City Life Center - Operations Manual
Purpose of the City Life Center
City Life - Empowering Urban Youth to Change Their Community for Christ.
There are three important components of a City Life ministry that helps facilitate deep community change:
1. Keeping A Tight Neighborhood Focus
2. Doing Relational, Holistic Ministry with a Critical Mass of Young People from that Neighborhood
3. Raising Indigenous Leaders Who Don't Move Out, But Give Back
The City Life Center is a tool in our tool box to help us accomplish these three objectives.
The purpose of the City Life Center is to provide a safe place for unchurched urban youth to engage in fun, holistic and meaningful activities with Christian adults.
Our goal is to focus on ____________ neighborhood and engage in meaningful relationships the majority of the youth from this neighborhood.
The City Life Center is not a “drop-in” center, as we want our students to do much more than just drop in! We desire to be a youth development center where urban teens are challenged and encouraged to mature in all areas of their life. We want to see them become life-long followers of Jesus Christ and become the next generation of leaders in their community.
Discipline Policy
It is our belief the best discipline is not to make an extensive list of rules, but to provide a framework for students to take ownership for their own actions and the property through respect. Respect is a strong value in urban neighborhood, but usually it is not given until it is received by the students. They should know that we will do our best to respect some of their freedoms as individuals, if they can respect our rules and boundaries that are established to make the City Life Center a fun, enjoyable place for everyone to be.
The more you can reinforce this value, the more students themselves can take ownership for the behavior at the City Life Center among themselves and their peers. If the staff and volunteers at the City Life Center make discipline about power and control, discipline will never be owned at the student level and therefore behavior problems will only increase instead of decrease.
City Life Center Rules
1. Respect the Staff
2. Respect Each Other
3. Respect the Building
When a student disobeys one of these rules, they can receive a “strike”. Our current policy is a provide one warning before issuing a strike, then 3 strikes and you’re out of the City Life Center – for rest of day.
It is advisable to meet with a disciplined student the next day when they return to the City Life Center. Even though we need to manage their behavior for the protection of all the students or the protection of the building, our goal is also to provide the students an example of LOVING DISCIPLINE. Therefore, staff and volunteers should make it their goal to reaffirm their love for students have received discipline.
Staff and volunteers should do their best to give out strikes under emotional control, and not out of anger. Our ability to keep a level head and heart with students assures them that our discipline is for their benefit and the benefit of others instead of about our need to be in charge.
What Kind of Behavior Deserves a Strike?
• play fighting (which can lead to real fights with one wrong swing)
• back talk to staff
• Kissing or making out
• in hallways or in rooms where should not be
• excessive not listening
• trash talking or threatening other kids
• not following guidelines about loitering outside the property
Some discipline issues only need one “strike” to help get a student back in check. This is not an exhaustive list. Volunteers and Staff are empowered to make discipline decisions on the fly because there is not way a list could be make for the ways that students might misbehave.
Also, it is important to note that some behavior might be “normal” at a student’s home, but would not be valued at the City Life Center. Staff and Volunteers should aim to know students well so that they aren’t giving out strikes to students who don’t know or understand our system of respect. Instead, students should be given a chance to be informed of the ways that we expect to treat each other at the City Life Center and be given the grace and encouragement to make adjustments in their behavior.
Some Discipline Issues Are More Serious
• Vandalism. Students caught vandalizing property - graffiti for example - should be given the opportunity to earn their way back into the center by helping restore the value of the property (i.e. painting over their graffiti or doing yard work if they damage something they don’t have the skills or the money to fix.) This helps students develop ownership in the property and encourages them to not repeat their disruptive patterns.
• Stealing. It would be of value for the student to apologize to the victim that they stole from and work to restore the value of the property that they stole. This is also a great time to demonstrate the grace of God through forgiveness to the one who stole. It is essential to not provide students temptation in areas that might prove hard for them to not steal: i.e. lock up valuables, not leaving out food or candy.
• Physical fighting. This results in a suspension for a week – talk with them and/or parents before allowing them back – get verbal commitment to take problems to staff if they are having trouble resolving them in a non-violent way.
• Weapons. Before the City Life Center opens, contact a local police officer to obtain a listing of what weapons it is illegal for minors to carry (i.e. Brass knuckles, length of knives...etc.). They will be able to inform you of your legal responsibility to confiscate the weapon, report the weapon or inform the minors parents of the ownership of the weapon. Make sure you are in compliance with your state law. The City Life Center should have stickers or signs posted that clearly display that this is a weapon free zone. http://www.safetysign.com/Security+Signs/No+Guns-Weapons+Signs.html?s_kwcid=TC|7684|no%20weapons%20sign||S||4971749700&gclid=CM_o66GFsqMCFSMtswodtUlYdg
• If it is discovered that a student is carrying a dangerous weapon at the City Life Center, a staff person should immediately pull the student aside for a private conversation. You conversation with the local police should inform your next action steps with the student.
• Even if a student needs to be removed from the property because of a weapon, do your best to affirm your love for them. If they refuse to not carry a weapon, your relationship with this student must continue outside of the City Life Center for the protection of other students.
