Volunteer Screening and Application — Service with Minors

Mayflower Church

Volunteer Screening & Application

For Service with Children and Youth

Draft — May 2026

Part One — Screening Policy

1. Purpose

Mayflower Church is committed to the safety of every child and youth entrusted to our care. This screening process applies to all persons who serve with minors at Mayflower in any capacity. It is one element of the Mayflower Child & Youth Protection Policy and works alongside the Mandated Reporter Policy and the Registered Sex Offender Policy.

Screening is not an expression of distrust toward our people. It is an expression of love for our children and a witness to the world that the church takes the protection of the vulnerable seriously.

2. Who Must Complete This Process

This screening process is required for any person serving with minors at Mayflower, including:

Discipletown teachers, helpers, and substitute teachers.
Nursery team members.
EQUIP youth ministry leaders and helpers.
Vacation Bible School and summer camp staff and volunteers.
Drivers transporting minors to or from a Mayflower-sponsored event.
Any adult staying overnight at a Mayflower youth event.
Any adult having one-on-one or small-group contact with minors as part of a Mayflower ministry.

3. Six-Month Attendance Prerequisite

To serve with minors, an applicant must have been a regular participant in the worshipping life of Mayflower Church for at least six (6) months prior to applying. The Senior Pastor, in consultation with the Board of Elders, may waive this requirement only in rare cases where the applicant is well-known to multiple Mayflower leaders from a prior ministry context.

Membership is not required to serve, but membership is required to lead a team.

4. Steps in the Screening Process

Application. The applicant completes Part Two of this document in full and returns it to the Senior Pastor or designated Children & Youth ministry leader.
References. The applicant provides three (3) references — at least one personal and at least one ministry-related — none of whom may be relatives. Mayflower will contact each reference in writing or by phone.
CORI Check. Mayflower will run a Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check using the iCORI system. The applicant must complete the CORI Acknowledgement Form before the check is initiated.
SORI Check. Mayflower will run a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check through the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board.
Interview. The Senior Pastor or designated Children & Youth ministry leader will conduct an in-person interview to discuss the applicant’s background, ministry history, theological alignment, and understanding of the Mayflower Code of Conduct.
Code of Conduct Review and Signing. The applicant signs the Volunteer Code of Conduct (Part Three of this document).
Training. The applicant completes the Mayflower Child & Youth Protection training, including mandated reporter training, before beginning service.
Approval. The Senior Pastor, in consultation with the relevant board (Elders for teaching roles, Deacons for care roles), gives written approval before the volunteer begins service.

5. CORI / SORI Practices

Mayflower complies with the Massachusetts CORI Reform Law (M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 167A–178A and 803 CMR 2.00 et seq.) in conducting and using background checks. Specifically:

Applicants will receive the Mayflower CORI Policy and a written notice before any check is run.
CORI information will be used only for the purpose of evaluating fitness to serve with minors.
CORI information will be stored separately from any other personnel or volunteer file, in a locked or access-restricted location, and will not be shared with anyone outside the screening process.
If a CORI report contains adverse information, the applicant will be given a copy of the report and an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.
CORI records will be destroyed in accordance with the Mayflower Document Retention Policy and Massachusetts regulations.

6. Disqualifying Factors

The following are presumptively disqualifying for service with minors at Mayflower:

Any conviction or admission of sexual abuse, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation of a minor.
Registration on a state or federal sex offender registry.
Any conviction involving violence against a child or vulnerable adult.
Pending criminal charges in any of the above categories.
A documented pattern of behavior, even absent conviction, that places minors at risk.

Other criminal history, financial issues, or past discipline will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Senior Pastor and the Board of Elders, with attention to the nature, recency, and circumstances of the matter and the applicant’s evidence of repentance and ongoing trustworthy conduct.

7. Annual Renewal

Volunteers serving with minors must renew their commitment annually by:

Re-signing the Volunteer Code of Conduct.
Confirming there has been no change in their criminal or registry status.
Completing annual Child & Youth Protection refresher training.

CORI and SORI checks will be re-run every three (3) years, or sooner if there is reason to do so.

8. Records

The Senior Pastor (or a designee) maintains a confidential roster of approved volunteers, signed Code of Conduct forms, training completion records, and reference summaries. These records are stored securely and are not part of any public ministry file.

9. Appeals

An applicant whose application is declined may appeal in writing to the Board of Elders within thirty (30) days. The Board’s decision is final, except that decisions involving disqualifying factors under Section 6 are not subject to appeal.

10. Approval and Review

This screening process was approved by the Board of Elders and recommended to the Servants Council on [date]. It shall be reviewed annually.

Part Two — Application Form

Please complete every field. If a section does not apply, write “N/A.” Return the completed application to the Senior Pastor or to the Children & Youth ministry leader.

Personal Information

Full legal name:

Preferred name:

Date of birth:

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Marital status, and (if applicable) spouse’s name:

Children (names and ages, if applicable):

Mayflower Connection

How long have you been attending Mayflower Church?

Are you a member of Mayflower? If yes, since when?

Bible Fellowship Group / small group you participate in:

Other Mayflower ministries you currently serve in:

Ministry Interest

Which ministry are you applying to serve in (Discipletown, Nursery, EQUIP youth, VBS, etc.)?

