If you’re like us, your diaconate has weekly routines and practices…
There are certain tasks that the deacons need to do each Sunday.
There are certain tasks the deacons need to do during the week, or when certain events happen.
Is any of it written down in a manual, procedure, or policy that the deacons can easily access? Chances are, a lot of what the deacons do is unwritten.
When new deacons are ordained, can they easily “read the instructions” and ensure a smooth transition to help keep the church running without any bumps?
This is especially important for maintenance issues. Is it clear who to call when the air conditioners go out, for instance? Your church may have maintenance contracts with multiple vendors that service different air conditioning units. Procedures can help keep this clear.
Same thing for operating the video and sound board each week. This is definitely an item for which a short step-by-step manual should be written to help anyone unfamiliar with the system who has to, or wants to, assist.
You don’t need to make the procedures or manual elaborate. You just need to develop them. You can find free templates online to get you started with the outline.
Here is a web site that offers multiple different templates to download:
Standard Operating Procedure Templates
The procedures should compliment your benevolence or mercy ministry policies.
Keep them in a Google Drive or Dropbox account that can be shared with the deacons. If the documents can be easily accessed through an app on your phone, this will be better for everyone.
If you think some basic instructions should be written, then I urge you to champion the action. It really does need to be done.
There may come a time when much of the diaconate is turned over, and the experienced men leave. A diaconate made up of younger men is likely to be full of zeal and energy, but without instructions or procedures they will be unaware of the basic practices necessary to keep the diaconate and the church functioning.