Before you begin ministering to your neighbors, it's necessary to review basic safety and abuse guidelines.

 

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"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach."

—TITUS 1:7 (ESV)

••••

 

Make safety a priority, to protect your neighbors and yourself.

  1. When visiting a new neighbor, always go in pairs.
  2. When making a connection with a neighbor of the opposite gender, include a third person, and meet in a public area. 
  3. Physical touch and personal affirmation should be appropriate and with explicit consent - side hugs, a pat on the shoulder, a high five, a fist bump, or for children, a pat on the head.

 

When working with children, you should take additional safety measures.

  1. While it may feel natural, please do not allow children to sit in your lap.
  2. Always have two or more adults with children at all times. You should never be alone with a child who is not yours unless you have parental permission in writing (ex: babysitting or taking them to church).
  3. If you text / message / engage through social media with a minor,  always include another adult, preferably a parent. 
  4. Do not change diapers. Only females should take children to the restroom. If the child needs supervision in the restroom, leave the restroom door open and stand in the doorway in such a way as to be visible to others. You should not provide direct assistance to a child in the restroom, including assistance with cleaning or fastening buttons or zippers, as frustrating as that may be for the child. Coach the child on how to help himself / herself.
  5. If you suspect abuse, you must report it to Child Protective Services. Here is national resource (if you live in the United States) that will provide information specific to your state.

 

As you care for, and connect with your neighbors, we want you to be safe and secure and to use wisdom to guide how you care for those around you. We hope these reminders will help you serve above reproach.

 

Whether you're walking through this study individually or as a group, take a moment to process by asking yourself these questions:

  • Take a moment to consider the community in which you are doing ministry. Are there preventions mentioned above that you hadn’t considered?
  • Are there any steps you need to take to ensure the safety of you and the community around you?
  • This is a great opportunity to bring others into your ministry with you to serve. Can you think of a few people that you could ask to join in?

 

» NEXT STEPS

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Love God, and love your neighbor.    

Apartment Life believes that a community can be radically transformed when people intentionally invest in the lives of neighbors and build authentic relationships through service.

 

It's that simple.  
  
We partner with an apartment community’s management team to deliver the Apartment Life program. We  have the opportunity to  build community and serve residents by doing things that flow naturally out of the Christian lifestyle — welcoming new neighbors, planning social functions, and caring in times of need.

 

Together we can change the lives of people living in apartment communities, and one person at a time, we can change the world.  

 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE AN APARTMENT LIFE COORDINATOR, YOU CAN APPLY HERE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PARTNERING WITH APARTMENT LIFE, VISIT APARTMENTLIFE.ORG.