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Service Manual General Membership

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1. Personal Information Form above In fact for your Questionnaire Application to be accepted ALL lines must be filled in VVe thank you and vve appreciate your understanding Second if you do not have a cell phone then please put the word none on the appropriate cell phone line and then be sure to put in your home phone number with area code on the appropriate home phone line Novv these days there are more and more people that only have a cell phone If that s you then please put the word none on the home phone line and then put in your cell phone number with area code onto the cell phone line That way if needed someone within 1 H M can get a hold of you in a hurry Third you may be asking yourself What if don t have an E mail address As mentioned before communication is extremely important Without it we won t know what s going on Because E mail is so convenient and because of the sheer number of people that now have it and use it on a daily bases E mail has now become this ministry s primary form of communication So for those that don t have a personal E mail account yet may we suggest that you might consider asking a neighbor a friend or a family member to check their E mail for you If that s what works for you then if you would with their permission please go ahead and put dovvn their E mail address on the appropriate line That way you ll be able to stay informed of ALL the things that may b
2. Address City State Zip E Mail Please write the whole group or chapter name below Not everyone knows your different abbreviations Thanks Group or Chapter Affiliation Association s List all that apply Icame__ miles to this event Please put the same mileage for all members of the same group or chapter Please mark one box per column that applies to you CO Male LT Operator O Motorcycle C Hack O Female L Passenger O Trike O I am a voluntary participant in this event I am also aware of the inherent danger of riding a motorcycle I know that the sponsor s have put this event together with the intention of fun and safety foremost in mind The responsibility for any accidents injuries or property damage involving me will rest solely with me In addition I take full and total responsibility for the well being and conduct of my family and me at this event Having read these conditions and agreeing with them I hereby sign this statement Signature Date Co Signature Date NOTE Parent or Guardian MUST co sign if applicant listed above is under 18 EVENT SIGN IN SHEET Name Address City State Zip E Mail Please write the whole group or chapter name below Not everyone knows your different abbreviations Thanks Group or Chapter Affiliation Association s List all that apply I came miles to this event Please put the same mileage for all members of the same group or chapter Please mark one
3. GMT 00 00 GMT no daylight savin v Oo Display all time zones Embed This Calendar Embed this calendar in your website or blog by pasting this code into your web page To embed multiple calendars click on the Customize Link Jironhorseministries org Copy this code amp fembed sre admin 4Qironhorseministries org amp ctz America paste it to the style border width 800 height 600 page where you want the Google Calendar to appear Calendar Address Calendar ID admin ironhorseministries org Learn more This is the address for your calendar No one can use this link unless you have made your calendar public Change sharing settings 53 For further information on embedding amp customizing a Google Calendar the following website will be helpful http www google com support calendar bin topic py hl en amp topic 15289 LINKS Links can be helpful tools for a website but they can pose problems as well As you know any pin patch or sticker that is worn on a vest jacket or helmet not only tells everyone what the wearer thinks and believes it makes them a representative of that belief as well The same holds true for a web site Any link to an outside website indicates that the organization that put the link on their site supports that outside group With that in mind remember that ALL I H M websites must be handled and considered as a ministry tool not a billboard Wi
4. Ministry Team or B O D the Senior Chaplain and or Chairman will prayerfully determine what God wants done again on a case by case basis Please note Iron Horse Ministries is classified as a 501c3 non profit religious organization So in keeping with IRS rules and regulations if a check is used to make a tax deductible donation to a specific local chartered chapter the check must be made out to Iron Horse Ministries and it must have which chapter by city name that the gift is meant for 1 e Iron Horse Ministries Hometown no exceptions The local chapter Treasurer needs to deposit the check into the chapter account by the end of the next business day However if the local chapter receives a check made out just to Iron Horse Ministries with no designation on it 1 e chapter city then the chapter Treasurer needs to forward the donation to I H M national by the end of the next business day as well 55 On the national level any donation sent to national may be designated to help a specific local Ministry Team This can be done by simply attaching a note to the check specifying which Ministry Team it is It will help to keep that Ministry Team supplied with the tools they need However if a check is given to a Ministry Team it must be returned Ministry Teams are not chartered and therefore can not have a bank account If someone makes out a check to designated for any individual that check must
5. Can you imagine what the enemy Satan could do with that T SHIRTS Many people wear t shirts for many different reasons Some to express a sentiment or belief some a political statement still others a product or team endorsement etc In any case t shirts are pretty much considered every day street wear and as such there really isn t much value placed on them as a whole 26 However within the motorcycling genre the traditional protocol is that a t shirt with a club group or organization s logo on it is to be treated the same as their own back patch Although it is only a printed image of the patch to them it represents who they are and the organization they belong to So for the sake of the people God has us ministering to we all need to be respectful and honor this tradition as well With that having been said any t shirts with the Iron Horse Ministries logo printed on them are available only to fully patched members of this ministry no exceptions and they must be treated with the same respect as you would treat the back patch The reason for this is that the t shirts will only come with the small logo on the front and the large logo on the back Therefore they will carry the same weight and responsibility as the back patch This means that they are NOT to be worn as a nightshirt or a grubby shirt to work on the bike with and most certainly not as a cleaning rag Nor are they to be left laying around for anyone to
6. not the machine or the piece of material Remember once again God doesn t call the able He enables the called 19 THE HIGHEST STANDARDS Because vve are called to serve the King of all Kings and because vve are wearing His patch and because we are always being watched we need to reflect the highest standards they re expecting it We need to be the First to pray Last to complain We are to be suited up not only in leather but also with God s armor and in prayer Listen and watch for opportunities to pray with and for others Be a joyful positive influence to everyone you meet It will always bless them First to give Last to take As bondservants of the Most High God we should always have a servant s attitude whether out on the highways or at home The world always wants something for nothing We need to give everything for our King who gave His all for us Look for opportunities to be of help wherever you go First to arrive Last to leave If you are working an event be there ahead of time No one should ever have to wait for you It s not a good reflection on God as well as the patch Stick around and help clean up they ll remember what you did for them more than what you said to them WE SUPPORT Our Government as a ministry is not politically oriented but we do acknowledge our allegiance to our country We support each member s right to vote as they believe they are being led b
7. to this often feared and unwanted segment of society With that in mind there are many ways that a church club group or organization can reach out to the riders in their area They can put on a bike and rider blessing a benefit poker style run a toy run and various other events Whatever it is that the church or organization believes it needs to do to reach out to the riders in its community I H M is there to help Because it takes a lot of time and effort to put on an event we are not to put our own events it can distract us from those that may need our help Iron Horse Ministries by God s leading is also to help develop a nation wide network of biker friendly churches The purpose of this great undertaking is to help unify the body of Christ and to help make it so that no matter where a rider is there s a Christ centered Bible believing church near by that will minister to them and their families at their point of need no strings attached no questions asked If you feel that God wants you to go to another church in your region and share this ministry that s great If you have any questions before you head out then please contact your board member You need to be sure that you know what you re talking about so that you can answer all of their questions Now if the church you ve just visited believes that God wants them to be a part of the Biker Friendly Church Network B F C N then be sure they go to the webs
8. without compromising your faith and without jeopardizing proper protocols you must treat all people the way Jesus would no matter what club group or organization they may be a part of Believe it or not they are really counting on that We are reminded that if someone asks about your Christian hope always be ready to explain it But do this in a gentle and respectful way 22 BUILDING BRIDGES IN CRISIS SITUATIONS The following is not meant to scare you but to help prepare you As a member of this ministry you will find yourself ministering behind the scenes to all kinds of people in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of situations From time to time you will even find yourself ministering to folks in crisis situations it s inevitable But don t let it shake you Comforting folks at accident scenes hospital visits family deaths and the like are rather common occurrences in ministry Also there are a number of other situations that you may encounter and in each one of them there may be many other aspects that you will need to be ready for but don t worry Here are some basic tools you can use that will help in most situations Typically at an accident scene or any other intense situation there are many emotions fear anger concern etc flying about in a cloud of confusion People can emotionally shut down or become emotionally intense due to the situation Even after the initial impact of the c
9. board related correspondence And for the sake of the future leadership in this ministry the Secretary is to maintain a neatly organized filing system of all paperwork and all correspondence given to them concerning this ministry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER The Chief Financial Officer also known as the National Treasurer is to see that this ministry handles its finances in an upright manner Making sure that the ministry follows the stewardship principles as set forth in God s Word as well as all of the rules and regulations setup by the state and federal governments for a 501c3 non profit religious organization The C F O must also keep itemized receipts of deposits and expenditures made on the national level They are also to give a report at each board meeting of the previous meetings income and expenses as well as the ministry s current account status In addition the C F O should work with an outside accountant to make sure that nothing was missed Lastly for the sake of integrity not only is the C F O not to be an officer of a local chartered chapter but they also must not be related in any way to any of the other members of the board CHAPLAIN The Chaplain also known as the Senior or National Chaplain is to help keep a spiritual balance in the day to day affairs of this nation wide ministry He is the C to C or the Chaplain to the Chaplains of the chartered chapters In other words the Chaplain is to be an ac
10. box per column that applies to you LJ Male O Operator O Motorcycle CO Hack O Female R Passenger O Trike I am a voluntary participant in this event I am also aware of the inherent danger of riding a motorcycle I know that the sponsor s have put this event together with the intention of fun and safety foremost in mind The responsibility for any accidents injuries or property damage involving me will rest solely with me In addition I take full and total responsibility for the well being and conduct of my family and me at this event Having read these conditions and agreeing with them I hereby sign this statement Signature Date Co Signature Date NOTE Parent or Guardian MUST co sign if applicant listed above is under 18 il PERSONAL I NFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL Name Date Address City State Zip Home Phone Cell Phone Birthday E Mail Thank you for taking the time and effort to complete both the Questionnaire Application and the Personal Information Forms vve are truly honored Also you need to knovv that for your convenience it s been set up so that when you put your name and date on the form it is considered as your signature vvhich then constitutes as your agreement vvith the precepts and principles of this ministry THINGS TO NOTE First because communication is so extremely important in this kind of ministry it is imperative that you completely fill out the
11. has a motorcycle or not Motorcycle riding is by its very nature more risky than other forms of transportation Therefore each rider upon joining Iron Horse Ministries must maintain a legal motorcycle endorsed drivers license and current appropriate insurance coverage In addition they must acknowledge their own limitations when riding and be willing to stay within them and that ultimately they alone are responsible for their own safety and liabilities not Iron Horse Ministries or any other Iron Horse Ministries member or supporter Enough said LET S RIDE 62 HOVV TO UPDATE THE GENERAL SERVICE MANUAL EVERY patched member whether supporter patched only or fully patched should have an updated hard copy of the general Iron Horse Ministries Service Manual There should be at least one per household If a new member doesn t have a hard copy of the general manual they need to contact either their local chapter President or Ministry Team Leader so that one can be sent out to them as soon as possible Because of the very nature of this kind of ministry it is imperative to stay informed and updated As God grows this ministry He may reveal more information with regards to its operation With that the manuals will need to be updated So to update the hard copy of the general service manual you already have or to print a new one just follow the simple instructions Go to the website Click on the Logo
