Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering.  We appreciate your willingness to get more involved.  Please complete the following details.

We respect and handle your personal information with care.  The collection of personal information is in accordance with the Max Life Church Privacy Policy.  Personal details collected are for internal use only and will not be given or sold to any third parties.

Please check with your parents that they are happy for you to volunteer and please complete this form with your parent/guardian's assistance.

All church volunteers need to have a current Working with Children's Check and have completed Acc Safer Churches Volunteers Training before starting to volunteer. 

It is a compulsory requirement of our insurance company that we get referee checks for all new volunteers. 

As you have attended Max Life Church for less than 12 months, you will need to list two referees who know you well from external sources eg. work, friend, previous church.   Ask if unsure.

As you have attended for more than 12 months, one referee from the church will suffice eg the pastor or a leader that you know.  Ask if unsure.

Please read and sign the Acc Volunteers Code of Conduct which outlines expected behaviour of those that serve within Max Life Church.

Australian Christian Churches (ACC) Code of Conduct

ACC VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT

Codes of Conduct are a part of ACC’s commitment to emotionally and physically safe environments, an expectation of our Child Protection Policy, and a commitment to providing appropriate duty of care, including health and safety considerations.
This Code of Conduct outlines the requirements and expectations for all paid and volunteer workers in ACC Churches and associated activities.
There is a separate document the ACC Ministerial Code of Conduct that applies to ACC Credential holders.

This Code of Conduct is divided into two categories:

• those considered to be legal, biblical and/or moral imperatives, denoted by the word “shall” must be implemented, and
• those considered as good practice, denoted by the words “expected”, and are nevertheless strongly recommended.

ACC recognises that volunteering and working in the context of a local church is a transformative process and is committed to treating all workers with respect and facilitating worker growth where necessary.

1. SCOPE
This Code of conduct applies to all workers in MAX LIFE CHURCH INC ABN 42 301 875 484, whether in a paid or volunteer position.

2. COMMITMENT
Workers shall uphold all relevant State or Territory legislation applicable to their role. They shall abide by, and implement all church or associated event policies, procedures and guidelines. Workers are expected to seek clarity in circumstances where the guidelines, processes or instructions are unclear.

3. SERVANT HEARTED
All workers are servants of Christ, who should endeavour to become servant leaders as modelled by Jesus (John 13:3-14). The misuse of authority can be a particular temptation when being given a position of trust and power – this must be avoided.

4. BEHAVIOUR
Workers:

• are expected act in the best interests of those we serve.
• shall prioritise the best interests of children
• shall not be abusive in any way toward others, spiritually, emotionally, physically or sexually, including domestic and family violence.
• shall avoid the use of offensive language (e.g. swear words, sexual connotations, racial, religious or gender related slurs).
• shall exercise caution with all potentially addictive behaviours and/or harmful substances. Drunkenness is never acceptable.
• shall refrain from using any illicit substances.
• are expected to understand and implement appropriate behavioural boundaries between themselves and those we serve, including using caution when initiating or receiving physical contact with those we serve. This includes gestures of comfort as such gestures can be unwanted or misinterpreted.
• shall respond to the views and concerns of children, particularly if they communicate that they do not feel safe or well.
• shall respond to any concerns or complaints of child harm or abuse promptly and in line with MAX LIFE CHURCH INC policy and procedure for receiving and responding to complaints.
• shall act with sexual integrity. Sex is a gift from God and integral to human nature.
• shall not transmit, download or store any communication that is discriminatory or harassing, derogatory, obscene, sexually explicit or pornographic, defamatory, threatening, for any purpose other than that specifically relevant to their position, for the purpose of reporting to an authority, or to comply with a legal direction.
• shall report their concerns of harm or risk of harm according to ACC Safer Church Guidelines.
• are expected to treat all people fairly and in accordance with ACC and local church policies, guidelines and position papers.
• are expected to communicate with integrity, including accountable and wise use of electronic communication.
• are expected to acknowledge when they are out of their depth and do not possess the required skill set in difficult pastoral situations (e.g., a person who needs professional counselling) and seek help from a team leader or church leader.
• shall not take property belonging to others, including intellectual property (copyright).
• shall disclose potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest in relation to their church role. (e.g. possible financial gain; existing personal relationships)

5. FINANCIAL MATTERS
Workers shall not seek financial gain from their role or misuse their personal church relationships for financial gain. Workers are expected to steward property and finances related to their role with accountability, transparency, and integrity and report any concerns they have in relation to these matters.

6. CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidential information shall not be disclosed and must be treated with the utmost care. Exceptions include:

• when disclosure is required by law,
• harm or risk of harm notifications, whether required by law or not,
• there are concerns for the safety of the person or others,
• in accordance with the entity’s privacy policy,
• or when the information is in the public domain.

Disclosure is a serious matter, and the assistance of a team leader or church leader should be sought.

7. COMMITMENT TO TEAM MINISTRY
Workers:

• Are expected to embrace the vision, values, and mission of the Church or associated activity, and continue to develop ministry skills through a variety of means, including team meetings.
• shall undertake the training required for their role.
• are expected to be accountable to the team, watch out for each other and protect each other’s integrity.
   

IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CODE OF CONDUCT
Any breach of this code involving a criminal offence may lead to a report being made to the relevant authorities. Any breaches relating to the harm, or risk of harm, of a child or young person will be dealt with under the ACC Child Protection Policy. Any other breach may, at the church’s sole discretion, result in the worker being stood down or suspended.

Workers are expected to be open to correction and to act with humility by appropriately modifying their behaviour so as to not discredit the gospel.

Please read and sign the Acc Workers Declaration for volunteer and employed workers

Thank you for your expression of interest to serve at MAX LIFE CHURCH INC ABN 42 301 875 484. Your declaration is part of our commitment to ensuring our volunteers uphold our duty of care to all people, and to fulfil our legal and insurance requirements. If you are unclear as to any of the statements in this document, please seek clarification from your team leader before signing.

1.  I understand that MAX LIFE CHURCH INC operates in a regulated environment, and I undertake to cooperate by complying with any lawful requirements. I undertake that:

• I will disclose to the Safer Churches Officer (or equivalent) any allegation, investigation or conviction of reportable conduct, child related offenses, sexual harassment or assault, financial misconduct, workplace misconduct or any other disciplinary or criminal proceedings I have been subject to. I understand these matters will need to be considered when determining if, or what, role I may hold.
• I have received a copy of the Workers (Paid or Volunteer) Code of Conduct and understand the expectations.
• I am able to uphold the safety of others in the fulfilment of my designated role.

2.  I understand that MAX LIFE CHURCH INC leaders may refer to ACC and local organisation policies, codes of conduct, guidelines and position paper when determining my suitability for any role.

3.  I have provided this information, and any documents accompanying it in good faith and declare they are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

I understand that any material misstatement or omission from this questionnaire may cause me to be considered unfit to hold a particular role for MAX LIFE CHURCH INC.

I consent to the information contained in this application including the subsequent pages to be kept by MAX LIFE CHURCH INC. I understand that this information is collected in accordance with the above entity’s Privacy Policy further to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) where applicable. I understand that this information will be destroyed or de-identified once the information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it has been collected.