Jesus invites us to be used by him in building his church. We all have a part to play, using the gifts God has given us, to serve his church.

City on a Hill is committed to the spiritual, emotional and physical safety and well-being of all people participating in the life and ministries of our churches. To that end we ask all those who volunteer with us to complete the disclosure questionnaire and adhere to the volunteer code of conduct.

The next page of this online form is the disclosure questionnaire, after which you will be presented with our volunteer code of conduct which you will be asked to uphold. A copy of the code can be downloaded here.

To help us meet our commitment to safe ministry, we ask everyone who wants to serve with City on a Hill to answer some important questions. We ask them because they are part of an important process that helps keep you and our churches safe.

All information provided will be treated with confidentiality, care and respect in accordance with our Privacy Policy which can be found at: cityonahill.com.au/privacy. Except as required by law, your answers will only be used for assessment of suitability for ministry. This information will be disclosed to the relevant ministry leader.

All people serving in ministry at City on a Hill are called to faithfully obey God and honour Jesus with their lives with conduct that is: above reproach; full of the fruit of the Spirit; and displaying evidence of the work of God in their lives. Godly Christian character is at the heart of what it means to be a Humble, Courageous & Sacrificial Leader. Such character can only happen through a personal and living faith in Jesus Christ.

This code of conduct summarises these requirements and as such is not intended to be exhaustive. However, it does outline some of the areas of essential conduct. These principles are expected to be implemented in all of life (including our online lives) and not just during formal ministry activities.

Serving in ministry in the church comes with varying degrees of actual or perceived authority within the church community. With this comes a responsibility to exercise that authority in a way that honours Jesus and His call to love and serve others. People in positions of authority are to be particularly aware of this when dealing with children and vulnerable people, even if their leadership does not involve direct contact with these groups. Abuse arises from the misuse of authority or power. Any form of abuse is always wrong.

In addition to the general standards of behaviour stated in this document, all people serving in ministry are required to comply with:

• the polices of the Anglican diocese in which they operate,
• the policies of City on a Hill, and
• the legislation of state and commonwealth governments.

All those that hold a leadership position, are involved in ministry to children, or have pastoral responsibility are required to hold a current Working with Children Check in their respective State or Territory.

This code of conduct applies to all people in any ministry position at City on a Hill. Failure to uphold this code of conduct may result in removal from leadership and ministry.

Sections pertaining to appropriate conduct with children applies to all people serving in ministry at City on a Hill, and not just those in ministry roles that directly involve children and vulnerable people.

Key terms appear in bold italics the first time they appear and are defined in the Safe Ministry Terminology document.

In this document a child refers to anyone under the age of 18. A vulnerable person refers to an individual aged 18 years and above who is unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation by reason of age, illness, trauma, disability, or any other reason.

THE VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT

At all times, as a person serving in a ministry role within City on a Hill, you must:

1. Recognise the power, trust and limitations of your ministry role, and behave in a manner which is pursuing holiness and worthy of imitation.
   
   
2. Recognise the limits of your personal responsibilities, vulnerabilities, skills, experience and competencies.
   
   
3. Be sensitive to, protect and respect all people from all backgrounds; taking particular care in ministry with children, young people and other vulnerable persons.
   
   
4. Not abuse, harass, or harm another person (including bullying, emotional abuse, harassment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, spiritual abuse, or grooming), and actively promote a safe environment where harassment or abuse of any kind of any person is neither tolerated nor accepted.
   
   
5. Ensure that the spaces and activities you are responsible for are safe and do not put people at risk of harm.
   
   
6. Commit to upholding a biblical expression of sex and sexuality, maintaining a commitment to faithfulness in heterosexual marriage, and chastity in singleness (with integrity in dating relationships).
   
   
7. Not view, possess, produce or distribute pornography or other restricted material. Not make any prohibited material available to children or other people.
   
   
8. Be responsible in your use of alcohol and any other legal substances or activities. Not use, possess, produce, or distribute any prohibited substance.
   
   
9. Not take property belonging to others (including intellectual property),  seeking to give appropriate and lawful honour to the work of others.
   
   
10. Be committed to truth in all areas of life, and not knowingly make statements that are false, misleading, deceptive, or defamatory (including in use of online communication).
    
    
11. Respect people’s privacy, and not disclosing or accessing private or sensitive information without a valid reason.
    
    
12. Obey laws of the governing authorities, living as respectful citizens of society (except if laws conflict with the biblical teachings of Christ).
    
    
13. Not be alone with a child away from the presence of other adults (unless you are the parent, legal guardian, or appointed by the parent or legal guardiant to be the carer of that child).
    
    
14. Not touch a child in a manner which is inappropriate given their age, gender or cultural background. Never touch a child in a sexual nature.
    
    
15. Not develop inappropriate or special relationships with particular children that could be seen as involving favouritism or any form of special treatment.
    
    
16. Not engage in any contact with a child that is secretive (whether physical or through electronic media or in any other way).
    
    
17. Not pursue or become romantically involved with any person under the age of 18.
    
    
18. Include vulnerable people (and/or their carers/significant other) in discussions about decisions that will significantly affect them.
    
    
19. Disclose immediately to the church leadership if you have previously been or currently are under investigation for any criminal offences.
    
    
20. Report any concerns or suspicions about harmful behaviours and significant risks without bias or partiality, and report any known or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable person to the relevant authorities.

REPORTING CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS

City on a Hill encourages active reporting of any concerns or complaints of misconduct, breaches of codes of conduct or other policies, reports of harm, abuse or any other matter of concern.

To make a complaint or a report please contact us. Full details on how you can make a report can be found at cityonahill.com.au/safe-ministry.

You can also contact our independent professional standards body, Kooyoora, directly by calling 1800 135 246.

Thank you for your commitment and contribution to a culture and practice of safe ministry for all people at City on a Hill. If you have any questions please contact the City on a Hill office at compliance@cityonahill.com.au or 03 9640 0990.