12. heart about this ministry and they re listening then they will most likely contact you So remember to always keep them covered in prayer just like you were 33 A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING A member in good standing is a person who is actively involved in Iron Horse Ministries at the level God has called them in to which also includes Junior Supporters They are doing their best to live a Philippians 4 8 life style and they are also trying to follow God s leading in both their personal and public ministry life God knows that none of us are perfect but there is a foundation that He has built this behind the scenes ministry on As a result there needs to be evidence in the lives of those He has chosen to be part of this ministry That means that we are to be at least trying to live up to the precepts and principles that are set forth in God s Word and this manual Bottom line We are recognized by our fruit Galatians 5 22 23 and as such He blesses those that bless Him 34 nami THE MEANING OF THE PATCH The Iron Horse Ministries patch that God has designed is like most other patches it s full of symbolism The person who wears it not only represents this ministry but they also represent the One who started it and sustains it all So with that if someone were to ask about the patch all members are expected to be prepared in season and out to give an answer of what the patch and the ministry is all about The l
13. loving integrity to the physical emotional and spiritual needs of those in the motorcycling community no matter what kind of bike they ride or who they ride with 2 To create awareness within the Christian community of the many needs and opportunities to minister to those that ride motorcycles 3 To help build a network of biker friendly churches God s purpose for this is two fold a To help unify the body of Christ the Church b To make it possible for a rider in need to connect with a Christ centered Bible believing church body in their area that will accept them as they are and minister to them and their family no strings attached no questions asked TO GOD BE THE GLORY 10 n nmn OUR STATEMENT OF FATTH The members of Iron Horse Ministries believe in one God who is the creator and sustainer of all things that our God is infinitely perfect and that He eternally co exists in three persons Father Son Jesus and Holy Spirit We believe that Jesus is not only the Son of God but God incarnate who born of a virgin came to live among men that He was crucified on a cross taking the penalty of our sin for us that three days later He rose from the dead taking back the power of death and hell He ascended into heaven alive and in bodily form and is now seated at the right hand of the Father and that He will return just as He promised We also believe that He sent His Holy Spirit to lead t
14. new positions will be filled and in place by the start of the new year The main job of the Chapter Field Rep is as an encourager In addition the Chapter Rep is to be as a liaison between the Ministry Teams and or chapters in their state and the board member overseeing that state The Rep is encouraged to attend as many Ministry Team and chapter meetings as possible in their state in order to keep a finger on the pulse and to encourage the troops Also they may prayerfully assist and advise the board member overseeing their state in making decisions that are needed with regards to the local ministry teams and or chapters in that Rep s state only If there is a Chapter Field Rep available in their state then the Team Leaders and chapter Presidents of that state are to go to them with their questions requests and concerns But if there is no Chapter Field Rep available then the Team Leader or chapter President will need to go directly to the board member overseeing their state and region 44 If a Chapter Field Representative believes that God is moving them on and it s time for them to vacate their post then they must submit a letter of resignation to the Board of Directors via e mail is acceptable stating their intent and a basic reason why The board will then begin to pray about it and following God s lead will appoint another person to fill the position The map below is divided into seven regions one for each member o
15. of Iron Horse Ministries we believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired inerrant and totally trustworthy Word of God As a result it is our by laws our final authority 12 INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Because of the nature of this kind of ministry vvith all of its distractions and temptations as patch holders vve are to submit ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit In addition we must allow ourselves to be held accountable in all that we say and do whether out on the highways and byways in a local house of worship or in our own homes in order that we may bring honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ As members of Iron Horse Ministries we strongly believe that in ministry integrity 15 paramount We know that because of the behind the scenes nature of this kind of ministry there must be an open accountability We also know that without it on our own we WILL NOT be able to maintain the highest level of integrity for very long Webster defines INTEGRITY as The quality or state of being of sound moral principle uprightness honesty and sincerity Doing what is right even when no one is looking Webster defines ACCOUNTABILITY as The state of being accountable responsible Liable to be called to account answerable Every man is accountable to God for his conduct through his thoughts words and deeds Individually as Christians we are accountable each of us will have to give a pers
16. organizations Christian and secular alike this shows a divided loyalty and it spreads confusion this is not acceptable Although supporter pins and patches of other organizations except 1 er s as well as motorcycle events can be worn on the front of a vest or jacket traditionally there should be no other pins or patches of any kind on the back of a vest or jacket from side seam to side seam just the organization s back patch alone In the biker culture your back patch shows your allegiance the one you are willing to die for Therefore we ask that all fully patched members of Iron Horse Ministries honor that tradition By wearing only the ministry s back patch on your back you are showing the people that you are trying to minister to that you are fully committed to the call of Christ in your life and to His work through this ministry They are counting on that believe it That s why it s such a powerful thing never to be taken lightly THE FRONT OR SUPPORTER PATCH If someone you know is already a fully patched member of another group of riders and they feel that the supporter patch is for them Level Two that s great Most groups will allow their members to wear a supporter or front patch to show an affiliation with another group However they must always honor the group whose back patch they re wearing So with that please be sure to have them check with the powers that be first to make sure that it s OK for the
17. own corporate E mail and local Calendar of Events All of this must be inspired and sustained by God through the local Chapter and or Ministry Team and it should be easy to do and maintain ALL local I H M websites need to have some kind of continuity With that in mind all locally produced websites MUST have these four basic elements 1 They all must use the same header accessible through the national website so that it s evident that all of the local websites though with their own character belong to the same ministry 2 They all must have their own corporate e mail 3 They all must have an active and up to date local calendar 4 They all must have links to both the Home page of the Biker Friendly Church Network website as well as to the Splash page of the national Iron Horse Ministries website Other than these basic elements each local Chapter and or Ministry Team may pretty much build their site as they wish as long as the content is venue appropriate and Christ led Please note that the Board of Directors of Iron Horse Ministries respectfully has the authority to ask for changes to be made to any I H M related website for any reason 50 THE RESOURCES PAGE Below are the basic tools to use when building a local I H M website The tools mentioned here can be found on the Resources page which can be accessed by clicking on the small rivet head at the upper most left corner of the f
18. ways to be a part of this ministry You can be involved through prayer and or financial support by helping to plan events by attending events that God has led you to and a whole lot more Sometimes ministry is done through food and clothing a visit to a hospital a jail or a prison through the death of a fallen rider maybe through a quiet conversation or sometimes all it takes is just a warm smile No matter what it is it needs to be done with love so that above all the riders may know that God really does love them Which means we need to meet them where Jesus met us at their point of need We are not to condemn or condone anyone s behavior instead we are to show them unconditional love just like Jesus has shown to us Remember they don t care how much you know until they know how much you really care Then and only then can relationships be built The kind of loving relationships that builds bridges between church people who are afraid of bikers and bikers who are afraid of church people However please be sure that a male only ministers to a male and a female only to a female If you have a motorcycle and your license to operate one is current that s great It doesn t matter what make or model the bike is you can be involved If you re between bikes that s OK too Again all you need to know is that you don t have to own or ride a motorcycle or even have a patch to be involved in this ministry it s the heart that counts
19. 38 39 39 40 40 42 44 45 46 47 47 47 49 The Chapter and Ministry Team Websites Etc The Local Website 50 The Resources Page 51 The Header 51 E Mails 52 Calendars 52 Links 54 Usernames and Passwords 54 The Local Webmaster 54 The Finances How We Operate 55 Tithing and Benevolence 55 Opening a Chapter Bank Account 56 Discipline Dealing With Discipline 58 Our Struggles 59 Finally Our Final Authority 61 From the Ground Up 61 The Disclaimer 62 Updating How to Update the General Service Manual 63 Appendix Leadership Flovv Chart 66 Business Meeting Outline 67 Order Form 68 Event Sign In Sheet 69 Questionnaire Application 70 Notes 75 Cover Page 76 panier I want to start off by saying that our God is an awesome God There are many examples throughout the Bible of how God used the least likely people by the world s standards to do some of the most amazing things From my standpoint of view I am the least likely person that God would used to do His work But thankfully we have a loving and gracious God that works out His will through His people despite their shortcomings so to speak With that having been said what you are about to read is what our sovereign God has whispered to my heart regarding the operation of this ministry I have tried to do my best to faithfully write down what He has given me I hope you find it useful in your service to the King Greetings everyone This manual
20. Do you feel drawn or vulnerable to someone other than your spouse 5 Have you lacked integrity in any of your financial dealings 6 How has your time in the Word the Bible and prayer been 14 7 8 9 10 11 12 It is our hope that you ve learned a little about how difficult accountability can be but also how important it is to maintain So with that we would like to encourage you to allow yourself to be as accountable as possible The more you do it the easer it gets So find yourself an accountability partner AP if you don t already have one This will help you to build and maintain Have you abused your position of ministry or leadership in anyway Have you given adequate priority time to your family How Have you been diligent in areas of agreed upon personal discipline What progress have you been making toward your life goals Have you observed anything in my life that I need to hear about Have you lied to me in any way BE ENCOURAGED Romans 8 38 39 integrity If this or something else is a struggle for you everybody struggles with something in this world and you need someone to talk then contact your Chaplain He ll be glad to talk with you confidentially of course 15 van Even though God s VVord is this ministry s by lavvs and our final authority there are some other aspects of this ministry that vve need to touch on to make sure they are clear so that everyone is on the sam
21. In addition for the sake of accountability it is asked that their pastor submit a letter of recommendation on official church letterhead The website has all of the pertinent detailed instructions with regards to what is needed and how to submit the Questionnaire Application with the pastoral letter of recommendation Therefore it would be prudent and beneficial to check out the website and to learn all you can about those details When the Board of Directors receives the candidates responses to the questionnaire personal contact information and their pastor s letter of recom mendation if required please see a member of the board the Senior Chaplain of the board will prayerfully and confidentially look them over and then he will contact the candidates pastor to verify the information This interaction should help promote accountability between the new member and their pastor If everything is in order then the Chaplain will contact the board member overseeing that region After much prayer and with God s affirmation that regional board member will then notify the chapter President or the Ministry Team Leader in that candidates area to inform them of the new member to be patched with this ministry The board member will then send the new members contact information to the national Secretary to be entered into the LH M database and roster Then the local chapter or Ministry Team can present the patches to
22. Patch on the splash page to open up the Welcome page Then click on the little TM Trade Mark at the end of the words Iron Horse Ministries see below That will open up in Adobe Acrobat Reader an electronic PDF version of the general service manual it may take a little time to fully load NT MRSE TH RU e se Te T 1 lla TA er General Membership to access the IBELIEVE LH M Service gt Manual for the gt 2 or 9 Once manual 15 opened click on File and select Save As save it to your I H M Service Manual folder Once it is saved onto your hard drive you can do most anything with it You can now X out of everything and reopen up the service manual you just saved Once opened scroll down and find the page s mentioned in the update notification Now you re ready to print out a hard copy of the page s needed for your manual 63 To print the updated pages of the manual just click on the Trinter icon at the top left corner of the PDF frame VVhen the printer function vvindovv drops down make sure that the name of the printer that is going to be used is in the first field Then go down to the Print Range section and click on the vvords Current Page There should be an image on the right of the page that will be printed If it s the correct page then click OK at the bottom and the printer should print only that page Repeat the
23. RON HORSE 1110 1000 The Service Manual For The General Membership BUILDING BRIDGES TO CHRIST The Introduction Something to Remember The Foundation First Things First Finding God s VVill The Purpose and Mission The Purpose The Mission VVhat VVe Believe Our Statement of Faith Integrity and Accountability Integrity and Accountability Heart Check Accountability Questions Ministry Basics The Basic Ministry Some Things to Remember Our Purpose No Competition Many VVays to Serve The Highest Standards first last VVe Support Novelty Patches Pins Stickers Etc Being Neutral Building Bridges In Crisis Situations co 10 10 11 13 14 14 16 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 23 The Tools Our Ministry Tools Patches and Officer Pins T Shirts Membership VVhat s Required The Questionnaire Application Levels of Service Growing the Membership A Member in Good Standing The Patch The Meaning of the Patch The Back Patch The Front or Supporter Patch The Junior Supporter Patch Special Supporters Wearing the Patch Leaving Active Membership The Logo The Board of Directors Requirements and Terms Officers of the Board Duties of the Board The Chapter Field Representatives Requirements and Duties The Regional Map The Chapter Starting A Chapter Chapter Meetings Conducting Meetings Local Officers Heart Check 25 26 26 28 29 32 33 34 35 36 36 37 37