Briefly, why do you want to serve in this ministry?

What gifts, training, or experience do you bring to this role?

Faith and Doctrine

Briefly describe your testimony of faith in Christ:

Have you been baptized as a believer? If yes, where and when?

Are you in agreement with the Mayflower Statement of Faith and Confession?

Background

Have you ever been convicted of any crime other than a minor traffic offense? If yes, please describe (date, jurisdiction, offense, outcome):

Are you currently under investigation, indictment, or pending criminal charges? If yes, please describe:

Have you ever been the subject of a Department of Children and Families (DCF) investigation, civil child-protection action, or similar matter in another state? If yes, please describe:

Are you, or have you ever been, registered on any sex offender registry in any state? If yes, please describe:

Has any church, school, employer, or organization ever asked you to step away from work with minors? If yes, please describe:

References

Please provide three (3) references — at least one personal and at least one ministry-related. References may not be relatives.

Reference 1 — Name, relationship, phone, email:

Reference 2 — Name, relationship, phone, email:

Reference 3 — Name, relationship, phone, email:

Authorization

By signing below, I authorize Mayflower Church to:

Contact the references listed above.
Conduct a Massachusetts CORI background check on me.
Conduct a Massachusetts SORI sex offender registry check on me.
Verify, as needed, the information I have provided in this application.

I certify that the information I have provided is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statement, omission, or misrepresentation may result in withdrawal of my application or removal from service.

Applicant signature:

Printed name:

Date:

Part Three — Volunteer Code of Conduct

As a person serving with children and youth at Mayflower Church, I commit before God and before this congregation to the following standards of conduct. These standards exist to protect children, to protect volunteers, and to honor the trust placed in us.

Two-Adult Rule

I will not be alone with a child or youth who is not my own family member in any room, vehicle, or isolated space at a Mayflower ministry event.
Whenever possible, two unrelated approved adults will be present in any space where minors gather.
If I find myself unintentionally alone with a child, I will move to a visible space and locate another approved adult immediately.

Visibility and Open Doors

Doors to classrooms and meeting spaces will remain open or have an interior window unobstructed. If a door must be closed for noise or distraction, two approved adults must be present.
Restroom assistance for young children will be provided in pairs, at the open door of the restroom, never inside a stall.

Physical Contact

Appropriate physical contact (a side-hug, a high-five, a hand on the shoulder for prayer) is permitted in plain view of others.
I will not initiate prolonged hugs, kisses on the mouth or face, sitting children on my lap (other than my own family), tickling, wrestling, or any other physical contact that could be misinterpreted.
If a child initiates physical contact that crosses these lines, I will gently redirect.

Communication

Direct one-on-one electronic communication with a minor (text, DM, social media, email) is not permitted. Group communication that includes a parent or another approved adult is the standard.
I will not contact minors privately on social media or messaging apps about Mayflower ministry matters.
Photos of minors at Mayflower events may only be taken on a Mayflower-approved device, and may only be shared in accordance with the Mayflower Photo/Media Release on file.

Transportation

I will not transport a minor (other than my own family member) alone in a vehicle. Transportation will involve at least two approved adults, or two minors, or shall otherwise be approved in advance by the Senior Pastor.
All drivers transporting minors must hold a valid driver’s license and current vehicle insurance, and must complete the Volunteer Driver Authorization.

Discipline

Correction of children will be verbal, calm, and consistent with Mayflower ministry practice.
Corporal punishment of any kind, shaming, isolation, or any form of coercion is prohibited.
Any incident requiring more than ordinary correction will be reported to the ministry leader the same day.

Disclosures of Abuse

If a child discloses abuse, neglect, or harm — or if I observe signs of abuse — I will:

Listen without interrogating, documenting words used, but not investigating.
Assure the child of my care without making promises of confidentiality I cannot keep.
Make the report required under the Mayflower Mandated Reporter Policy.
Notify the Senior Pastor (or, if appropriate, the Chair of the Elders) as soon as reasonably possible.

Substance Use

I will not be under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any non-prescribed controlled substance while serving with minors.
Possession of these substances on Mayflower property during ministry time is prohibited.

Confidentiality

Information shared with me by a minor or a minor’s family in the course of ministry is to be held in appropriate confidence, except as required by the Mandated Reporter Policy or to protect a child.
I will not discuss children, their families, or ministry incidents on social media or in other public settings.

Honoring Other Volunteers

If I observe another volunteer’s behavior raising concern under this Code, I will report it promptly to the ministry leader or the Senior Pastor.
Honest reports made in good faith are protected by the Mayflower Anti-Retaliation provision in the Mandated Reporter Policy.

Acknowledgment

I have read this Volunteer Code of Conduct in full. I understand that following these standards is a condition of serving with minors at Mayflower Church and that violation of this Code may result in removal from ministry.

I understand that I am a mandated reporter under Massachusetts law and under the Mayflower Mandated Reporter Policy, and that I am required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and to the Designated Church Liaison.

Volunteer signature:

Printed name:

Date:

Internal Use Only — Approval

Application received (date):

References completed (date):

CORI completed (date):

SORI completed (date):

Interview completed (date / by):

Training completed (date):

Decision (approved / declined):

Senior Pastor signature:

Date: