...have a youth ministry code of conduct or discipline policy? My church, under my lead, is about to vote on this. We've had a few instances of unwanted behavior from some of our kids (one in particular) and didn't really know how to handle it. With the last incident, I and our pastor feel that this would be the best plan for the church. This way, when there are future issues, we will have a clear-cut policy that will guide us. We will know how we are to handle most everything.

Does your church do this?

We have this thing "A Plan To Protect" which adults (volunteering with youth) must sign.

Our church practices church discipline for adult members (more than one person has been put out of the body do to infidelity). But I suspect our church does not have a discipline policy for the youth (and if they do they certainly don't enforce it). I certainly wish they did. Because of this (and a few other reasons), my children do not attend youth services or "youth only" type activities in our church beyond 5th grade.

Most churches I've been to just wing it. I couldn't tell you what the policy is for our current church, but having been a youth leader in the past, this is a must ! I had to discipline arrogant adolescents on many occasions and it would have helped greatly to have a structure as to what I was doing.

When I was working with youth I think it was just kinda understood that it was a church youth group and that Christian behavior was expected. Some kids were banned from attending outside activities for violating that expectation. However, that has been many a year ago, and given the modern climate and the watering down of what "Christian behavior" means, I think it is a good idea to spell it out.