[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Had your fill of Christmas cookies yet? If not, here’s a great recipe for the best sugar cookie you’ll ever taste—mixed with the ingredients you’ll need for a safe holiday season at your church!

Here’s what you’ll need…

1 ½ cups salted butter
Use wet wipes to clean buttery fingers. Wet wipes are also good to have on hand in the nursery, at your greeter station, and for those who are serving coffee. Keep germs from spreading with antibacterial wipes or hand sanitizer.

1 cup sugar
Nothing’s sweeter than providing special treats for volunteers serving on Christmas Eve. Set up a hospitality station for your serving teams to let them know how much you value their ministry. (Use this recipe and make homemade cookies for your volunteers!) Be sure to keep eggnog, coffee cream, dairy products, and anything made with mayonnaise refrigerated.

1 egg
Things are always sunny side up when volunteers receive training. If you’re adding extra help for holiday services, be sure to provide orientation for each role. A good experience with a short-term assignment may pique interest for involvement year-round.

2 teaspoons vanilla
Add flavor to your ministry by using the two-adult rule: Have two adults on duty with every classroom or small group of children and youth.

4 cups flour
Flour is the basic ingredient of many baked goods, and background checking is the staple of church safety. Be sure to run a background check on every volunteer who works with children and youth. If you’re adding extra help for the holidays, don’t give adults access to kids until they’ve been screened.

1 teaspoon baking powder
Volunteers rise to the occasion when they’re given a friendly reminder. With all the extra things going on this month, be sure to remind everyone of their service roles with an email, postcard, text message, or better yet, a live phone call! And don’t forget to thank your volunteers for helping your church share the real meaning of Christmas!

Directions for awesome sugar cookies:

Cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Gradually add in the flour and baking powder and mix till combined. Roll out the dough to your desired thickness, and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Directions for safe ministry:

Combine and implement the ingredients above. Add background checking as a requirement for each ministry position that involves children and youth. Blend in a handbook of safety policies and review it each year.

Enjoy the cookies, and have a blessed Christmas![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]- – Taken from a recent Shepherd’s Watch newsletter. Sign up today for Shepherd’s Watch Background Checks and receive your free monthly newsletter filled with advice and tips on keeping your church safe.

(We love to provide tips to keep your ministry safe. You may also want to consult your local legal advisors to get their perspective on this topic!)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Bob D'Ambrosio

Bob D’Ambrosio is a 25-year veteran of frontline church ministry and now serves with Group’s content solutions team. He’s a trainer for volunteer equipping, a Refresh the Church blogger, and a ministry coach for Group U. Bob is a contributing author and general editor of the E4:12 Bible Study Series Better Together: Connecting to God and Others and Leading Out: Connecting People to Purpose.

December 7, 2018

Categories:Lead, Shepherd's Watch, Training, Volunteers

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