Ministry Services Agreement
Overview: I do hereby apply for services from Sacred Waters Ministries, a Private Ministry of Fifth Element Free Church, hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry.” By signing or affirming this Service Agreement, I hereby affirm that I have read through and agree with its terms.
Purpose: The Ministry is organized for educational, spiritual, and beneficent purposes, and in part for worship, and is established under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Bylaws and Ecclesiastical Law of Fifth Element Free Church (hereinafter, the “Church”), for furthering the upliftment and enlightenment of all people throughout the world, and the betterment of life on planet Earth.
Rights & Responsibilities: By consenting to the Services Agreement provided herein, I understand that I am granted the following rights and benefits, and I agree to the following responsibilities:
The right to detailed, informed consent about the services rendered, and what to expect.
Full and fair conflict resolution.
Upon request, access to the Church Bylaws.
Guarantee that my personal information is secure, and that it will remain within the Ministry.
My association with the Ministry will remain intact unless and until: (a) I submit, in writing, my desire to withdraw membership; or (b) my membership is terminated by the Ministry in accordance with its Bylaws.
Complaints against the Ministry must be submitted, in writing, to a Trustee of Fifth Element Free Church within three months of the incident at issue. These complaints will be sent to the Tribunal designated by the Church for evaluation and remediation action.
Mission Statement & Declaration of Spiritual Principles: I hereby affirm that I have read both the Mission Statement and the Declaration of Spiritual Principles that unite all members of Fifth Element Free Church, and that I am in alignment with their contents.
Voluntary Membership: I voluntarily agree to join Fifth Element Free Church, an unincorporated private spiritual church governed solely by ecclesiastical law, as interpreted by Fifth Element Free Church, whose members seek to help each other achieve better mental, bodily, and spiritual health, and a good quality of life. Inasmuch as I am associating with Fifth Element Free Church, any of its attendant ministries or its integrated auxiliaries, and its membership, I am voluntarily changing my capacity from that of a public person to that of a private member. My activities within the Church and Ministry are a private, contractual matter that I refuse to share with any Local, State, or Federal investigative or enforcement agencies. I understand that the Church and Ministry submit to no authority other than God. I fully agree not to pursue any course of legal action against a fellow member of the Church or Ministry, unless that member has exposed me to a clear and present danger of substantive evil, and even then, only upon the recommendation and approval of the Church Trustees, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
I enter into this agreement of my own free will, without any pressure or coercion. I affirm that I do not represent any Local, State, or Federal agency whose purpose is to regulate or to carry out any mission of enforcement, entrapment, or investigation. I have read and understand this document, and my questions have been answered fully, and to my satisfaction. I understand that I can withdraw from this agreement and terminate my membership in this Ministry at any time, and that my membership can and will be revoked if I engage in abusive, violent, menacing, destructive, or harassing behavior towards any other member.
I declare that, by joining this Ministry, by contracting for its services, by participating on the Church/Ministry website(s), and/or their Social Media Group(s), said behaviors are a clear indication that I have carefully read the whole of this document; I understand it, and I agree with it.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
I understand that members, vendors, instructors, counselors, teachers, practitioners, and/or service providers within the Ministry may or may not be licensed by the governmental board(s) that purport to regulate their activities. I understand that the fellow members of the Ministry who provide services and care do so in their capacity as an approved Minister of the Church and fellow member, and not in the capacity as a licensed provider. I further understand that within the Ministry, only a contractual member-to-member relationship exists. I further understand that it is entirely my own responsibility to consider the advice and recommendations offered to me by my fellow members, and to educate myself as to the efficacy, risks, and desirability of the same; and that the acceptance of the offered or recommended course of action is my own, carefully considered decision.
I understand that, since the Ministry is an integrated auxiliary of Fifth Element Free Church, it is outside the jurisdiction and authority of government authorities concerning any and all complaints or grievances against the Ministry, any Trustee(s), members, or other staff persons. All rights of complaints or grievances will be settled by a Church designee, committee, or tribunal. I agree that I have sought to understand the Ministry private association and free church designations; I affirm that I do understand them, and I have freely determined that this is the course of action I want to take on behalf of myself. Where applicable, I have also made this determination on behalf of my minor children.
I agree that violation of any of the waivers contained within this membership contract will result in a no contest legal proceeding against me.
As a participating member of the Ministry, I understand that images, photographs, or other likenesses of me may be taken. I hereby grant the Church and Ministry my absolute permission to reuse, copyright, publish, or republish the same.
As I am voluntarily choosing this method of service providers, I will not hold the Church, the Ministry or its members financially liable for any particular outcome.
I understand that my donations, if any, to the Sacred Waters Ministries are donations to Fifth Element Free Church, and are non-refundable. If I am unable to attend a service appointment that has been reserved by my donation, it is my responsibility to communicate my conflict to the Ministry within a reasonable amount of time, not less than 72 hours prior to the date of the appointment. I understand that the Ministry will not accommodate my conflict if it is communicated less than 72 hours prior to the start of the appointment; and that conflicts communicated more 72 hours prior to the start of the appointment may be accommodated by the Ministry, at the Ministry’s sole discretion.
I enter into this agreement of my own free will, without any pressure, coercion, or promise of result, and affirm that these pages comprise the entire agreement for my membership in the Ministry. Payment of any dues, fees, or program costs, where applicable, along with delivery of these signed documents to a representative of the Ministry, is considered sufficient consideration for the commencement of my membership, the term of which begins with the date affixed below my signature.
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
In order to encourage and foster open and candid discussion between members, the Trustees and Board of Advisors of Fifth Element Free Church believes confidentiality must be maintained within this Church and Ministry. Therefore, it is the policy of the Trustees and Board of Advisors that each member shall keep confidential any and all information relating to any discussions, or shared on any members-only area of its website, unless the member is given express consent to disclose said information from the Trustees.
While members are free to discuss the result of any actions taken by the Trustees and/or Board of Advisors, disclosing information concerning any Church or Ministry dealings to non-members is strictly prohibited. Members acknowledge that any violation of this policy could cause harm to the Ministry, or to Fifth Element Free Church, and that any violation of this policy could result in loss of membership.
In order to ensure compliance and to protect Fifth Element Free Church, the Ministry, its Trustees, Board of Advisors, and members from potential legal problems regarding conflicts of interest and violation of fiduciary obligations, the Ministry endorses and adopts the following statement of policy:
I. Duty of Loyalty
Among the fiduciary obligations of an officer, director, staff member, or committee member of a nonprofit corporation is a duty of loyalty to the non-profit corporation. This includes supporting, and not opposing, directly or indirectly, or taking any other stance against, the policies and positions duly adopted by the Fifth Element Free Church Trustees. As members of the Church, you are obligated to maintain this duty of loyalty in all manner of activities, for the duration of your membership. This duty of loyalty is not intended to, nor should it, discourage debate within the community. Such debate is encouraged, and is part of the individual's responsibility in the deliberation process.
II. Confidentiality of Board Discussions and Board Documents
In order to encourage and foster open and candid discussion at its meetings, the Trustees and the Board of Advisors of Fifth Element Free Church believe that confidentiality must be maintained. Therefore, it is the policy of the Trustees and the Board of Advisors of Fifth Element Free Church that each member shall keep confidential any and all information relating to the operation of the Church and Ministry, unless the member is given expressed, written consent from the Trustees to disclose said information. While all members are free to discuss actions adopted by the Trustees or the Board of Advisors, disclosing or distributing any information concerning any and all aspects of the operations of the Church or Ministry is strictly prohibited.