Church Policies

But all things should be done decently and in order. - 1 Corinthians 14:40


BUILDING USAGE REGULATIONS AND FEES

Building Usage Coordinator: Kathy Borowski

Back-up Coordinator:

Sound System Coordinator:   Nate Beelen

General Rules and Requirements:

  1. The RCRC reserves the right to deny the use of the church property and buildings.

  2. No alcohol will be served as part of any group function.

  3. There is no smoking in any part of the building.

  4. Food is not to be taken into or eaten in the sanctuary of the church.

  5. Decorations will be of the type that will not cause damage to the building.

  6. Users are expected to remove their own garbage, clean up any mess that is made, and return the building to the condition in which it was found.

Special Rules for Weddings

  1. Fees are due one week prior to use of the building.

  2. No dances will be held in the building.

  3. Saturday weddings will not be held after 5 PM to allow for adequate clean-up before Sunday services.

  4. No rice or confetti will be thrown in the building.

Fees and Usage Requirements

The following fees and usage requirements attempt to take into consideration the likelihood of wear and tear on the building and the clean-up necessary after an event.  Generally, larger groups using more space for longer periods of time will require more clean-up and cause more wear and tear on the building.  The following fees are intended to be used as guidelines.  Actual fees may vary depending upon the needs of the leasing party.  Variation from these guidelines can be made by the Building Usage Coordinator or the Back-up Coordinator.  Any concerns should be brought to the attention of the consistory.

Non-members

Entire building (i.e. Weddings or other large events)* $100.00

Educational Building only (large group meeting lasting several hours, includes use of kitchen) $35.00

Use of one small room (small group, short meetings) $15.00

*A sound system operator must be available to operate the church’s sound system.

Members

There are no usage fees charged to members unless the sound system is needed.  In that case a $30.00 charge may be made if it is necessary to hire someone to operate the sound system.

Access to the Building

Keys are available from the Building Use Coordinator, Back-up Coordinator, or a member of the consistory.  Users are asked to turn off the lights, turn the heat down to the level that is was pre-set at when they arrived, and to lock the doors upon exiting the building.


To ensure the effective and efficient management of the resources entrusted to the care of the council of the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard and to ensure appropriate checks and balances for fiscal transparency the following policy and processes shall be implemented:

  1. The Treasurer shall work in the best interest of the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard.

  2. Correspondence between the treasurer and council shall be in writing, which may include email, text, or other electronic formats.

  3. The Council President or designee and the Secretary of Deacons shall be the only contacts with the treasurer for business matters, except for group designees identified in accordance with the process outlined below.

  4. Yearly, church groups designate those who can request funds from church accounts with a list approved by the council and provided to the treasurer. Such designees are restricted to requesting funds from designated accounts or budget line items associated with the group, inquiring about the remaining balances in those accounts or budget line balances, and depositing funds from fundraising activities conducted by the group.

  5. The Treasurer’s report shall list monthly credits and debits divided into General Funds and Restricted Funds. Restricted Funds can only be used for their stated purpose.

  6. A Year-to-Date Report shall be generated each month. This allows the Council to easily see when expenses have been paid and where the church stands on expenses versus budgeted amounts. This information will also make it easy to determine how much is collected and available within the restricted accounts.

  7. The church shall utilize Anderson, Tackman, and Co. for tax matters and to confirm IRS rules/regulations.

  8. The deacons or other individuals making deposits shall write on the top of the deposit slips which account the funds should be credited to: General, Christian Education, Building, etc. Special offerings must identify who the offering/deposit is for: Salvation Army, Crisis Pregnancy Center, Gideons, etc.

  9. Deacons are required to sign off on all receipts, except for normal monthly transactions such as utilities and the Pastor’s medical reimbursements (see below).

  10. The deacons will receive the monthly folder of all statements, deposit slips, and proof of payments. Things to consider when reviewing the folder:

    • Are there any cash withdrawals? (there should not be)

    • Confirm what the payment is for? (an unusual payee)

    • Large, unusual payments to individuals.

    • The Pastor’s reimbursement for medical-related expenses will not be included or approved by the deacons. To ensure HIPAA compliance, the treasurer will be the only person to receive copies of the receipts.

    • Please sign and return the folder to the treasurer – it is the only copy!

    • A significant number of payees will have automatic withdrawals, rather than being paid by check. Their names will be listed in the automatic withdrawal.

    • The balance on the monthly credit union statement should reflect the ending balance on the corresponding Treasurer’s report.

    • This process will ensure appropriate checks and balances for fiscal transparency.


The position of this congregation is that marriage is an institution created by God. It is a covenant relationship established by mutual vows between a man and a woman united by God. Permanent unity in marriage is possible in Christ and is demanded of Christ’s disciples who are married.

A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in these Articles.

On this basis, this church adopts the following policy.

Marriage Ceremonies Performed on Church Property:

  1. Only duly ordained clergy from a Christian church shall officiate at marriage ceremonies conducted on church property.