24. With Each One Ask Who Might Be Going To That Event Etc c Announce The Next Meeting Date Time Location And If There Is Anything Special About It 6 ADJOURNMENT a Praises Prayer Requests Closing Prayer Led By The Chaplain Please Note Anything That Is Voted On MUST Follow Proper Procedures For The Records 1 Someone Must First Make A Motion 2 Someone Else Must Second That Motion 3 Then There Is Discussion About The Motion 4 And Then The Vote A Simple Majority Wins WON Ta ua ORDER FORM I H M Patches Front Supporter Patch Back Officer Pins President Secretary Treasurer Chaplain 1 T Shirts Men s Sizes Small Medium Large Extra Large 2X 3X 4X Logo Decals Large 12 Medium 8 Small 4 Prayer Pins Biker Bibles Business Cards Generic Hand Write Your Contact Info Personal Your Contact Info Is Pre Printed See Below Please Fill In Your Desired Contact Info Below There Are Only Four 4 Lines Available Your Name Contact Info Contact Info Contact Info Training DVD Ministry Basics And Protocols B F C N Patch 3 F F 1 Patch Memo TOTAL Please Note The items marked with an asterisk are available ONLY to Fully Patched members of this ministry With that having been said Iron Horse Ministries does respectfully reserve the right to refuse the giving of any item to anyone 68 EVENT SIGN IN 5 Name
25. a tool by which to do that Motorcycling is an integral part of our physical lives that brings us across the paths of those we are called upon to minister to And indeed the bike is the thing that opens doors between our calling and the rest of the world We work within motorcycling in its many forms the culture that has developed around it and the riders who are out on the road You need to know that you don t have to own or ride a motorcycle or even have a patch to be involved in this ministry it s the heart that counts not the machine or the piece of material Remember God doesn t call the able He enables the called and He s called you 18 NO COMPETITION Iron Horse Ministries is NOT a motorcycle club M C of any kind nor are we a ride group or club R G or R C we are a motorcycle ministry M M Wherever God has this ministry we are not there to take over any existing club group or organization its members or its territories Nor are we there to minister only to the hardcore riders or one percenters Our heart and mission is to come alongside any and all motorcycle clubs groups and organizations whether Christian or non Christian and with all motorcyclists from the occasional rider to the hardcore one percenter and everyone else in between Our purpose is to be a tool in everyone s toolbox All we want is the opportunity to love on and to minister to as many folks as we can MANY WAYS TO SERVE There are many
26. ake sure that everyone is on the same page as to how it is that we can know God s will for us personally as well as for this ministry To help with that these are five basic steps to help in determining God s will and direction in your life and in this ministry 1 Prayer Prayer is two way conversation with God However we need to remember to stop talking long enough to listen It has been said that nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer 2 The Bible Many times God reveals His intent through His Word We need to be alert to those times when His Word reveals His will Sometimes the words will seem to jump off of the page 3 God s people God will put His people in our path He uses their words and or actions to help us to confirm His will 4 Circumstances God also uses the events and circumstances in our lives in order to reveal His will and direction So stay alert 5 Peace God will put a peace in your heart a peace that transcends all understanding You will know that you know that you know what He wants you to do without any check or hesitation in your heart mind or spirit THE PURPOSE Iron Horse Ministries is a Christ centered inter denominational non profit motorcycle ministry God s purpose for this growing nation wide ministry is to work quietly behind the scenes Building Bridges To Christ THE MISSION 1 To quietly minister behind the scenes with
27. are going to be more needs to fulfill This form can be used to order patches pins etc Only the chapter Presidents Ministry Team Leaders State Field Representatives and of course members of the Board of Directors can send in a request to national for these supplies If it were not restricted to just these people it would be overwhelming So when you re ready just print and fill out a hard copy of the Order Form and send it along with the money to the National Secretary EVENT SIGN IN SHEET If you are helping an organization put on a benefit motorcycle run this form can be used for registration They are generic and legally sound for their intended use QUESTIONNAIRE APPLICATION This can be printed up and given to someone that has expressed a desire to be a patch holder member of Iron Horse Ministries but does not have a computer or printer to do it themselves NOTES This page is simply provided for your convenience However you might find it quite useful for business meetings COVER PAGE The graphic is to be use only as the Cover Page of a printed hard copy of this manual It is suggested that a 1 inch three ring binder with a clear plastic sheath on the outside be used to keep your hard copy in You can then slide the Cover Page into the sheath on the front of the binder giving it a distinctive look 65 drus qul yy pe1 u 9 drus qul y etouay diysiaquiayy 5192
28. arge words IRON HORSE MINISTRIES speaks of three basic things 1 The old style font represents a time when the horse was the main form of transportation The letters made to look like old metal signify strength 2 The words Iron Horse can apply to many things in the history of this country In this case it speaks of a modern day mechanized horse and those who ride them Free spirited and dedicated to that freedom And 3 the word Ministries separates this group from any secular club group or organization We are a motorcycle ministry M M not a club The motorcycle in the foreground is the Iron a modern form of transportation that represents freedom to so many The ghost horse behind it is the Horse of bygone days Just like those that ride the modern day version of the iron horse it also represents the rugged and free spirited people that formed the bases of this nation And the old rugged cross behind that with its empty draped cloth represents the sacrifice Jesus made for us all so long ago which gives purpose to the Ministries that we do today The black background represents the darkness of this world Iron Horse Ministries is to lovingly respectfully and quietly take the light of hope which is the love of Christ Jesus to those in spiritually dark places so that those trapped there may see the light and want to be rescued The words Building Bridges To Christ is not only a slogan it s what we do Wh
29. be returned That s considered money laundering and the IRS frowns on that BIG time However a non tax deductible personal check can be made out to that individual as long as it is made out to them alone In any case we must see to it that any money received is accounted for by a clear paper trail Also as stewards we must make sure that all monies will be used prayerfully and faithfully to further the Kingdom of God here on earth OPENING A CHAPTER BANK ACCOUNT Setting up a chapter bank account must first be cleared with the Iron Horse Ministries Board of Directors There are a few basic things that must be in place before an account can be approved 1 In most cases the first thing that is needed is a mailing address A post office box will most likely be the best option Although the US Postal Service is essentially the same everywhere in the United States each branch may operate a little differently and may have its own criteria for obtaining a small box for a non profit ministry The chapter Secretary must find out what those requirements are and report them to the board The board will supply whatever documents are needed 1 e ministry constitution by laws tax ID number etc Please note The key fees two per local chapter one for the Secretary and one for another officer and the annual mailbox fee are both to be handled and maintained by each local chapter not national 2 When it comes to the actual bank accou
30. beginning in October November so that all of the officers will be in place by the start of the new year Once a chapter is formed it will take on and retain the name of the city in which it is started i e Iron Horse Ministries Hometown Also know that there are no time restrictions as to how long it may take or how big the Ministry Team may get until it becomes a fully chartered chapter that s totally up to God Please note It is generally considered a rule of thumb that no Ministry Teams and or Chapters should be any closer to one another than a full hour s ride away at highway speeds That way this will place them approximately fifty to sixty miles away from each other Therefore they ll be far enough away to have their own community with its own distinctive subculture to minister to and yet close enough to help support and encourage other chapters and Ministry Teams 46 CHAPTER MEETINGS Chapter business meetings are open to everyone and are to be held at least once a month It is strongly suggested to have an officers meeting several days before the business meeting It will help in all kinds of ways Meetings can be held anywhere a church building a restaurant a home a park bench it doesn t matter All of this holds true for the Ministry Teams as well CONDUCTING MEETINGS Each chapter may conduct their meeting as God leads However we suggest using the basic Robert s Rules of Order primarily fo
31. ble bondservant building relationships and bridges to Christ No matter what the back patch is no matter what the organization may represent always always be aware of the Golden Rule of conduct If you give respect you ll get respect Remember also that building relationships and respect takes a lot of time and effort So you might want to look at it this way Each time God sends you out into the field to minister to whom He gives you no matter who what or where it is you re making an investment in the future 16 God also wants LH M to help create an awareness within the Christian community everywhere of the many needs and opportunities there are to minister to those that ride motorcycles This can be done in part by visiting churches unannounced and vvith full riding gear on t is tantamount to bring a bit of Leprosy into the quiet and comfortable church Another way is to bring a multi media presentation to churches or other groups A presentation may take place as a result of a surprise church visit as just mentioned or by a word of mouth invitation These presentations are used to help shatter the myths about bikers It is the hope that as a result many folks will be able to see for themselves that not all people that ride motorcycles are associated with 1 ers and they don t all ride a certain brand of motorcycle In addition it is also the hope they come to realize that they too can reach out
32. by the President of the local chapter on a case by case basis Because of the many changes that can take place in the life of a young person the junior supporter patch may be pulled if the child s behavior is becoming inappropriate for the patch and the ministry it represents Once the junior supporter patch is pulled it will not be reinstated That s why it s important for both of the parents of any junior supporter patch holder to be fully patched members in good standing always doing their best to show by example how to live for Christ Now when the child becomes an adult and if they are interested in being a patched member of Iron Horse Ministries then they must go through the same process as any other adult to obtain a patch SPECIAL SUPPORTERS Special Supporters are people and or organizations usually non riding whose efforts on behalf of this ministry go far above and beyond any expectations If you see that a group or a non member individual is consistently displaying a true heart for this ministry then contact the board member overseeing your region and share with them what you know The Board of Directors will then prayerfully determine if that person or organiz ation is eligible to receive such a supporter patch 37 The Special Supporter Patch award is an I H M supporter patch mounted on black velvet in an appropriate frame It must be permanently mounted behind the glass to insure that it will be used onl
33. by the chapter President or Ministry Team Leader 54 HOW WE OPERATE Iron Horse Ministries charges no dues of any kind we function by freewill love offerings only Any money received is considered a donation and every donation made to Iron Horse Ministries is gratefully and prayerfully handled with the greatest of care We consider every donation a gift of love and an investment in this ministry This also includes the non refundable donation for both the supporter patch and the back patch to help offset some of the cost of the patches TITHING AND BENEVOLENCE Whether it s on the national level or on the local level this ministry follows the biblical principle of tithing This means that every local chapter is encouraged to tithe any undesignated income to the storehouse national In turn national is also encouraged to tithe any undesignated income to a national ministry which helps missionaries to spread the gospel around the world e g the Cooperative Program and the like All chapters as well as national are encouraged to set aside an additional 1 of any undesignated income as a Benevolence Fund This fund is to assist only members of this ministry family that are in great need Any disbursement of this fund must be prayerfully lead by God on a case by case basis before both the local Chaplain and chapter President can distribute it By the same token if there is a great need at the national level 1 e
34. ceived by those clubs as disrespect To them it may look like you re trying to copy or mock that M C thus hurting your chances to minister to them Not to mention they might decide to remove the patch from your vest or jacket with you still in it not good The bottom line first impressions and perceptions are very important to all people So if you re not sure about something then please ask BEING NEUTRAL As human beings we have a natural tendency to want to protect what we feel is ours This holds true for many of the motorcycle clubs M C you may run in to out there They can be highly territorial With that in mind you need to be aware of the neutrality protocol To start with we are a neutral behind the scenes motorcycle ministry M M As such it would be inappropriate for any member of Iron Horse Ministries to wear or display any support items such as t shirts patches bike or helmet stickers etc with the logo or name of any 1 motorcycle club M C imprinted or implied on it Even a relatively harmless patch that may use the same color combinations of a 1 er club e g red letters on a white background etc should not ever be worn It may be perceived as a direct mockery to them not good In these the last days you need to be sure that you conduct yourself in an appropriate loving Christ like manner to everyone you meet while being totally neutral to the group they belong to In other words
35. ch body Other Motorcycle Ministries supports all other valid Christian motorcycle ministries and their efforts in bringing the lost into the Kingdom We will not act in any way which obstructs injures or damages the testimony or work of any other motorcycle ministry We are on the same side This is not to say that we necessarily agree with every ministry or that we support all of their activities Each thing done or said must be tested one at a time by the Word of God NOVELTY PATCHES PINS STICKERS ETC As you may know any pin patch or sticker that you wear on your vest jacket or helmet not only represents what you think and believe it makes you a representative of that belief as well With that in mind we ask that you would be very very mindful of the message you may be sending to those that you re trying to minister to If in doubt do without 21 There are some novelty patches and stickers out there that say some pretty twisted things Some are funny some are cool But if you put one on your vest jacket or helmet just be aware of the message you are conveying to everyone Ask yourself Is it Godly Does it follow the protocols of the motorcycle culture It s extremely important to pay attention to the colors of a novelty patch as well According to the protocols the colors of the patches should not match in any way the colors used by any of the local 1 and or three piece patch clubs It can be per
36. contains the basic nuts and bolts of how God wants Iron Horse Ministries to operate Although this manual is intended primarily for the use of the members of this ministry it s not exclusively for them Anyone can read it there are no secrets here It is my hope and desire that every member of Iron Horse Ministries will read this service manual completely through more than once if for no other reason but to gain and maintain your knowledge of how this ministry operates In doing so you ll also be able to keep up with any changes that may come up May 1 also suggest that you keep an updated hard copy of this manual in easy reach just in case you may need a quick reference check Speaking changes it s been said that growing a ministry is kind of like standing on the top of a mountain and looking down at the valley below At first all you can see is a thick canopy of lush green trees As you make your way down the mountain and through the canopy you begin to discover more and more things things that couldn t be seen from the top As time has passed and as the ministry has grown that s exactly what God has done He has graciously and patiently revealed more and more details of His wonderful vision for this ministry With that it is my hope and prayer that the vision will be fully realized as God intends it to be and that I won t get in His way Now if you should find yourself reading through this manual and wondering what you mig
37. continues in the same direction and has an unrepentant heart that member will be asked by either the Team Leader or the chapter President and the board if necessary to turn in their patch or patches to the Chaplain of their local Iron Horse Ministries chapter The exception is if this happens within a Ministry Team The patches then should be handed over to and held by the Senior Chaplain of the Board of Directors The patches will be held until the situation is fully resolved only then may they be returned to the patch holder By the same token if a member is caught in a moral sin the same thing will happen The Team Leader or the chapter President and the board if necessary will ask that member to turn in their patch or patches to the Chaplain of their local I H M chapter who will then hold them Again the exception is if this happens within a Ministry Team The patches would then be handed over and held by the Senior Chaplain of the Board of Directors If it has been proven that the member in question has demonstrated a full restoration their patch or patches may be returned to them In either case the local membership should follow Galatians 6 1 and help restore that fallen member back to spiritual health maybe even back into active ministry How cool would that be 58 The only other disciplinary action taken which requires that all Iron Horse Ministries patches and officer pins be turned in is if someone else other than t
38. countability partner and or sounding board for the chapter Chaplains In addition because the answers to the Iron Horse Ministries Questionnaire Applications are of a spiritual and somewhat confidential nature the National Chaplain is to be the first to receive them and to begin to pray over them Like the others the Senior Chaplain is to be directly accountable to the Board of Directors 41 NON RIDER In addition there should be one non rider member of the board Although not an actual official office per say the non rider s job is to help keep a balance of things from a non rider s standpoint of view We don t want to become so heavenly or biker minded that we are no earthly good That is to say we don t want to lose our perspective We need to maintain a proper balance of things Please note All board members including the non rider must be fully patched attaining and maintaining fully patched status in the same way as everyone else DUTIES OF THE BOARD Basically the Board of Directors is to by God s leading prayerfully conduct the overall business of this ministry appoint officers and set policy The board is to meet at least once a year The meeting is to be held in December with the exact date time place and means face to face or electronic to be determined by the board as they see fit The board is to make all decisions which may include but are not limited to all financial matters on the national l
39. demn others However we do strongly request that each patch holder and those looking to be a patch holder have an accountability partner AP to help keep themselves sharp Proverbs 27 17 Integrity doing what s right when no one is looking is paramount But without accountability we will not be able to maintain integrity like so many others we will fall Here again are more reasons of the importance of prayer for this ministry its people and its leaders 60 n OUR FINAL AUTHORITY As members of Iron Horse Ministries we believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired inerrant and totally trustworthy Word of God Jt is our by laws our final authority As such we trust the Holy Spirit to keep the ministry in line and to help us follow God s precepts and principles only Furthermore we are not to impede God s work by imposing a lot of legalistic by laws on our members However this ministry may from time to time institute some Standard Operating Procedures SOP s or protocols at both the national and local levels This will be done in order to better conduct routine business in a consistent biblical and well documented manner and to meet certain legal requirements as instituted by our government This means that the information in this manual as well as on the website may be changed without notice That s yet another reason why the board is counting on you to go back over the material and look for updates on a reg
40. drus i qul y u p s 5 21 e1 u 9 Bo sadeyy Japeay wea pis iq Jaydeyy weal AWIS p ulodde si plal4 15 e u y 104 40 ssazdeyp 10 sweay Aa s uly 40 OM Sey 83S JI JO H qu yi a0 d qeuors y 66 l d MINISTRIES BUSINESS MEETING OUTLINE SUGGESTED 1 CALL TO ORDER a Welcome b Opening Prayer Pledge Of Allegiance If A Flag Is Available c Read The Mission Statement From Page 10 Of The General Service Manual d Bring A Short Study On A Section Of The General Service Manual 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ETC a Acknowledge New Members And Or Officers Present Patches Officer Pins Etc b Acknowledge Guests Have Them Share About Themselves If They Have Business Save It For New Business 3 REPORTS a Secretary Reads The Minutes Of The Last Meeting Motion To Accept The Report Second Discussion Vote b Treasurer Reports Income Donations Expenditures Balance Motion To Accept The Report Second Discussion Vote c Chaplain Brings A Short Devotional 5 10 Minutes 4 OLD BUSINESS a Discuss Unfinished Business Etc Based On The Minutes Of The Last Meeting b Members Report On The Events They Have Attended Recently 5 NEW BUSINESS a Guest Speakers If Any b Announce Upcoming Event Opportunities
41. e that ride motorcycles Therefore he must always be in prayer for guidance and allow God to use this position for Christ s glory as he ministers to both the members of the chapter as well as to the secular world as God gives him 48 Now speaking of prayer because it is so essential when someone in a local chapter has a prayer request it should be given directly to the Chaplain When the Chaplain receives it and if it is appropriate to send it out not only does it need to be generated as an e mail and sent to the members of that chapter but a copy of it needs to be sent to the National Chaplain as well From there the prayer request can then be sent out nationally The same holds true for a Ministry Team If a member of a Ministry Team has a prayer request it needs to be given to the Team Leader It should then be handled in the same way the local chapter Chaplain would handle it An office pin will be given to each officer to wear on their vest or jacket There will be only one pin given per officer By the traditions of the biker culture we are ministering within the pin needs to be worn just below the LH M front patch which is worn on the upper most left side over the heart of the vest or jacket Please see The Front Or Supporter Patch section of this manual for more details about the wearing of the front patch If a member believes that God is moving them on and it s time for them to vacate their po
42. e going on in your area as vvell as throughout the ministry in general Fourth some folks are shy when it comes to their birthday You have probably noticed that we ask for just that However please note also that we ask for only the month and day not the year We do this so that as a family we can celebrate with you what God had done He has given you another year here to serve Him and to enjoy His creation How cool is that And so with that we want to celebrate with you not only the passed year but the upcoming year as well Finally here s an important note Iron Horse Ministries considers it an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with such important information as is given above As such you need to know that it is our intention NOT to give away or sell any personal information to anyone for any reason EVER 70 For your convenience vve have provided three different means of getting your information to us There s one by Snail mail and tvvo others done electronically One way is by using this Adobe format to print up and send a handwritten hard copy of your responses to the Questionnaire Application along vvith your contact information on the Personal Information Form In addition we ask that you would please include a Pastoral letter of recommendation on official church letterhead Then when you have everything go ahead and mail all of the documents to the Snail mail address that s closest to y
43. e in place by the start of the new year The same procedure is to be followed to fill any vacancies that may occur Hopefully this process should help prevent any one person from becoming entrenched and creating power struggles If a member believes that God is moving them on and it s time for them to vacate their post on the board then they must submit a letter of resignation to the Board of Directors stating their intent and a basic reason why OFFICERS OF THE BOARD The following is a brief description and basic duties of the officers of the Board of Directors of Iron Horse Ministries Please remember to always keep the leadership of this ministry in prayer so that they will follow God s will alone and not their own Luke 12 48b 40 CHAIRMAN The Chairman also known as the C E O is to oversee and lead the board by prayerful example This means that the Chairman is not only to be a man of God as a leader 1Timothy 3 2 7 but he also has to have fully captured God s vision for this ministry as well Among other duties he also is the moderator over the meetings of the board And because the buck stops with him he is held at the highest level of accountability SECRETARY The Secretary also known as the National Secretary is to record accurate minutes of the board meetings The minutes of the previous meeting must be read and made available at each meeting for reference Among other duties the Secretary is to handle all
44. e page That way there s no confusion and the enemy vvon t be able to tvvist anything out of whack With that having been said the following is a basic comprehensive summation of how God wants Iron Horse Ministries to operate and minister to both riders and non riders alike THE BASIC MINISTRY God s intention for Iron Horse Ministries is to quietly minister with loving integrity to the physical emotional and spiritual needs of those within the motorcycling community and beyond This is to be done by developing one on one relationships just like Jesus has done with us The desire is to share and to show the love of Christ in such a way as to hopefully cause them to want for themselves what they see God doing in and through us That means we need to meet them where they are such as runs rallies gas stations bars tattoo parlors the store a park bench a hospital their group s meetings etc The only way to gain acceptance and respect is to be out there and involved That s the only way they re going to get to know you and this ministry Remember they re not going to come to you until you go to them It means a lot to them if you go out of your way to hang where they hang You don t need to join their ranks just honor and respect the members and their organization Also remember in order to be effective you will need to make yourself available that s commitment So go and be there for them as a loving hum
45. e requires it to be worn on the upper left while the organizational patch is to be worn on the upper right please see below In either case proper protocol requires that absolutely nothing is to ever be worn above either Doing so shows disrespect Here are a couple of helpful hints you can use to mount your patches VVhen mounting the back patch measure four fingers width down from the very top of the back panel As for the front patch measure at least one finger s width between the bottom of the patch and the top of the pocket seam to make room for a possible officer pin This should help you in the placement of the patches Speaking of patches and such any patch pin or sticker that you wear not only represents what you think and believe it makes you a representative of that belief as well So as you wear the patch please remember that you not only represent this ministry but you also represent the very One that started this ministry and has called you to serve Him through it So with that having been said please be mindful of the message that you re sending when you consider adding on any other patches pins or stickers To God be the glory LEAVING ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP As stewards of God s ministry we all must be careful to maintain the highest level of integrity of both the patch and the ministry it represents therefore there can be no loose cannons out there With that in mind the patches as well as the
46. each comfort convict and encourage us in our Christian walk We also believe that by praying a simple sincere prayer of repentance asking Christ to forgive us of our sins and asking Jesus to come into our heart to be our Lord and our Savior our soul will be saved from the torments of Hell Let s face it if we were all that good we wouldn t be in such a mess That s why we need a savior It s only by God s grace alone that we are saved We can t be saved by our own works or deeds otherwise we would brag about what we ve done and not give God the credit for what He did on our behalf Ephesians 2 8 9 Here s another way of saying it The only way to finally have peace and fulfillment in our lives and to get into God s perfect heaven is to honestly ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins to ask Him to rescue us from the penalty of our sins which is eternal death in hell and to ask Him to be in total control of our life from the inside out As a result of our heartfelt prayer the Holy Spirit will come to live inside us and we will be a brand new person becoming just what He created us to be in the first place It s just that simple really All we have to do is ask and really mean it because God really means it Once that s done the old life is gone and our new life will begin instantly that very moment 2 Corinthians 5 17 That s when we become a born again believer a true Christian 11 Finally as members
