Life Group Leader Commitment

Every fall (or whenever a new leader comes on board), we ask you to make a fresh commitment to your responsibilities as a leader in the NLCC community. This commitment summarizes our expectations regarding:

• Your Christian faith, spiritual growth, submission to leadership, and freedom from sinful habits or significant marital struggles.
• Your responsibility as a frontline pastor and mature sibling in your group.
• Appropriate boundaries such as confidentiality, personal boundaries, and restrictions on certain activities.
• Your alignment with our vision for sexual integrity and boundaries.
• Your understanding of our harassment and sexual misconduct policies.

Please take time to read through this commitment, and sign it online no later than October 6, or within 30 days of beginning your new Life Group.

Life Group Leader Commitment

Summary Notes on Sexual Misconduct Policy: 

• This policy covers staff and volunteer leaders/teachers (like you) who are representing the church.
• It describes “abusive sexual misconduct” as “any unwanted or unsolicited sexualized behaviour against a person.” This includes physical, verbal, visual, digital forms, whether overt or covert.
• It highlights “misuse of authority and power” – recognizing that sexualized relationships are complicated by power dynamics. In particular, it’s important to recognize that a relationship between a spiritual leader (paid or volunteer) – including a Life Group or Ministry leader – does involve power dynamics that make sexual misconduct an act of abuse.
• This policy describes a five-step process that will be implemented to guard against sexual misconduct:

1. Understanding: We will continually educate our staff and volunteers about the nature of sexual integrity and sexual misconduct.
2. Action: When a possible occurrence of sexual misconduct occurs, the witness or individual to whom it is reported is responsible to stop it, report it, and guard the alleged victim from it.
3. Investigation: When an allegation is brought forward, depending on its nature, an informal, formal, or criminal investigation will be initiated. This will be confidential. As necessary, alleged perpetrators will be suspended or removed from duties.
4. Support: We will provide care, support, and an accountability team for the accuser and the alleged perpetrator, with a clearly explained process, and a commitment to determine appropriate results/recommendations.
5. Outcomes: There will be reports to appropriate leadership, the affected parties, and the congregation if necessary.

It is impossible to completely protect people from every possible scenario, but it’s our hope and aim that this policy, properly implemented, guards our church from any significant violation of anyone’s dignity or vulnerability. We expect and hope that all our leaders are committed to supporting this policy.