  2. Applicants wishing to have a ceremony performed by a member of the clergy employed by the church, or to use the church facilities for a ceremony, must fall within the general definition of marriage as a covenant relationship established by mutual vows between a man and a woman united by God. Besides the general definition of marriage, the church has other teachings on marriage that may impact the availability of use of church facilities for applicants, e.g., prior marriages, marrying outside of the faith, divorce. These issues will be explored during premarital counseling.

  3. In order to have their marriage ceremony on church property, applicants shall receive a minimum of 4 hours of premarital counseling by clergy or counselors employed by the church or other persons who, in the sole opinion of the pastor/elders of the church, have appropriate training, experience, and spiritual understanding, to provide such counseling.

  4. Any marriage performed on church premises shall be officiated by a member of the clergy from a Christian church.

  5. Clergy officiating marriage ceremonies on church premises, whether or not employed by the church, shall affirm their agreement with the following statement of faith: We believe the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired work of God, which proclaims the good news of God’s creation and redemption through Jesus Christ. Acknowledging the authority of God’s Word, we submit to it in all matters of life and faith.

Marriage / Human Sexuality

Marriage

The position of this congregation is that marriage is an institution created by God. It is a covenant relationship established by mutual vows between a man and a woman united by God. Permanent unity in marriage is possible in Christ and is demanded of Christ’s disciples who are married.

A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in these Articles.

On this basis, this church adopts the following policy.

Human Sexuality/Same-sex Attraction:

The position of the CRCNA and of this congregation is that homosexuality is a condition of disordered sexuality that reflects the brokenness of our sinful world. Persons of same-sex attraction should not be denied community acceptance solely because of their sexual orientation and should be wholeheartedly received by the church and given loving support and encouragement. Christian homosexuals, like all Christians, are called to discipleship, holy obedience, and the use of their gifts in the cause of the kingdom. Opportunities to serve within the offices and life of the congregation should be afforded to them as to heterosexual Christians. Homosexualism (that is, explicit homosexual practice), however, is incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Scripture. The church affirms that it must exercise the same compassion for homosexuals in their sins as it exercises for all other sinners. The church should do everything in its power to help persons with homosexual orientation and give them support toward healing and wholeness.

In light of these teachings, we believe:

A couple must be “equally yoked”

2 Corinthians 6:14 states that Christians and non-Christians are not to marry:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

For this reason, we will not marry people who would be unequally yoked. Judgment on this is the responsibility of the Pastor and/or Elders.

A couple must remain sexually pure

We will not ordinarily marry couples who are living together but rather encourage them to separate or remain sexually chaste until their wedding.

Divorce and remarriage

Many people have suffered through marital failures. They bring many hurts and tangled relationships into their new relationship. Because of those past hurts, we want to be especially sensitive to their individual situations, but at the same time maintain our commitment to Scripture. Therefore, we use our church’s statement of divorce as our guideline, realizing that there is no standard formula for addressing these situations, and that each case needs to be given an individual hearing.

Rudyard Church’s Statement Regarding Divorce

Because marriage has been established by God as an indissoluble union, and since it is an earthly copy of the relationship between God and His people, it is to be kept inviolate. However, because of the fallenness of human nature, the Scriptures permit divorce in the following cases as a condescension to human frailty for the protection of the innocent party:

  1. Divorce for the cause of immorality – with understanding that the obligation to maintain or reinstate the marriage may not be imposed upon the innocent spouse.

  2. Divorce for desertion – desertion being defined as behavior equivalent to the abandonment of the marriage relationship.

In such cases, the offending party becomes subject to the church discipline in order to bring about repentance and reconciliation. Should efforts to achieve restoration fail, the innocent Spouse is not bound. He or she becomes free to remarry in the Lord.

The remarriage of believers may not be approved when:

  1. Divorce is being used as a vehicle to seek a different mate, since such pre-intent makes the divorce adulterous.

  2. There is no evidence of repentance and brokenness over the circumstances that caused the divorce.

  3. Restoration of the original marriage remains a viable option.

Each case of divorce or remarriage has to be dealt with on an individual basis from the perspective of God’s inexhaustible capacity to forgive human sin and restore broken lives.

Our website address is https://rudyardcrc.org. The Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard ("we” or “us”) values its visitors’ privacy and is committed to protecting your information by ensuring compliance with the law. Below is the Privacy Policy for rudyardcrc.org. It summarizes what information we might collect from a registered user or other visitor (“you”), and what we will and will not do with it. Please take some time to read this Policy, which outlines how we will use your personal information.

Privacy Policy Consent

This website and all of its content are owned by the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard. This Privacy Policy exists to inform you of how we collect, use, process, and distribute your information. It is important for you to know that we will not use or share your information in any way that is not specified within this Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to change or modify this privacy policy in any way, at any time. Please read this Privacy Policy in order to understand how your information may be obtained and used. Any content that is provided to us by you or is obtained by us from this website is governed by this Privacy Policy. By using rudyardcrc.org, whether you have read this Privacy Policy or not, you are fully consenting to this Privacy Policy.