47. eartfelt intent May God richly bless you as you read 7 n n FIRST THINGS FIRST Before you get started let s look at God s Owner s Manual the Bible It is our hope that these scriptures will give you a deeper understanding of this ministry Ephesians 5 1 21 Standards for Godly living Philippians 4 8 The key to daily living Ephesians 6 10 18 Preparing for daily battle Matthew 6 1 4 Working behind the scenes Matthew 25 34 40 Building bridges to Christ Matthew 28 19 20 Going and growing It is our desire that you would study these scriptures burn them into your heart and live them to the best of your ability DEFINITIONS Webster s Dictionary PRECEPT 1 A Biblical doctrine that is taught commandment the Golden Rule 2 Rule of personal conduct PRINCIPLE 1 A basic generalization that is accepted as true which can be used as a basis for reasoning and conduct 2 A general rule or standard especially of good behavior 3 Rule of personal conduct LEGALISM 1 A strict and literal adherence to the law 2 Focusing so much on the letter of the law that its intent is lost FINDING GOD S WILL As the ministry grows more and more decisions will be needed on the national as well as the local levels Seeking and knowing God s will and direction is of the utmost importance at all times So how are we going to know what God wants The only way is to m
48. ed member of this ministry This person can wear both the small supporter patch on the front of their vest or jacket as well as the larger ministry patch on the back In addition being a fully patched member also affords them the right to hold an office either on a local or national level Please Note A Junior Supporter patch is also available for minor children For more information on that please see The Patch section 32 GROWING THE MEMBERSHIP John 12 32 We all want this ministry to grow However in our enthusiasm we are NOT to persuade prospect or proselytize anyone into this ministry We do not persuade We are not to try to sell persuade or recruit anyone in to becoming a part of this ministry We are to let God bring those whom He wants Psalm 127 1a God himself is to plant the vision of this ministry into the hearts of His people not us We do not prospect All we ask is that the prospective members understand the seriousness and the commitment level involved in this ministry To this end we suggest that after they have checked out the website they then attend a few meetings and or events with us if they can and ask a lot of questions That way they can capture the heart of this ministry and what we do in it for themselves If for some reason they re not able to attend any meetings maybe because of a work schedule or maybe because they don t live in and area were there s a chapter ye
49. ed in recent years by the IRS because of misappropriation of funds So because of that the Board of Directors will run a tight ship when it comes to accountability with the finances There MUST be a paper trail for everything NO EXCEPTIONS So everyone if you would please pray that this ministry will be a shining example of good and appropriate financial stewardship at all times 57 DEALING VVITH DISCIPLINE At this point we must deal with a most difficult but essential subject discipline VVithout discipline a ministry 1s set up for failure VVe trust the Holy Spirit to keep the membership on the straight and narrow If He can t do it then neither can we However when stuff happens which it does we hope that everyone involved is mature enough to prayerfully deal with it on a local level But if for some reason a problem develops where ALL possible means of reconciliation have been exhausted and still there s no change then a member in leadership of the local Ministry Team or Chapter should contact the Board of Directors and then the board together with that member will prayerfully consider how to handle it We all know that our humanity gets in the way sometimes and people get offended You know how it is If two or more are gathered together stuff happens In such cases we ask that the members involved follow God s directions as laid out in Matthew 18 15 17 for solving such problems If a member
50. em that you don t know Find the answer and get back to them as soon as possible They will appreciate your honesty your concern and your follow up Now you are Building A Bridge 23 Also keep in mind that most people will lose track of time and need help organizing their thoughts when dealing with a crisis They need to eat sleep and make contacts with family friends work etc Offer to get them a snack or to help them make contacts Are they a member of a club group organization or church that you can contact for them If so then perhaps you can contact those entities and encourage them to directly contact the victim family as soon as possible It is very disheartening for them to be a member of a group which has made little to no contact with them in their greatest time of need The last thing they need is to feel alone and forgotten It will also be important for you to follow up with the victim family after the dust settles So get their contact information if possible and follow up with them You will be Building A Strong Bridge So to recap everything Muinistering to people in any type of crisis is not an easy task but it can be most rewarding So don t be apprehensive and don t try to be someone you re not just be yourself and love on them Be prayed up listen and observe respond appropriately and follow up If you do these things and in that order you ll be a successful Bridge Builder Fi
51. ether we re ministering to the bikers privately or at various events or whether we re helping a church to set up an outreach to bikers our goal is still the same to be quietly bridging the gap between people and the love of Christ that s the whole focus of this ministry Finally God wants to make sure that in the fray of things we don t forget whose ministry this really is So each time the letters LH M are used He wants us to remember that they also stand for It s His Ministry 35 THE BACK PATCH Only a fully patched member Level Three vvearing both the front patch as well as the back patch on a vest or jacket is afforded the right of holding an office either on a national or local level We make this a requirement so as not to cause confusion If an officer of Iron Horse Ministries is wearing an officer pin i e President Secretary Treasurer or Chaplain but wears the back patch of another group they are sending the message that they are an officer of the group who s back patch they are wearing If someone you know is currently wearing the back patch of another motorcycle club group or organization and they want to wear the back patch as well then please keep in mind that most groups will not allow their members to wear more than one back patch Having two different vests and or jackets each with a different groups back patch on them is called double patching To most motorcycle clubs groups and
52. evel making sure that the ministry follows all of the rules and regulations set forth by each state and the federal government for this 501c3 organization In addition the board is to also consider all applications for patched membership the presenting or revoking of charters for chapters the appointment of all chapter officers as well as helping those officers with decisions and accountability etc With the board appointing the officers this should help keep the local chapters free of disruptive politics and such so that they may continue to be effective at the work that God has called them to do Sometimes a decision needs to be made in a relatively quick hurry In such a case the board member concerned needs to have the freedom to go ahead and make that decision There needs to be a certain amount of trust that each member of the Board of Directors is in prayer about every decision they make As long as the precepts and principles of God s Word and this manual are followed there shouldn t be a problem So for the sake of accountability each board member needs to then make sure that their decision is made known to the rest of the board as soon as possible The only decisions that should not be handled in this manner are those decisions that can affect the entire ministry 1 policies and such In those cases the whole board needs to be involved in making those decisions 42 Because there is such a delicate balance a
53. event For any events to be posted nationally the information must be sent to this e mail address only calendar ironhorseministries org Not only is there a national events calendar there is also an easy to use calendar available for each local Chapter and Ministry Team to use The e mail account that has been pre assigned to each Chapter and Ministry Team has the ability to incorporate a calendar associated with that e mail account In order to set it up all you need to do is simply click on the calendar link on the Resources page When the login page appears you can use the pre assigned e mail address and password to log on to the calendar setup page With that your events and meetings can be entered and published very easily The local events calendar can also be embedded into your local Chapter or Ministry Team s website To do that just log on to your local calendar and follow the simple steps on the next page 52 Documents Sites admin ironhorseministries org Sync Settings Help Sign out Search My Calendars Show Search Options To embed your chapter ministry team calendar on your website click on Settings amp then the name of your calendar email address ironhorseministries org Calendars Back to Calendar My Calendars Calendars can view and modify CALENDAR SHOW INLIST NOTIFICATIONS SHARING all none Ti admin ironhorseministries org Notifications Shared Edit settings Dele
54. f the board to oversee The regions are based on the general rider ship in those areas THE REGIONAL MAP REGION 5 REGION 3 REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 6 REGION 4 Perey REGION 7 REGTON 5 1 STARTING A CHAPTER In order for a chapter to be formed the positions of President Secretary Treasurer and Chaplain must be filled However until the officers are appointed the forming group will be considered as the Ministry Team The first and only fully patched member in a new city is usually but not always considered the Team Leader Whether a member of a Chapter a growing Ministry Team or by yourself as a Team Leader the task and goal is still the same you are to attend as many local motorcycle events and organizational meetings as you can thus making yourself more available to minister to the riders in your area The more the ministry is seen the more quickly it can become established and the sooner you will be known as people that can be trusted and counted on As the Ministry Team grows it may become a fully chartered chapter only when God Himself makes it clear to the Team Leader and through them to the Board of Directors that the officer positions are able to be filled by the people God wants All chapter officers must be fully patched and are not to hold an office in more than one chapter at a time The officers are evaluated by the board on an annual basis The annual evaluations will take place
55. g of God s Spirit alone without drawing any attention to yourself 5 You must be willing to be held accountable to everyone in all circumstances and at all times Remember you are always being watched 28 6 You must have a heart for people especially for those that ride motorcycles If they see your unconditional love for them then hopefully they ll see His 7 You must be a legal adult to be fully patched Because of the nature of this kind of ministry there are times when God will have you go to where the Leprosy is to bring to the captives His hope His healing and His love 8 Finally before any adult can become a patch holder of this ministry you must complete the following questionnaire We use it so that we may better get to know you and to see if you have caught God s vision for this ministry Obviously this ministry is not for everyone It is however for those who are called of God and enjoy the challenges and rewards of working behind the scenes building bridges to Christ and doing so with integrity and open accountability That s why we ask that you be in serious prayer about your part in this ministry because nobody but God will be holding your hand and that s the way He wants it THE QUESTIONNAIRE APPLICATION The questionnaire is not a test We just want to get to know the applicant a little better as a brother or sister in Christ and to see if they have captured God s vision for thi
56. he authorized patch holder wears the patch This shows a lack of discipline and total disrespect for both the patch and the ministry it represents In this situation the patches will not be returned The Board of Directors are subject to the same disciplinary actions as the rest of the membership with the exception that if necessary the patches of a member of the board should be surrendered to the Senior Chaplain of the board But if it s the Chaplain that has an issue then his patches should be surrendered to the Chairman of the board Please note We don t threaten people or forcibly remove their patches However if the disciplined member refuses to forfeit the patches etc then we will turn that person over to God and let Him deal with them accordingly And we are most certain that He will OUR STRUGGLES We all struggle with sinful thoughts and behaviors in our lives If God used only those who are without sin we would all be useless Thankfully by His grace and mercy He accepts us and works with us where we are With that we know that Scripture tells us that our bodies are the temple of God 1 Corinthians 6 19 It also tells us that we shouldn t even give the appearance of sin 1 Corinthians 8 9 We are also instructed to strive for purity 2 Corinthians 7 1 With that in mind we ask that while anyone is wearing the Iron Horse Ministries patch that they do not participate in those things that can make them and this mini
57. ht have gotten yourself in to I would like to encourage you by reminding you that you weren t persuaded prospected or proselytized into this ministry It is the God of all creation alone that has chosen you to be a member of Iron Horse Ministries He has most likely chosen you in part because of the special work He has for you Remember that it is God that has placed in your heart a great passion for this ministry and for people that ride motorcycles I know it can be a big job at times but I want to further encourage you that He s the one that chose you therefore He must think you can do it Besides always give you everything you ll need to do the job He has for you Finally I would like to thank you for your willingness to read through all of this material I know it s a lot to go through but I believe it s worth it It will help you to be the best member you can be for this ministry and for the work God has for you to do On that note I would like to thank you for your service to our loving Lord and Savior May you and yours be blessed beyond your ability to contain it and may all that overflows be a blessing to countless others in the name above all names Jesus the Christ our soon returning King Serving at the pleasure of the King O 2 Diaz Co Founder through Christ Iron Horse Ministries SOMETHING TO REMEMBER It has been said The only thing wrong with ministry is that there are pe
58. hurch Planter they may be the only representative of Iron Horse Ministries in that area for a while Therefore there needs to be a strong belief in God s vision for His ministry there This person needs to have a good understanding and a desire to live the precepts and principles set forth by God for this ministry The basic duties of a Team Leader are very similar to that of a chapter President The only exception is that there are no other officers under them They need ALL of our encouragement and prayers 47 PRESIDENT Though all members are representatives of I H M the chapter President is the lead representative in their area He is to lead his chapter by example by being a good follower of Christ This will enable him to be a good leader of the chapter He needs to believe in the vision for God s ministry and understand all of its precepts and principles The basic duties of the president are 1 moderate chapter meetings with a prepared agenda 2 keep the chapter members informed about what is going on in the ministry and 3 his main job is to encourage the membership as often and by any means he feels necessary to Go and build bridges to Christ SECRETARY This is the note taker and record keeper for the chapter They are to legibly record accurate minutes of the chapter meetings The minutes of the previous meeting must be read and made available at chapter meetings for reference They must also keep a record of
