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Safeguards
No Retaliation
No director, officer, employee, volunteer or participant who in good faith reports a violation shall suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse employment or program consequence. An employee or participant who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from the program and employment termination for an employee. This policy is intended to encourage and enable employees, volunteers, participants and others to raise concerns within the organization prior to seeking resolution outside the organization.
Additionally, no employee, volunteer or participant shall be adversely affected because they refuse to carry out a directive which, in fact, constitutes corporate fraud, or is a violation of state or federal law.
Confidentiality
Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously. Reports of violations or suspected violations, including the complainant's identity, will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. All documentation related to reported violations and investigations of such reports shall be maintained in confidential files, with access permitted only on a need-to-know basis or as required by law.
Anonymous Allegations
This policy encourages employees, volunteers and participants to put their names to the allegation because appropriate follow-up questions and investigation may not be possible unless the source of the information is identified. Concerns expressed anonymously will be investigated, but consideration will be given to:
- The seriousness of the issue raised.
- The credibility of the concern.
- The likelihood of confirming the allegation from attributable sources.
Acting in Good Faith
Anyone filing a complaint must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates misconduct, dishonesty, or fraud. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which it is determined have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be dismissed from LT.
How to raise a concern
It is the responsibility of every employee, volunteer and participant to report concerns relating to suspected misconduct, dishonesty or fraud. You should first raise your concern with your Program Director who, in accordance with LT’s policies and procedures, will assist you with resolving the concern or reporting it to the next level. If your concern involves your Program Director, please raise your concern directly either the National LT Director or with the Collegiate Executive Director or the NEB c/o Greg Van Nada. If your concern involves the Collegiate Executive Director, please raise your concern to the Collegiate National Elder Board (NEB). Concerns should normally be set forth in writing with as much information as possible, including any relevant names, dates, places, etc.
Concerns should be submitted to the LT Director, the National LT Director, or the NEB (National Elder Board).
Concerns submitted to the LT Director should be either emailed, personally delivered, or sent in a sealed envelope to the location’s LT director at:
Estes Park LT Director and National LT Director:
John Drage- john.drage@reliant.org
Winter Park LT Director:
Jon Shah- jon.shah@reliant.org
Adirondack LT Director:
Joe Testa- joe.testa@reliant.org
Michigan LT Director:
Ben Brand- ben.brand@reliant.org
Pittsburgh LT Director:
Dustin Yankasky- dustin.yankasky@reliant.org
East Asia LT Director:
John Schmid- john.schmid@reliant.org
Honduras LT Director:
Kevin Cody- kevin.cody@reliant.org
Master Builder Program
Matt Wilcoski- matt.wilcoski@reliant.org
Concerns submitted to the National Elder Board should be personally sent in a sealed envelope to:
Greg Van Nada, Collegiate Church Network Executive Director
302 Cowley Ave
East Lansing, MI 48823
407-963-6324
Investigating the Concern
Following the receipt of any complaints submitted, an Investigative Team (led by Program Director, National LT Director, Collegiate Executive Director or the NEB c/o Greg Van Nada) will investigate each matter so reported and where appropriate, recommend corrective and disciplinary actions to the Collegiate Executive Director or if involving a Reliant employee, to Reliant Human Resources. In conducting any investigation, the Investigative Team shall use reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the complainant. The Committee will determine the proper method of recommending and/or taking corrective and disciplinary actions, where appropriate.
Further Information
The amount of contact between the complainant and the body investigating the concern will depend on the nature of the issue and the clarity of information provided. Further information may be sought from the complainant.
Report to Complainant
The complainant will generally be given the opportunity to receive follow-up on their concern within two weeks, which may include:
- Acknowledging that the concern was received
- Indicating how the matter will be dealt with
- Giving an estimate of the time that it will take for a final response
- Telling them whether initial inquires have been made
- Telling them whether further investigations will follow, and if not, why
Information
Subject to legal constraints, the complainant will receive information about the outcome of any investigations.
