|
All correspondence between Church Care and any church or between
Church Care and any individual volunteer is a private matter between
Church Care and the church or volunteer. All correspondence is
held in strict confidence. What does this mean in practice?
It means that the business of any church is not the business
of any other church. It means that the business of any volunteer
is not the business of any other volunteer. It means that Church Care, when corresponding with a church or volunteer for any reason
whatsoever, does not mention the names of other churches and/or
volunteers.
It is necessary that we make this policy clearly understood.
Some churches that use the Church Care screening service to clear
individuals who come with their rent and utility bills stop
using the service when their benevolence funds run dry or the
care of their own parishioners is taking all they have. To stop
using the screening service is to misunderstand what we hope
to facilitate among our local churches, i.e., a cooperative
spirit that will demonstrate a measure of unity in the one body
of Christ in our community.
We ask churches in this situation to keep the system moving
- keep sending every individual/family asking for money to Church Care to be screened for legitimacy whether or not they have available
benevolence funds. Just tell us the well is dry for now. Church Care performs the same work, and a permanent record is made of
the result. This is the only way Church Care can identify the great
numbers of habitual users and abusers of agency and church resources.
Less than 50% of individuals referred to Church Care for a screening
call to give intake information - they choose not to answer
questions about the need situation they have given the church.
Another 50% disqualify their selves giving Church Care information
that proves, in the verification process, to be false information.
But for those left who are honest in their need - we have to
find them some help. Church Care does not, when seeking cooperative
help from the churches, mention the name of the church that
referred the request, nor do we mention the names of other churches
we might ask to help with a legitimate need situation. A church
may not have funds to put out $400, but 4 churches might come
up with $100 each. That's what Church Care can do with legitimate
dire needs that cry out for help from the churches, because
without help from the church community, there will be none.
In situations involving money needs, we do not mention names
of churches. In "hands-on" situations, we do. We name
them in the Love Stories that
we publish on this web site from time to time - stories involving
"hands-on" help that demonstrate time and care given
to Christ. Remember, He said, "Whatever you do for these,
the least of my brethren, you do for Me". These stories
very often involve two or more churches in cooperative participation
to help in a single situation involving dire need - stories
that show the volunteers from Christian Churches reaching out
together to be the Good Samaritan.
Home | How We Help Churches | About Us | How You Can Help
© 2006 Church Care Indianapolis
|
