Couples for Christ Foundation for Family & Life, Inc.

CFC-FFL
One-Service Rule

We are all servants of Jesus. We serve him in many different ways in the particular circumstances of our personal lives. In addition, we undertake services in community. In CFC-FFL we serve in 4 basic areas:

1) PASTORAL – As pastoral leaders taking care of people (shepherds over the flock);
2) MINISTERIAL – In the ministries (Family, Social, Pro-Life);
3) FUNCTIONAL – In the support structures such as Home Office, PFO, etc.
4) PAROCHIAL – In our parishes.¹

We serve in the spirit of servant leadership. Part of this is desiring to give our best in our particular service. As such, there is a need to rationalize the allocation of time and energy to the many different services in community, in order that:

1) One can focus on his/her assigned service.
2) One will not be overly burdened by having multiple services, and end up depriving the work of the needed time and attention.
3) We will raise more servants to handle the different tasks.

As such, we have a One-Service Rule. Basically, this means that one assigned to a major service should not take on other services.

1) Pastoral leadership. Household Servant, Unit Servant, Chapter Servant, Cluster Servant, District Servant.
2) Overall heads of the ministries, including their major sub-groupings.
3) Parish service that is strategic and entails much time and effort (e.g., PPC head, major leader for BEC, major leader of major religious group, etc.).

There are certain exceptions to the rule.² These are for those persons who have the time and energy to do more than one major task.³

1) Fulltime pastoral workers.⁴
2) Those who are retired and no longer holding a regular secular job.
3) Those who are doing secular work but not a regular office-type job, thus having control of their own time.
4) Those who have no regular work and are not looking for one.⁵
5) Those whose basic service, though important and major, is such that they might not have to spend too much time on it.⁶
6) Those who do an additional service because there is no one at the moment who can handle the same. As such, this is a temporary arrangement.
7) Those who participate in other services but not as head or in a major assignment.⁷

Pastoral leaders are enjoined to help ensure that those under them are not overly burdened by multiple services. District Servants and Chapter Servants should work to raise servant leaders to handle the various services, such that our One-Service Rule may be observed.

1 One of CFC-FFL’s Core Values is “Being a Servant to the Church.” We are parish-based and are committed to support the life of the parish. As such, if one of our members is involved in strategic parish work, we will consider that as his/her service in CFC-FFL.
2 Be careful that the exception does not become the rule. The spirit of the One-Service Rule should always be upheld.
3 Having the time and energy for more is not based solely on one’s own preference, since there are those who are so zealous they will accept any and all assignments, but can still end up not being able to give enough to each assignment. A decision to accept more service is made in consultation with one’s pastoral leader and is subject to the approval of the appropriate senior authority.
4 “All-the-timers” who serve have a regular job and a service. In the case of fulltimers, they in effect have a regular job (hired by community) and can also have another service.
5 Perhaps such a one might have independent financial means.
6 These can be a variety of situations. One might be a Country Coordinator for a country that does not necessitate visits (Catholic population might be so small that our community does not really have the potential for growth). Or one might be a Regional Coordinator where Area Coordinators and the local territorial leadership are doing great work, thus necessitating minimal oversight.
7 We all can and should participate in specific and occasional activities, for example, WWP (e.g., a build) or Pro-Life work (e.g., a march). Those who already have a major service can also serve in other additional ways, such as being part of a district or ministry core team.