's sovereignty
Nourishes the spiritual life and is fully committed to developing it
Believes that the love of God in Jesus Christ reaches out to people of all nations, ethnicities and cultures
Knows God through the person of Jesus and seeks to follow His way of life, modelling love, peace, justice and forgiveness in attitude and behaviours
Embraces the power of the Holy Spirit as the source of strength for living
The motivation behind Vineyard Compassion flows out of the context of Christian faith and our charitable work is seen as an expression of that faith-based ethos. This is reflected in a desire and motivation to express God’s love to those whom we serve outside the organisation and to reflect this love internally in our relationships with one another.
Vineyard Compassion Core Values
1. Worth
ALL people are welcome, are valuable and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect
2. Hope
We believe that there is hope for the future for everyone, no matter how difficult the situation might appear
3. Relationships
We believe that individual growth and healing happen as we spend time with people who care about us
4. Holistic
We recognise and seek to meet the needs of the ‘whole’ person – financial, emotional, practical & spiritual - not just their presenting problem
5. Empowerment
We encourage people to develop skills that equip them to meet their own needs and break the cycle of poverty - moving from a place of dependence to independence
CODE OF CONDUCT
Context
Vineyard Compassion is committed to its staff & volunteers, to their development both professionally and spiritually and has a 'duty of care' towards each member of the team. Vineyard Compassion is committed to act in all circumstances with compassion, grace and pastoral concern. Members of staff & volunteers are encouraged to make every reasonable effort and intention to meet the standards of personal conduct and working practice set out in this code of conduct
Scope
This document is used at recruitment and selection stage for new entrants and forms part of the application pack sent to those interested in applying for vacancies (staff/volunteer) at Vineyard Compassion. Applicants will be asked to confirm that they are happy to abide by the code of conduct and the Christian ethos of the charity. We place the highest value on character and lifestyle, and view this as more important than competence/a person’s ability to perform in their role. Therefore, if the need arises, we may have a conversation with them about a character issue.
This document also forms the basis of an understanding of behaviour and expectation of one another for all those existing staff & volunteers working at Vineyard Compassion. Any roles which have significant leadership, representative responsibilities, or that are central to fulfilling the aims and purposes or developing and maintaining our Christian ethos, will have additional requirements. The additional requirements for these type of roles, will be put at the bottom of any list in italics under the heading ‘Additional Requirements’.
Policy
As a result of our shared beliefs and values the following are examples of behaviours we would expect to find within the staff & volunteer team at Vineyard Compassion:
· The treatment of one another with grace, respect, courtesy, politeness, forgiveness and Christian love
· Honesty and co-operation in our interactions, timekeeping and work practice
· Respect for authority and for individual conscience and diversity as people working together
· Commitment to good stewardship of Vineyard Compassion's finance and resources
Additional Requirements:
o Faith in Jesus Christ within settings and context appropriate to day to day responsibilities
o Willingness to pray for others and give account of a genuine faith in Jesus Christ within settings and context appropriate to day to day responsibilities
o Regular commitment and participation in the life of a local church
Should a difficult situation develop, Vineyard Compassion is committed to act, in all situations, with compassion, grace and pastoral concern, and make decisions based on these. Such issues may be as the result of an oversight or an error of judgement rather than lifestyle choice or pre-determined behavioural choice and Vineyard Compassion undertakes to respond, encouraging restoration.
It is recognised that the Bible outlines specific behaviours as fundamental and in situations where these may have been contravened, Vineyard Compassion would act in accordance with its disciplinary procedure within a context of grace and compassion.
The use of disciplinary procedures should always be viewed as a last resort. In no way do they exempt Vineyard Compassion from making every possible effort to guide the honest pursuit of truth, to encourage wholesome approaches to sexuality, to support stable family life or to model good working relationships that convey respect for people and property.
As with any disciplinary investigation, the employee/volunteer will be treated within a context of grace and compassion while time is taken to consider the circumstances of the situation e.g.
· The severity of the perceived misconduct
· Whether the incident is a 'one-off ' or part of repeated behaviour or lifestyle
· Any mitigating circumstances e.g. personal issues
· The position of trust of the employee/volunteer within Vineyard Compassion
· The particular duties of the employee/volunteer i.e. representational, visibility in the organisation/wider community
· The treatment of similar instances of misconduct by other employees/volunteers
· The employee/volunteer's length of service
· The extent of any 'live' disciplinary warnings
· Evidence of regret
Additional Requirements:
Christian maturity and understanding
The following is a non-exhaustive list of matters which are considered to be gross misconduct and which would normally result in dismissal.
Any action constituting a serious criminal offence
Theft, forgery, deliberate falsification or failure to complete records or misrepresentation to the advantage of oneself or others.
Serious breach of Vineyard Compassion's equal opportunities policy
Harassment of any kind particularly sexual, racial or religious (see separate harassment policy)
Bullying of any kind
Breach of trust
Abuse e.g. sexual, racial, alcohol, drug or substance
The repeated use of blasphemy or sexual innuendoes
Disregard for safety precautions thereby endangering oneself and others
Additional Requirements:
Sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage
Divorce except where permitted by Scripture e.g. infidelity, abuse, breach of trust
Involvement in the occult
The deliberate viewing or circulation of pornographic material or other similarly offensive materials
Membership of a group who could oppose Vineyard Compassion's Basis of Faith or expressing views which are contrary to that Basis of Faith.
It is understood that while every member of staff/volunteer is vulnerable to behaviour which contravenes that laid out in Scripture, our desire as an organisation is to inspire, encourage and build one another up in the faith in order to honour, obey and glorify God in our work.
Conduct outside of formal working hours
There may be instances where inappropriate conduct outside of formal working/volunteering hours may necessitate disciplinary action.
Such issues may be as the result of an oversight or an error of judgement rather than lifestyle choice or pre-determined behavioural choice and Vineyard Compassion undertakes to respond, encouraging restoration. As with any disciplinary investigation, employees/volunteers will be treated within a context of grace and compassion while time is taken to consider the circumstances of the situation (examples listed above).
Such instances of inappropriate conduct outside of formal working hours is as following although not an exhaustive list:
Where it relates to a serious criminal offence
Where it renders the employee/volunteer unsuitable for the type of work they do e.g. someone who works with children found guilty of child abuse
Where it leads to a breach of mutual trust between Vineyard Compassion and employee/volunteer e.g. accountant found guilty of fraud
Where it affects the performance of the employee/volunteer in their particular role e.g. a driver who loses his/her licence where driving is an essential occupational requirement
Where it is damaging to the reputation of the organisation e.g. Abuse: sexual, racial, alcohol, drug or substance
Additional Requirements:
Where it is damaging to the Christian ethos of the organisation e.g. a staff member/key volunteer openly having a sexual relationship outside of heterosexual marriage