Information we may collect

Our goal in collecting information from you is to ultimately improve your experience on rudyardcrc.org. The information we may collect when you use this website includes:

  1. A name and an email address that will enable us to send emails to you – provision of an email address on this site equates to consent. 

  2. A name, address, email address, or phone number so we can follow up with you.

  3. Billing information, including name, address, and credit card details, that enable us to process purchases or donations.

  4. A name, email address, and phone number if you complete our contact form with a question. 

Information voluntarily provided by you constitutes consent for us to use it. You must be at least 13 years old to use the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard‘s Web site(s). We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. (See the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.)

How Personal Information is Collected

  1. Visiting rudyardcrc.org (cookies) 

  2. Making a donation to the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard

  3. Filling out a Visitor’s Card online or in person

  4. Applying to volunteer or work with the Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard

  5. Contacting us using email, phone, or any other means 

  6. Through third-party cookies (see the section on “Data Collection Technologies”)

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, as well as the visitor’s IP address and the browser's user agent string, to help with spam detection. If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

Anonymous Data Collection and Use

To ensure our website delivers a high-quality experience, we may use your IP address to help diagnose problems on our end, manage the website by identifying which areas are used most, and fine-tune our content for your best interests. Your IP address is the number assigned to your computer when it connects to the Internet. This is essentially “traffic data” that does not personally identify you and is helpful to us for ministry purposes and to improve our outreach. Traffic data collection only tracks your activities on this website; it does not track your activities on any other websites. Anonymous traffic data may also be shared with ministry partners.

Use of “Cookies”

We may utilize the “cookies” feature of major browsers. You may choose to disable cookies through your own web browser’s settings. However, disabling this function may diminish your experience on our website, and some features may not work as intended.

If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so you do not have to re-enter your details when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

Data Collection Technologies

In addition to our own cookies, we may use third-party cookies, including Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Ads Manager, and Facebook Pixel. By agreeing to our Privacy Policy, you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies (for example, web beacons, pixels, tags, and device identifiers, which we collectively refer to as “cookies”) as described in this policy.

What happens with the Information we collect?

  • It may be used to contact you for follow-up, troubleshooting, or informational updates.

  • It may be used to help process giving online.

  • It may be used during targeted social media or search engine advertisements.

Whenever you voluntarily share personal information (e.g., by commenting on a blog post, posting in a Facebook group we manage, sharing details on our prayer requests page, etc.) through rudyardcrc.org, you consent to that information being seen, collected, and used by others. We cannot be responsible for any unauthorized or improper use of publicly shared information by third parties.

Embedded content from other websites

This site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited the other website. Those websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Storage and Handling of Personal Information

Personal Information obtained by rudyardcrc.org is stored internally or through a data management system. We value your safety, so your personal information will be accessed only by those responsible for gathering, managing, or storing it, or by those with a legitimate need to access it. (i.e., our hosting provider, newsletter provider, treasurer, or employees).

Notice to European Union users

The Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard is located in the United States. If you provide us with information, it will be transferred from the European Union to the United States. By providing personal information to us, you are consenting to its storage and use as described herein.

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@rudyardcrc.org, and we would be happy to connect with you.

You have the right to:

  • Be forgotten from our systems, meaning we will erase your personal information from our databases. 

  • Change your preference regarding whether you consent to our use of your information. 

  • Lodge a complaint if you feel that any of your information has been unlawfully used. 

  • Object to our use of your information.

WHEREAS:

Michigan law exempts CPL holders from restrictions on openly carrying a firearm in a church building (MCL 750.234D, MCL 28.425o),

AND WHEREAS:

Michigan law preserves the rights of private property owners and church officials to restrict the carrying of weapons on their property (MCL 750.522)

AND WHEREAS:

The Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard wishes to provide a peaceful worship atmosphere free of distractions and protect the rights of all participants.

The Christian Reformed Church of Rudyard adopts the following policy:

In the interest of preserving a worshipful atmosphere and minimizing distractions,

  1. All CPL-holding worshippers are encouraged to carry weapons concealed at all church functions, including within the sanctuary.

  2. Persons carrying weapons openly on church property will be asked to conceal the weapon(s) or leave the premises. Those refusing to do either or both will be considered trespassing on private property.

  3. The council reserves the right to prohibit specific persons from carrying concealed weapons on church property. While an explanation for such prohibition may be given, the council will not necessarily be required to offer such explanation.

  4. Action taken by the council prohibiting a subject from carrying concealed weapons on church property shall take place at a meeting of the full council.

No prohibition of open carry of weapons on church property shall be construed to prevent church-sponsored or allowed training, hunting or sporting activities when such activity is in compliance with Michigan law.

All worshippers are encouraged to comply with all Michigan firearms laws at all times.

While the primary purpose of this policy is to ensure a worshipful atmosphere and to resolve disturbances or conflict peacefully, the council may, at its discretion, pursue criminal charges when such action is deemed appropriate.