Our CM team is abusive

Your Question:

“How can I increase the kindness and gentleness of our CM team, while still protecting the rules and guidelines of the ministry?”

The Issues:

If there are “harsh” team members who have been on the CM team for many years, you may be faced with removing them if they can’t, or won’t, be changed. “What’s best for the children?” or “What’s best for the parents?” must be the foundation for your actions. You may have to “sell” this concept to the senior pastor; who needs to understand that a harsh CM team member will drive people away from the church.

Scripture Foundation:

“Remove the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.” Proverbs 22:10

Short Answer:

It is critical that the CM is known for being kind and gentle.  A harsh team member will drive children, and their parents, away!  Ultimately, this is a recruitment issue. The recruitment process should be created to reveal a “harsh” person, or a “gentle” person.  Kindness and gentleness are “fruit” of the Spirit.  If a person doesn’t show that “fruit,” this is something that needs to be addressed quickly.  Being kind and gentle is a direct result of loving children.  A “harsh” team member may view him or herself as “fixing” “bad” children.  The goal of the CM is to love children, and to “nudge” them toward Jesus through our kind and gentle treatment.  In your CM training, make sure to deal with “classroom management” techniques.  A “seasoned” CM team member will use kind or gentle words to deal with even the most challenging child.  Make sure to kindly connect with the parents when dealing with a challenging child. For more help, click on the links below.

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