Most Churches have policies and procedures written down so everyone can read them. They may be published in a book that is distributed to all, or they may even be documented online. Everyone has access, so they become the standard operating guide for how to run the Church. However, there are also disadvantages to this exacting practice:

1. Organization of the Book, and that Book is not the Bible.
After a while, the policies and procedures manual begins to look like a legal document. It no longer gets used just as a guide, but rather becomes a stick to hit people over the head with to make them comply. Remember that the policies were put in place to facilitate our common service, not to be a source of harassment.

2. Rigid Policies Generate Conflict
When policies are carried out unequally, people resent it. This becomes a source of conflict within the congregation. Yes, exceptions do occur, but they should be few and far between, not the norm for one particular individual. There should be documentation that supports making the exception which any reasonable person would conclude warrants it. Otherwise, the policies are seen as ineffective and capricious.

3. Legal Situations Do Arise
Churches, like all organizations, can be sued in civil court. Written policy and procedure statements then become legal documents. Under the eyes of the law, these manuals become legal contracts between the Church and its employees. The Church can find itself having to defend a particular policy in legal action using legal terms. It might not be a bad idea to have the Church’s lawyer review the policies and procedures manual from time to time. Just don’t let them rewrite it in legalese that no one else really understands. Although it may then stand up better in court, it will also cease to be useful to the average person.

4. Out of date policies contribute to Inefficiency.
If you expect the policies to be set in stone, then they will eventually get out of date. Others will then perceive them as unnecessary, since you’ll be constantly making exceptions. At this point, the procedures no longer apply, so why keep trying?

The best practice is to never let the policies be set in stone. Keep them supple and flexible. Review them every year, and ask yourself these questions:

• Does the situation that demanded this policy still confront us?
• If not, then what has changed?
• How should we change this policy to be more efficient?
• Is it too rigid for the average person to apply?
• Is the policy well stated, or confusing and ambiguous?

Part of the reason why you write down policies and procedures is to capture Institutional Memory about how things work best. Keep modifying those documents to ensure that they still work the best way possible. Look for ways to improve them. And in so doing, you’ll make the best use of the resources that the Church has been blessed with – both people and technology.