Churches need to develop a "Full Disclosure Policy" that they require any staff to sign once they start. No grandfathered in staff either.
A full disclosure policy would only be used if a staff member was leaving a staff position for whatever reason. If they have resigned and are going to another church, that is communicated. If they have been fired for whatever reason, that is communicated. People need to know the truth no matter how painful it is. Moral failure, job performance, moving to another church, it should not matter. The truth needs to be told.
Pastor & Author Dan Kimball recently said on his Facebook page, "a teacher told me:"I wish parents would quit putting their teens in Christian schools. We need them in public schools to influence students." Thoughts!?!
Answer these questions for me. Who does a visitation pastor/pastoral ministries pastor normal go and see? Those that are shut in, in nursing homes, in hospitals, those being cared by their children in their homes, those who have lost loved ones.__No the one thing that a visitation pastor can do is offer condolences, read a comforting passage of scripture, offer communion and comfort those being visited and their family and friends.__A Parish Nurse can do all of those things and can offer additional medical suggestions, make sure that the right medications are being taken or suggest they ask for a different medication at their next doctors visit. They can assess the current medical situation while also offering spiritual care and comfort.__With the boomer generation retiring and moving into the aged segment of our population, churches should start to look at hiring a Parish Nurse. The benefits of having a parish nurse to minister to the spiritual and medical needs from birth through death just make more sense.
Let's face it, the experiment of youth ministry has failed. Why do we continue to do the same things expecting different results?
http://www.worldsapart.org/news/652-young-adult-drop-outs.html