59. is J esus to you 2 What is salvation Please share when and how you were saved 3 How do you know your salvation is for real and forever 4 What is water baptism Have you been baptized as a born again believer When 5 Please share some of what J esus has done in your life since you ve asked Him to be your Lord 72 6 How s your prayer and devotional life these days Are you in God s VVord daily 7 VVhat do you feel God vvants you to do through this ministry visions and goals And at which patch Level supporter patched or fully patched 8 How would you explain to someone else your commitment level your responsibilities and your liabilities as a member of this ministry 9 Have you talked with your family about being a part of this ministry How do they feel about it 10 Do you have an addiction that you battle with How are you dealing with it Do you have an accountability partner yet 73 PLEASE NOTE You can use this page as needed in order to more fuliy ansvver any of the questions Hovvever please be sure to number the ansvver on this sheet to its corresponding question on the Q A form Thank you very much 74 NOTES nunu
60. ite and give us their information i e church name address contact person phone numbers e mail etc When their information is added to the database then they will become a part of the network It s just that simple The churches do NOT have to be members of I H M to be a part of this they only need to have a heart for those that ride motorcycles 17 SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER The motoreycling community has many rules regulations and subtle nuances that govern it These are called Protocols Most of which are NOT formally written down This can make things a bit precarious at times So with that in mind the following is a very simplified list of some things to help you to remember the basic protocols in which this kind of ministry must operate Please consider them carefully and commit them to memory They will help you to answer most any question that might come your way In addition they will help you to minister to the people that God gives to you May God bless you BIG time for your heart and for your service to Him OUR PURPOSE Iron Horse Ministries is a ministry that serves the God of the Holy Bible the only God the Creator of the Universe the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind As such we serve Him quietly behind the scenes doing what ever He gives us to do so that a bridge might be built ultimately resulting in salvation through Christ We build bridges by building relationships and we use motorcycles as
61. m to wear this ministry s supporter patch If so then it is to be worn only on the front of a vest or jacket 36 As a supporter patch holder you are a member So it doesn t matter vvhich back patch you may be wearing you are encouraged to attend as many LH M meetings as possible That s because of the behind the scenes nature of this ministry we believe that the encouragement of the fellowship is very important for ALL who wear the Iron Horse Ministries patch The meetings are always open so please do all you can to be there However please note that the only thing not open to supporter patch holders is holding an office THE JUNIOR SUPPORTER PATCH We at I H M believe that your relationship with Christ should be the single most important aspect of your life With that priority in place all other areas of your life your family your job and your service to God will fall into their rightful place With that having been said we want to encourage family participation So at the parents discretion a junior supporter patch may be issued to those kids who are over the age of accountability and who have shown evidence of an understanding of the ministry This is the same patch that is used as the Supporter or Front patch for adults So it is to be worn and treated the same way Now since the maturity level at these ages can vary quite a bit from person to person the consideration of this patch will be handled
62. members attendance at each chapter meeting so that someone can follow up with encouragement to those who missed the fellowship Also the Secretary is to handle all chapter related correspondence They are to keep neat files of all minutes and all chapter related correspondence making them available whenever asked upon to do so TREASURER It is the Treasurer s responsibility to collect and maintain all donations to the chapter They must keep accurate records of all monies the chapter receives and disperses and they must maintain neat files of all receipts for deposits and expenditures There must be a paper trail so clear that a blind man can see it The chapter President must approve all expenditures The Treasurer must inform the other chapter officers of these expenditures as well In addition the Treasurer is to give a brief report of the previous months income and expenses and the chapter s current account status at each chapter meeting Also for the sake of integrity the Treasurer should not be related in any way to any of the other officers of the chapter CHAPLAIN This is the spiritual encourager for the chapter He is to bring a short devotional at each chapter meeting and lead the chapter by prayerful example into a place where each and every member will be able to bring that same kind of encouragement to the secular world In other words he is to help teach train equip and encourage the saints to minister to thos
63. nally it takes much effort and commitment to minister to people in need But isn t that what our God has called us to do anyway If that s so then know that when God directs you to do something there is always a reason Who knows you may be the only one there Building Bridges To Christ 24 li TOOLS OUR MINISTRY TOOLS As you know this ministry belongs to our God not to us He allows us the honor and the privilege of serving Him in it and through it We also know that throughout the years when it comes to sharing the timeless love of Christ to a lost and dying world the methods and tools have changed a lot e g motorcycles etc However the eternal message of salvation has not Therefore we must be careful to be good stewards of all that He has given us This means that as time passes and the ministry grows we all must be very vigilant to make sure that the tools that are made available to the members of this ministry are God inspired tools not people inspired As you know we humans can justify anything at the drop of a hat or helmet With that having been said below is a list of the most basic tools that God has made available to the members of this ministry They are 1 LH M Patches both front and back 2 I H M Officer Pins President Secretary Treasurer Chaplain 3 LH M Logo Decals for your car and or bike 4 LH M T Shirts with the logo printed on both the front and back 5 LH M Bu
64. nged within these guidelines we must take our time and be very careful to stick to this edict so that we will not become restricted by legalism That way God the Creator and Sustainer of this ministry will have the room He needs to continue to work in and through us as we minister behind the scenes to all kinds of people in all kinds of ways And that s a big reason why prayer for this ministry s leadership is of such vital importance Now as God grows the ministry there will have to be some adjustments made However it s our hope and prayer that no matter how large this ministry may grow these guidelines will not ever become encumbered with legalism That s a good way to undermine and destroy God s work We can t be about our Heavenly Father s business if we re bogged down with a lot of rules and regulations So if something comes up and there s nothing mentioned specifically about it in these guidelines pray and diligently search the scriptures keeping everything in context You should find God s answer there in one of His precepts and or principles And remember any scripture taken out of context becomes pretext and that leads to all kinds of problems So before you get started we ask that you would use the most powerful tool at your disposal PRAYER If you would please take a moment and ask God to give you His wisdom and to help you to fully understand what is written here so that you may capture His h
65. nt it is best if it can be set up through a credit union Credit unions generally charge less for operating an account i e account and transaction fees etc and they usually are less of a hassle Because each credit union is a little different each will have their own criteria for obtaining an account The chapter Treasure is to find out what the requirements are and report them to the board The board will supply any necessary documents i e ministry constitution by laws tax ID number etc 56 Please note There must be tvvo signers on the chapter s bank account the Treasurer as the main signer and the President as the backup signer That vvay there s a built in accountability The Treasurer is accountable to the President and the President is directly accountable to the Board of Directors The checking account should be in the name of Iron Horse Ministries and it must also include the city that the chapter is located in 1 e Iron Horse Ministries Hometown If there is a donation to the local chapter that s who the check should be made out to Checks for national should be just made to Iron Horse Ministries Once again the Board of Directors must approve everything So before the board can make an informed decision on any of this the Secretary and or the Treasurer of a local chartered chapter should find out all they can before they bring it to the board x Finally many ministries have been bust
66. officer pins must be considered as this ministry s property So if any patch holder decides to leave active membership it is asked that the patches and officer pins if any be turned in to their local chapter or Ministry Team upon leaving Thank you for your understanding THE LOGO Because the patch and logo are one and the same only those that are members in good standing are eligible to possess and or wear the logo The Iron Horse Ministries logo which also includes the name and the slogan is trademarked and is not to be used for anything else other than for ministry purposes Any use of the logo or any portion there of for anything other than the patch must be cleared through the Board of Directors first You may be thinking Hey wouldn t it look cool if we had this or that with the logo on it Although probably a great idea we must always ask ourselves this Is this idea a righteous tool that God would want us to use or is it a trinket or novelty What s the message we would be giving Will it help draw others to Christ through this ministry We can justify anything So with that we must be very very careful not to give the wrong impression about this ministry and God s work through it is not a social club this is a real ministry As such we must always represent God s highest quality and standards 39 n n nn REQUIREMENTS AND TERMS The following are the basics of how
67. onal account to God Rom 14 12 Corporately as Christians we are accountable because we belong to each other Eph 4 25b 13 It is the desire of Iron Horse Ministries through God s mercy and grace without the trap of legalism to maintain the highest level of integrity at all times and in all situations whether we are wearing a patch or not HEART CHECK As humans we would rather do our own thing in our own way in our own time and for our own reasons It is not our nature to want to be held accountable However we must be especially in ministry If we don t we ll eventually crash and burn With that here s something you can do to help keep yourself from going down The following list is a tool to use for your edification and to help you stay accountable This only works if you re absolutely honest For the best results you should do this with an accountability partner AP An accountability partner is a person that you know will be absolutely honest with you and you with them You both must also be willing to honor the possible sensitivity of some of the answers and not share them with anyone else So if you re ready take a few moments and prayerfully allow yourself some time to consider these questions SUGGESTED ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS 1 What problem has consumed you this past week 2 Which direction is your personal relationship with Christ going 3 How have you been tempted this past week 4
68. ople in it What this means is that a sinful condition still exists yes even in ministry That s why there s no such thing as a perfect ministry here on earth So as humans we realize that we need guidelines to help keep us from drifting That s why lines are painted on the road And so with that you will notice that in this manual there are many places were the word must is used Please know that this is NOT to be viewed as legalism As we follow God s precepts and principles as laid out in His Word the Bible our final authority there are many times when He wants things done in a certain way So when He says that we must do a particular thing in a particular way He s making it clear that whatever it is that s exactly what He needs us to do You will also notice that in many cases we are given what to do but not so much how to do it That s because He has given us the precious gift of freewill This means that we have the freedom to do it the way we think is best How cool is that However if we expect to follow His will He s made it clear that we must seek His wisdom first James 1 5 Psalms 1 5 With that having been said what s written here are guidelines and not hard and fast rules In other words because there is freedom in Christ Galatians 5 7 9 TLB these guidelines are to always and only reflect God s biblical precepts and basic principles So even when things are added or cha
69. orms it is considered as their signature which then constitutes as their agreement with the precepts and principles of this ministry The following questions are found on the Questionnaire Application page which can be accessed at the bottom for the Nuts And Bolts page of the Iron Horse Ministries website They are placed here for your convenience 1 Whois Jesus to you 2 What is salvation Please share when and how you were saved 3 How do you know your salvation is for real and forever 4 What is water baptism Have you been baptized as a born again believer When 5 Please share some of what Jesus has done in your life since you ve asked Him to be your Lord 6 How s your prayer and devotional life these days Are you in God s Word daily 7 What do you feel God wants you to do through this ministry visions and goals And at which patch Level supporter patched or fully patched 8 How would you explain to someone else your commitment level your responsibilities and your liabilities as a member of this ministry 30 9 Have you talked vvith your family about being a part of this ministry Hovv do they feel about it 10 Do you have an addiction that you battle vvith Hovv are you dealing with it Do you have an accountability partner Once the Questionnaire Application is completed and before it can be sent in and accepted the candidate must fill out the Personal Information portion of the application