Christian Conciliation
Commitment to Biblical Peace Making
LT endorses and seeks to foster the following biblically supported objectives:
Strive to Be Peacemakers
Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."(NIV)
Proverbs 17:14: "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop a matter before a dispute breaks out."(NIV)
Proverbs 20:3: "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."(NIV)
Avoid Civil Litigation
1 Corinthians 6:1, 4: "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints... Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church."(NIV)
Seek to Settle Disputes Quickly
Matthew 5:25: "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way..."(NIV)
Luke 12:57, 58: "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way..."(NIV)
The Goal is the Restoration of Righteous Relationships
Matthew 18:15: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother."(NIV)
Commitment to Positive Conflict Resolution
While harmony, consensus, and tranquil relationships are desirable goals, peace at any price is not. Conflicts are inevitable. Where there are people there will be conflicts. Since we are a called-out group of imperfect people in the process of being perfected while seeking to do the perfect work of Christ, there will be conflicts. The question is not whether we will have conflicts, but when they come, how will we handle them.
We desire to embrace conflicts as an opportunity for growth and enhanced communion, rather than a cause for incompatibility, animosity, or alienation. The offended party (which is usually both parties to the conflict) should view the offense first as an opportunity to "remove the logs" of bad attitudes, resentments, pride, and sins of the flesh. Then they should seek to freshly demonstrate the graces of patience, long-suffering, understanding, gentleness, etc. If all parties purpose ahead of time to walk with a teachable and humble spirit, conflicts will produce growth, character development, and more secure relationships, rather than tension and dissension. To experience this growth, however, we must embrace the pain of the conflict rather than take the path of least resistance, which is pulling back and avoiding the conflict.
Commitment to Reconciliation
It is the goal of LT to produce reconciled relationships through its ministry and among its staff. We cannot effectively minister what we are not practicing. Recognizing that litigation and an adversarial legal system tend to produce rivalries instead of reconciled relationships, it is the policy of LT to favor and promote a biblical approach to dispute resolution, like the informal process described in Matthew 18 or, if necessary, Christian Conciliation in lieu of litigation.
Commitment to Resolve Disputes Quickly
All participants are encouraged to resolve disputes quickly. This should be done first on a personal basis between you and your brother and/or sister alone. If that is unsuccessful, or if for whatever reason you would deem it inappropriate, please bring the matter immediately to your Program Director’s attention, or to the attention of the National LT Director or Collegiate Executive Director (or the NEB c/o Greg Van Nada.)
Commitment by All Reliant Employees and LT Participants
For this policy to work effectively, it is important that all LT participants do their part to resolve personal disputes on this basis and bring to the attention of appropriate management any unresolved disputes or latent conflicts, especially any threats or hints of legal action. The purpose and motivation of this policy go far beyond simply avoiding the expense, diversion of human resources, and adverse publicity of lawsuits. It goes to the heart of implementing the Biblical mandate of reconciliation and living at peace with all individuals.
Grievance System
General policy: LT encourages participants to seek to resolve complaints and conflicts with other LT participants or with other Reliant employees, supervisors, and management personnel, through an informal process of Christian conciliation informed by the principles discussed in Matthew 18, Matthew 5, Luke 12, and 1 Corinthians 6. In the event that informal efforts do not resolve the conflict to the participant’s satisfaction, the participant should pursue LT’s formal grievance procedure outlined in this section.
Procedure
Grievances must be presented in writing to the Program Director, unless the Program Director is the subject of the grievance. In such a case, the grievance must be presented in writing to the National LT Director. If the Program Director is also the National LT Director, it must be presented to the NEB in care of Greg Van Nada.
The Program Director or National LT Director will clarify the grievance and write out any points of clarification until both parties generally agree on the meaning of the grievance. This document must then be signed by the participant and presented to the NEB representative.
The Program Director or National LT Director should make every effort to investigate the grievance and resolve it. The Program Director will work in conjunction with a NEB representative. All steps toward resolution must be documented by the Program Director and presented to the NEB representative.
If the participant feels their grievance has not been adequately resolved, they may appeal to the Chairman of the National Elder Board, for further investigation and resolution. The National Elder Board may appoint an impartial individual or committee to handle the grievance investigation.
LT leadership will attempt to treat all participant grievances fairly and with respect. LT leadership is dedicated to accepting constructive criticism with open-mindedness and will attempt to be courteous and respectful of all persons. If at any time a participant feels their grievance is not being handled properly or fairly, they may contact the Collegiate Church Network Executive Director as a representative of the NEB. In the event that the National Elder Board’s final resolution of the grievance is substantially unsatisfactory to the participant, the participant may seek to pursue the formal Christian conciliation process.
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