Removing a Student Permanently From the City Life Center
There are some students who are either unwilling or unable to conform to the rules established by the City Life Center staff. Sometimes it can be confusing to determine the difference between a student who is unwilling or a student who is unable to comply with the Center rules.
Much time, team discussion and prayer should be given to students who fit either one of these categories. Be sensitive to the possibility of behavior disorders which would make it very difficult for students to comply to boundaries. Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or severe ADHD might struggle more with rules and boundaries than others. Have staff read up on possible treatment plans for young people with these disorders to see alternative behavior modification techniques or where more specific help might be given to help the student’s behavior improve.
• http://www.aacap.org/cs/resource_center/odd_faqs
• http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=630&cn=37
Remember, your goal is not to diagnose a student with a behavior disorder, but to find a treatment plan that allows him or her to stay in relationship with other adults and students.
Still, some students won’t respond. There should be a demonstrated track record of non-compliance or violence for a student to be permanently removed from the City Life Center. When a student is permanently removed from the City Life Center a staff person should:
• Inform the student that can no longer participate at the City Life Center
• Obtain a meeting with the student’s parent(s) in a neutral location (fast food restaurant) with the student to discuss the reasons for the permanent removal.
• Communicate clearly with both the student and the parent what the course of action if the student does not comply with the removal (i.e. What is the plan when the students shows up at the City Life Center the next day? What course of action will the City Life Center staff and volunteers going to take in order for the student to be removed from the property?)
• Inform the parent and the student that the student is still loved, and now needs to engage the City Life staff by spending time with them outside the City Life Center (if appropriate, depending on the type of offenses).
Building Maintenance
As a part of the community we are trying to reach, keeping the facility in great working order is essential to being a light in our community. To increase our stewardship of the resources God has given us, we should leverage volunteer help in order to maintain the appearance and functionality of the property.
On a monthly basis
· Check and restock vending machines
· Spot clean carpet stains
· Dust all surfaces
· Restock Snack Shack items as needed
· Donate any unclaimed ‘Lost & Found’ items
· Organize the Janitor’s Closet
· Clean the inside of the garbage cans
· Sweep outside the building
· Spray the weeds outside
On a weekly basis
· Vacuum entire floor area
· Mop all tiled areas, including entrance, kitchen and bathrooms
· Check carpet for snags and cut them off
· Empty sanitary napkin receptacles and replace liners
· Clean & disinfect the bathroom well, including toilets, surfaces, mirrors
· Clean & disinfect the kitchen well, including microwave, counter and oven
· Restock kitchen items as needed
· Empty outside garbage can and replace liner
On a daily basis:
· Take time to pray for the youth and volunteers who will be in the City Life Center that day
· Outside
o In hot weather, water trees for twenty minutes at least every other day
o Pick up trash accumulated outside building
· Inside
o Take out trash
o Spot vacuum
o Spot clean the tiled area- hand mop sticky spots
o Sweep tiled areas
o Make sure there is an adequate amount of toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap available in bathrooms
o Wash tables with bleach water and a rag
o Run the dishwasher or a load of laundry to prevent sewage backup
After School Setup
In General
· Music or a video should be playing in the background
· Turn on overhead lights with the key in the Janitor’s Closet or the track lighting
· Lights should be on or blinds opened at all times
· Make sure all office doors are locked and only key accessible
· Turn on ‘Open’ sign
Living Room
· Make sure all board games are put away and tidied up
· Two couches form a corner with a large coffee table in the middle and a corner coffee table in between the two couches
Snack Shack
· Open shutters when ‘in business’
· Make sure counters are clean and dishes are put away
· Place out items for sale
· Please write any needed supplies on the white board
· Keep track of what is sold
Main Floor
· Place floor games out with enough space for playing
· Remove and fold pool table covers
· Make sure things are off the floor
· Put out game supplies for ping pong, foosball and pool
The Wall
· Lift garage door and place padlock in Youth Center Director’s office
· Turn on all TVs and make sure on the A/V Channel
· Couches form a semi-circle facing the TVs with coffee tables in between
Check In
· Open shutters to Youth Center Director’s office
· Put out the daily sign-in sheet
· Have markers/ pens available
· Make sure all bulletins, flyers, etc are tidied and organized
· Have equipment check out lists available
· Have bike locks available (there should be 5)
Bathrooms
· Make sure there is an adequate amount of toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap available
After School Take Down
In General
· Turn off music or the video
· Turn off overhead lights with the key in the Janitor’s Closet
· Lights should be off or blinds closed
· Garage door closed with padlock
· Make sure all doors are locked and only key accessible
· Place any unclaimed items in ‘Lost & Found’
· Turn off ‘Open’ sign
Living Room
· Make sure all board games are put away and tidied up
· Do a quick inventory to make sure nothing is missing
· Two couches form a corner with a large coffee table in the middle and a corner coffee table in between the two couches
Snack Shack
· Close shutters
· Make sure counters are clean and things are put away
· Put away items for sale
· Please write any needed supplies on the white board
· Remove any expired or rotten food from the refrigerator
· Clean dishes and put them away
· Remove garbage (especially food items) to dumpster immediately
Main Floor
· Place floor games out with enough space for playing