70. ou IRON HORSE MINISTRIES IRON HORSE MINISTRIES P O Box 418043 P O Box 11664 Sacramento CA 95841 Lynchburg VA 24506 Or if you prefer you can expedite things a bit by scanning the handwritten hard copy of your responses to the Questionnaire Application the attached Personal Information Form and then the original Pastoral letter of recommendation Once that s done you can send all of the documents together as E mail attachments to the E mail address belovv application ironhorseministries org However if you want to make things a lot faster you can use the electronic version of the Questionnaire Application that s found on the Iron Horse Ministries website Here s what we suggest Make a hard copy of these documents so that you can take your time and handwrite the answers just the way you want them to be Then when you re ready you can use the handwritten hard copy as a kind of guide from which to copy your answers directly onto the electronic Questionnaire Application form The fields will automatically expand as you type So if an answer gets a little lengthy that won t be a problem Now don t forget you will still need to send the Pastoral letter of recommendation by one of the means mentioned above We suggest scanning it and sending it as an E mail attachment to the E mail address above But no matter how you decide to do it please make sure that you have included ALL of your contact information We don t want yo
71. pick up The Iron Horse Ministries t shirts are to be purchased and treated as a ministry tool and they are to be worn only when and where God tells you to e g very hot and or humid days etc Please know that following these protocols will bring honor to the patch and to God s ministry in the eyes of those He has given us to minister to However not following these protocols will only undermine the patch and the ministry it stands for Once again we thank all of you for your under standing and for using this tool appropriately x You may ask What about belts buckles hats mugs key fobs etc While those are all great ideas God has made it clear that this ministry is NOT to have all kinds of trinkets and doodads Although some other ministries make those kinds of things available God does NOT want this ministry to fall into the trap of marketing If an member has some craft skills and wants to make an item with the name slogan or logo on it for themselves or to give as a gift to another patched member that s fine However it must be approved by the Board of Directors first Please know that we are not trying to squelch your creativity It is for the sake of the integrity of this ministry that we ask that these protocols be adhered to Once again we appreciate your understanding 27 l n VVHAT S REQUIRED When most of us see a patch we haven t seen before we
72. r the purpose of accepting the minutes of the previous meeting the treasurer s report and confirming any ministry expenditures The rest of the meeting can be very casual All we ask is that during a meeting minutes are taken there s encouraging fellowship and that God s work is being done If possible there should be some sort of fellowship at least one other time during the month Whether it s a ride or just getting together for a meal or a Bible study etc The more often you get together the tighter you ll become LOCAL OFFICERS The following are brief descriptions and duties of the local officers of both the Ministry Teams and chartered Chapters of Iron Horse Ministries But before we go any farther we need to cover some ground here first If anyone is considering a leadership position in this ministry please know that it is assumed and expected that those who wear the Iron Horse Ministries patch are members in good standing with all of its real and implied privileges and responsibilities and are following the precepts and principles as laid out in God s Word as well as in this Service Manual to the best of their ability With that having been said being in a leadership position is no small thing So please remember to always keep the leadership of this ministry in prayer that they will follow God s will alone and not their own Luke 12 48b TEAM LEADER This requires an extraordinary level of commitment Like a C
73. rame on the Welcome page of the Iron Horse Ministries website THE HEADER As mentioned earlier there must be continuity with regards to the local websites So in order to achieve that goal a header as seen below must be at the top of each page of the local website Mim Building Toa Christ TT K bu L4 ne L The follovving are some basic instructions on hovv to incorporate the header onto the local website Because there are so many different ways to do this if you are more familiar with another method to achieve the same thing then by all means do it To download the full size website header graphic go to the I H M website and click on the header image on the Resources page and it will open the image alone in a new window To download the image simply right click on it and select Save Picture As then make sure the image is saved within the local website files Now the image can then be incorporated as the header of the website If the image needs to be resized a photo editing program can be used to accomplish this resizing the image by using webcode will pixilate the graphic beyond recognition If there are any questions about how to do any of this stuff then please contact the National Webmaster Web Designer for help don t just guess at it The National Webmaster Web Designer can be easily contacted at admin ironhorseministries org 51 E MATLS Communications is ve
74. re curious who are they where are they from and what are they about Since a patch is so important to the people that we are trying to minister to we need to be aware of what the Iron Horse Ministries patch may represent to them When they see you wearing the supporter patch and or the back patch or no patch at all for that matter they should see in you the fruit of the Spirit which is love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self control Galatians 5 22 23 That s why you need to be prayed up Ephesians 6 10 18 before you suit up You may be asked What s it take to become a member of Iron Horse Ministries You can use the following list of the basic requirements for this ministry both as an answer to them as well as a reminder for you 1 You must be a born again believer in our Lord Jesus the Christ And you must be ready and willing to share with anyone what happened to you and about the hope that you now have 2 You must be a discipled active member of a local Christ centered Bible believing church body You must not forsake their fellowship it will strengthen you 3 You must be spending time in prayer and in God s word daily How will you know what He wants you to do if you re not in two way com munications with Him 4 You must be a self starter Nobody will be holding your hand You also must be willing to work quietly behind the scenes by following the leadin
75. risis the roller coaster ride of emotions still continues Whether it is the victim their family or friends they all will face similar feelings to varying degrees While still dealing with all of the emotions from the beginning of the crisis they are also becoming overwhelmed with all of the decisions that must be made despite the lack of or at best fragmented information they may be receiving The feelings of complete helplessness along with grief and mourning are added to the mix Seeing a loved one in an injured state has varying effects on people But when we show up we bring a calming effect Actually it s not us it s the cross When people see it they clam down substantially That s yet another reason why it s important to wear your vest everywhere you go You just never know As you help to meet people s needs at their level their mindset can change quickly depending on the events that are occurring Therefore it is important to observe and listen in order to help determine how you can best minister to them You do not need to have all of the answers or some great spiritual sayings to be of help In fact in those situations the all too frequently used Christian sayings don t help at all Just being yourself being available and showing that you care is a great comfort to those people who are in the middle of a crisis If they ask you about something and you don t have the answer be honest and tell th
76. ry important for that reason every local website must have an e mail account The following are some basic instructions on how to set one up If your local Chapter or Ministry Team has not received an assigned username and password from I H M National then contact the National Secretary of the Board of Directors and request those two things Once you have them then you may log into your e mail account by clicking on the e mail link on the Resources page When it opens you can simply enter your pre assigned username which is your permanent e mail address and the assigned password you were provided with Then you will be able to access the inbox Once the account is set up the password can be changed But a written request must be made to the National Secretary first so that there is a record of it just in case that custom password is lost or forgotten CALENDARS Because each Chapter and Ministry Team has their own list of local events we need to make sure that everyone else is aware of them also Therefore having an up to date calendar would be the best tool to use to accomplish that goal To meet this need there are two basic types of calendars available the national calendar and the local calendars So with that we encourage each Chapter and Ministry Team not only to use their own local calendar but to also send the same local information to the national calendar if for no other reason so that every member can pray over each
77. s ministry In addition as stewards we must be sure that everyone is on the same page It is important for us to be careful so as not to let in any wolves in sheep s clothing With that having been said we must also be sure to encourage the folks and to thank them for their understanding and especially for their valuable time Now if someone feels that God wants them to be a part of this ministry as a Level One supporter through their finances and prayers then we must remember to pray for them and thank them from the bottom of our hearts However if someone else believes that God is calling them to actually be a patch holder of this ministry at either Level Two or Level Three then it is asked that they would please do the following things 29 1 Go through the entire vvebsite so that they may capture the vvhole heart of the ministry 2 Take the time to go through the entire Questionnaire Application responding fully to each item 3 If required please see belovv submit a signed and dated letter of recommendation from their Pastor on official church letterhead Please note In order to make things more conventent for the applicant the vvebsite has three different formats of the Questionnaire Application All they need to do is to choose whichever one works best for them Also we need to let them know that for their convenience it s been set up so that when they put their name and date on any of the f
78. same printing procedure for any other pages that may need to be updated Then after some holes are punched into the pages on the left hand margins you can simply replace the old pages with the new ones in your service manual binder Now to make a brand new hard copy of the service manual just follow these simple instructions Following the previous procedures open the service manual and save it to your hard drive Once saved then X out of everything Now all you need to do is just reopen it and click on the printer icon at the top left corner of the PDF frame When the printer function window drops down click OK and before you know it you ve got your very own hard copy of the manual Our wonderful God has really made it simple and easy for all of us to stay on top of things in His ministry and it doesn t cost much of anything either How cool is that TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR ALL HE HAS DONE 64 m This section contains several different forms etc that can be printed up and used for various needs To make a hard copy of any of the items just follow the simple instructions of hovv to update your hard copy of this manual LEADERSHIP FLOW CHART This is how God has set up this ministry to function vvithin each region of the country BUSINESS MEETING OUTLINE This can be used as a suggested guide for conducting business meetings of Iron Horse Ministries ORDER FORM As the ministry grows there
79. siness Cards both generic and personal 6 Prayer Pins for bike and rider blessings etc 7 Biker Bibles with the I H M Logo 8 Training DVD Ministry Basics And Protocols 9 I H M websites both national and local 10 Bibles 4 Bikers website national 11 The Biker Friendly Church Network website international Please be aware that the ministry name slogan and logo are trademarked This means they all belong to this ministry which in turn means that great care must be taken as to who uses what With that what God has given for this ministry is that the items marked with an asterisk are to be available ONLY to Fully Patched members of this ministry no exceptions This applies to the Supporter Patch holders as well That s because most of them already have another back patch on So when you do the math doing this any other way could make it appear as an apparent double patching conflict of interest to the people we are trying to minister to not good So what this simply means is that as stewards we must be very careful who gets what 25 Speaking of the ministry tools it is suggested that each Ministry Team and chartered chapter keep a small inventory of 2 3 full sets of patches on hand as well as a few hard copies of the Iron Horse Ministries Service Manual You may also want to keep a supply of generic business cards for the nevv members that our vvonderful God may bring your v
80. st as a chapter officer or a Team Leader then they must submit a letter of resignation to the Board of Directors via e mail is acceptable stating their intent and a basic reason why They must also return the officer pin to either the local chapter President or the Chaplain before leaving office HEART CHECK We need to stop here for just a moment for a Heart Check IT S NOT ABOUT YOU When it comes to leadership no matter what the position may be we as Iron Horse Ministries patch holders must keep in mind that we are all at the same level called to serve as bond servants of the Most High God from whom this ministry began Therefore there should be no attitudes of any kind other than that of a Christ like love For those that come to know this ministry and its members they should think of it and us as a loving family loving everyone just as they are Remember they don t care who or what you know until they know that you really do care TO GOD BE THE GLORY 49 THE LOCAL VVEBSITE VVhen God first revealed His vision for this ministry He made it clear that He wanted as least one actively ministering chapter in each state It is our hope that each chapter and ministry team no matter what size they are and no matter where they are will have their own website with each site having its own distinctive flavor and character indicative of their area In addition each chapter and ministry team should have their
81. stry ineffective Remember it s not about us or whether we have the right to do what we want to do it s about how we are all perceived Even the non believers know how a Christian should behave Never forget we are always being watched What any one of us says and does or doesn t say and do reflects on ALL of us Therefore it is assumed and expected that as adults we do not need any pictures drawn for us nor do we need a list of do s and don ts It is also assumed and expected that we truly do know the difference between right and wrong And that everyone fully understands every aspect of what it is that is being said here If anyone is not absolutely sure then please ask 59 If you are currently struggling with something we do not want you to feel discouraged or condemned We understand how hard it can be You may be wondering What about my past Everyone has one some more colorful than others It doesn t matter what your past or your struggle is God can use you right here right now Our God is a God of redemption and restoration As a result we believe that those who truly become born again Christians become a new person and that there s always evidence of that kind of change in a persons life That s because they re not the same anymore for the old life is gone and a new life has begun 2 Corinthians 5 17 Therefore we are not going to conduct inquisitions into people s lives and we will not judge or con
82. t then by all means encourage them by making yourself available to chat with them Who knows that may be just what they need We do not proselytize that s like stealing Iron Horse Ministries will not try to take anyone from any club group organization or ministry that God may already have them involved in However you need to know that anyone can be a back patched member of any organization and still be a part of this ministry either as a level one or a level two participant All they need to do is meet the appropriate criteria Remember that people can only be a part of this ministry if God has led them to be That way He has just the people He wants where He wants doing what He wants so that He alone gets all the glory So as we run into people out in the field that may be interested in Iron Horse Ministries just answer their questions the best you can and give them a business card Then you can refer them to the I H M website on the card just like you may have been That way as they check out the site at home they can quietly and prayerfully let God speak to their heart Also they ll be able to learn at their own pace about this ministry and what it takes to be a part of it By checking out the site it should also help to put everyone on the same page Don t forget to let them know that you re available if they have any questions Then get out of the way and let God work in their hearts If He is speaking to their
83. t times between man s definition of things and God s one of the most important things that the Board of Directors must do is to do their very best to ensure that legalism does not slowly creep in and over run this ministry As the ministry grows this will become more and more difficult So with that please pray for the members of the board they re always praying for you 43 n REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES The country has been divided up into seven basic regions please see map Each region is overseen by a board member who may or may not reside in that region Because each region and each state in that region has its own distinctive character a person from the general membership in a state within a region may be appointed by the board as a Chapter Field Representative AKA the Chapter Rep to help oversee the ministry in that state This appointment will only need to take place if there are two or more Ministry Teams chartered chapters or a combination of both in one state The Chapter Field Rep must be a fully patched member in good standing and must live in the state they are representing While the Chapter Rep must be active in their own home chapter they are not to hold any office in any local chartered chapter at all as this could present a conflict of interest This position will also be evaluated by the board on an annual basis The annual evaluation will take place beginning in October November so that all of the
84. te ecu tne rg Import calendar Export calendars Unsubscribe You will no longer have access to the calendar Other people can still use it normally Delete The calendar will be permanently erased Nobody will be able to use it anymore Other Calendars Calendars can only view Browse public calendars CALENDAR SHOW INLIST NOTIFICATIONS all none US Holidays Unsubscribe US Holidays 2009 Google Terms of Service Privacy Policy Legal Notices Back to Calendar Calendar Details 1 nd q Change the name of your calendar here eg Iron Horse Ministries of Lynchburg Calendar or Lynchburg IHM Back to Calendar Calendar Calendar Name admin ironhorseministries org Calendar Owner Jon Mare Lyttle lt admin ironhorseministries org gt Domain ron Horse Ministries Description Location e g San Francisco or New Y rk or USA Specifying a general location will help people find events on your calendar it s public Calendar Time Zone Please first select a country to select Country United States x the right set of time zones To see all j j choose a different country to see other time zones To further customize time zones check the box instead the way your calendar appears when embedded size colors beginning day of the Paste this code into your website week etc click here Customize the color size and other options Now select a time zone
85. th that having been said every local website must have links to both the national Iron Horse Ministries website as well as the Biker Friendly Church Network website Any other link being considered needs to be prayed about first and added to the website only as God leads Remember this ministry belongs to God and so do all of the tools He gives us to use USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS The National Secretary of the Board of Directors issues and keeps track of all usernames and passwords Therefore each Webmaster of a local Chapter or Ministry Team must contact the National Secretary to request and receive their username and password The assigned username must be the name of the city that the Chapter and or Ministry Team is in followed by a dash with the two letter postal abbrevia tion for the state in which the city is located Please take note of how the username and address must appear hometown ca ironhorseministries org Also there is an assigned password However once the account is set up the password can be changed by the local Webmaster But a written request must be made to the National Secretary first so that there is a record of it in case that custom password is lost or forgotten However it may take a few days to process the request THE LOCAL WEBMASTER Finally for somewhat obvious reasons the Webmaster of a local chapter and or ministry team must be a fully patched member of this ministry and they are to be appointed
86. the Board of Directors is setup The purpose for this information is to remove any mystery there may be about the board and thus it should help each member to better understand how this ministry operates In addition should God be calling a member to a position on the board they will need to know what might be expected of them There are to be no more than seven active board members serving at any one time The Board of Directors with the Lord s leading selects the board members Each board member must be a born again believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ and each must be a member in good standing in both this ministry as well as in their own local Bible believing Christ exalting church In other words all who are to be considered for appointment to the Board of Directors of Iron Horse Ministries are to be selected by both God s leading through prayer as well as by God s Word based on 1Timothy 3 2 7 Members of the board are to serve for a term of two years The terms start on January 1 of the first year and go through December 31 of the second year At the end of each two year term their time served will be evaluated by the other members of the board Then after prayerful consideration the board may or may not re appoint a member being considered for the board to continue serving for another two year term The evaluations will take place beginning in October November so that all of the new board members will b
87. the new member at the next local business meeting If the chapter or Ministry Team doesn t have enough patches they Il need to order them from national If a new member is the only one in their area then the board member overseeing that region and or the State Field Rep will work with that person directly seeing to their needs e g patches business cards etc 31 LEVELS OF SERVICE There are three basic levels that anyone can serve in this ministry LEVEL ONE The first level is as a prayer and or financial partner This is ground zero Without the faithful prayers and loving gifts from our partners this ministry could not survive They are our first line of defense and a great encouragement to us all By praying for and building up this ministry they are enabling us to continue to go out into the fields where God would have us go building bridges to Christ Remember they don t even have to have a motorcycle to be a part of this ministry all they need a heart for those that do and for those who minister to them LEVEL TWO The second level is as a supporter patch holder This person not only supports the ministry as mentioned above but is also actively involved As such they are allowed to wear the small supporter patch on the front of their vest or jacket Therefore as patch holders they are considered as active members of this ministry LEVEL THREE The third level is as a fully patch
88. ular basis on your own Remember nobody s going to holding your hand in this ministry FROM THE GROUND UP Iron Horse Ministries does not discriminate against anyone The ground is level at the foot of the cross We are to show everyone the same kind love Jesus has shown to us personally However as far as membership goes the basic criteria that God wants is that anyone desiring to be a member of this ministry MUST be a true born again believer in our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ they MUST be called of God into this ministry and they MUST have captured God s vision for His work through this ministry All persons applying for membership in this ministry must follow all of the instructions for becoming a member see please the Membership section Please note Iron Horse Ministries respectfully reserves the right to refuse any application for membership 61 THE DISCLAIMER So many times disclaimers seem to be a cop out Hovvever in these days when anyone can sue anyone anytime anywhere and for any reason we feel the need to cover these final issues While Iron Horse Ministries is committed to a safe motorcycling and ministry experience Iron Horse Ministries cannot and will not be held responsible or liable either directly indirectly or consequentially for the actions of any individuals Each individual is responsible for his her own actions and the repercussions that may result from those actions whether that person
89. ur stuff accidentally getting mixed up with someone else s F Y 1I Once vve have received your responses to the Questionnaire Application and the letter of recommendation the Board of Directors will look them over Your Pastor may be contacted to verify your information And if there are any other questions vve ll be sure to contact you right away Then after praying and asking for God s confirmation we will notify you as to whether or not you are eligible for membership and whether you can order the patch or patches that you are seeking With that having been said because this kind of ministry is not for everyone Iron Horse Ministries respectfully reserves the right to refuse any applicant You also need to know that all of your correspondence will be held in the strictest confidence The intent is not to keep secrets but to protect the personal information that has been entrusted to this ministry In fact because of the behind the scenes nature of this ministry ALL communications are handled with discretion and respect as this can also help to build bridges to Christ Finally we want to take just a moment to thank you again for your efforts with regards to the questionnaire We are honored and impressed by your efforts and your patience We know it isn t easy but we also know it s worth it So with that may God bless you real good BIG time 71 IRON HORSE WINISTAIES QUESTI ONNAI RE APPLI CATI ON 1 Who
90. vay Novv if you are in need of some ministry tools you vvill need to order them through your local chapter President Ministry Team Leader State Field Rep or the member of the board that oversees your region To determine which person you need to order your supplies through please go to the Appendix and follow the Flow Chart found there To order supplies just follow the instructions for the provided Order Form which is also found in the Appendix Once everything is ready to go then send the Order Form together with the money to the National Secretary of the Board of Directors Please note All prices are a suggested donation to help defray the cost Remember we are a non profit ministry and as such we are not out to make money We just need enough to help the members of this ministry stay supplied with the tools they need to keep Building Bridges To Christ Remember we are not owners of this ministry we are stewards of it PATCHES AND OFFICER PINS For the sake of integrity and accountability not only are all of the Iron Horse Ministries patches considered as property of I H M so are the officer pins What this means is that the officer pins are not to be kept by the previous officers instead they are to be handed off to the next appropriate officer within that chapter Just think what could happen if one of the officer pins accidentally got out and someone else outside of this ministry to put it on
91. y God We feel it s the responsibility of all believers to vote This country was founded on biblical principles and we want it to stay that way In God we trust is not just a motto to us it s our lifestyle We also encourage participation in government and civic affaires as well as prayer support for our leaders Iron Horse Ministries will not encourage any actions that are contrary to the laws of this land except where those laws are in direct opposition to the laws of God 20 The Family I H M is a ministry that supports the God ordained structure of the basic family unit We firmly acknowledge that the priority for our lives must first be our God then our spouse and children and that they are our primary ministry We also strongly support the principle that children need as much time with loving parents as possible in order to grow up as Godly citizens We encourage family participation in this ministry that s why there s a Junior Supporter patch available for those who qualify The Church I H M supports the local historic Christian church We are told in scripture not to forsake the fellowship of believers This is for both our daily strength as well as for accountability Therefore we strongly encourage every member and those we minister to to be in a local church membership and to be active in it Whether on a national or a local level each member must be a member of a Bible believing Christ centered Chur
92. y for its intended purpose It should also have a small engraved brass Thank You plaque mounted behind the glass as well It should be presented to the recipient by the local Chapter or Ministry Team WEARING THE PATCH On occasion it s been asked Why is it that you wear a patch The reason is so that those who may have need of us can more easily find us So with that all members are encouraged to wear their patch everywhere they go whether to the grocery store to motorcycle events etc not to mention ALL 1 meetings and activities Therefore we as members should always be ready to share our faith in Jesus be willing to pray on the spot for others needs and be able to minister as the Holy Spirit leads The biker culture has many traditions and or protocols Some are not followed anymore but most are The one still most closely followed is that the only thing on your back is to be the patch you are willing to die for An other tradition that is closely followed is where the front patch of the club group or organization goes If anyone is fully patched with a group including this ministry tradition has it that the front patch is to be worn on the upper left portion of the vest or jacket please see below It symbolizes where your heart is So for their sakes we need to follow this tradition as well The only exception is if an American Flag patch is worn on the front of a vest or jacket As such flag etiquett

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