All members who attend ADVENT are expected to adhere to the following list of rules. If you require clarification of any of these rules, please do not hesitate to contact us. Violations of said rules will lead to disciplinary action, which may include but is not limited to: notification of parent/guardians/home church, disciplinary session with the mission director, and in extreme cases, expulsion from the program.
Proper Conduct
“Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1b-2
Respect Authority
As we labor together for the Kingdom of God, it is imperative that we do what we can to work together. This means submitting to authority and obeying what your team leader, pastor, local host, or ADVENT staff member may be instructing you to do. If you fail to listen to authority, then we will take the necessary disciplinary action.
Respect Your Host
All members are expected to treat their host family and/or churches with the utmost respect. Many of the churches and families are opening up their homes and facilities to us at minimal or no charge, and it would do them a great disservice to take advantage of or abuse their generosity. Additionally, though many hosts will respectfully decline your offer to help with cleaning, we strongly recommend that you insist to help with daily cleaning and tidying up.
- Observe the quiet hours of your host
- Do not use anything without permission from your host
- Respect the boundaries your host sets: do not go or use any offices / rooms without permission from your host.
- If you break anything, please inform your host and replace it.
- Observe your host’s trash disposal procedure.
Relationships
You are joining this mission trip to labor in God’s harvest field and to share the Gospel with the lost. As such, all your energy and focus should be on the task at hand. We acknowledge the possibility that you may come to develop feelings for somebody during the trip, but we ask that you act on those feelings on your own time, after ADVENT has concluded. For dating couples who are attending ADVENT, we respectfully ask that you limit your time together while you are attending ADVENT in order that you may not hinder each other from focusing on the task at hand. In consideration for others, we also respectfully request that you also refrain from public displays of affection during ADVENT.
Alcohol/Drugs
The consumption of alcohol and use of illegal drugs are strictly forbidden on this trip, regardless of whether or not volunteers pass the Taiwan drinking age restriction, unless the local church partner serves wine for communion. Volunteers who violate this rule will be expelled from this trip immediately.
Dress Code
We acknowledge the fact that the summer weather in Taiwan is sweltering at best, and that in such circumstances, most of us would prefer to wear as little as possible to avoid excessive suffering. However, because each of us will be teaching students in a traditional classroom setting, and because we additionally do not want to stumble our fellow brothers and sisters, we require that you observe the following dress codes. Please note that your team leaders and team adults will be enforcing these codes at all times; those found in violation of the following will be immediately asked to undergo a change of clothes.
Teaching – The teaching dress code applies whenever you are teaching students. Part of our testimony is expressed by our behavior and appearance, and as teachers, we do not want to dress too casually. Please note that on the first day of teaching, you will be required to wear the Advent uniform tshirt and long pants. You will also be required to wear the Advent uniform tshirt on day three and day five as well. However, you may wear shorts that adhere to the following criteria. On days two and four, you are free to wear clothes that adhere to the following criteria:
- Tops: T-shirt or nicer top (no questionable slogans or graphics allowed)
- Long Pants: Pair of jeans/ khakis/ presentable long pants for first day of teaching—no low-rise jeans that expose underwear
- Short Pants/ Skirts: Shorts or dress hem/skirt no more than 2 inches above the knee (no gym shorts allowed)
- Shoes: Closed-toe shoes required, though Jesus sandals allowed (with straps around heels)
Non-teaching – The non-teaching dress code applies whenever you are not teaching students, and are in co-ed environments.
- No low-cut tops or tank tops
- Shorts no more than 2 inches above the knee
- Guys, please do NOT go shirtless.
- Yoga pants and leggings do NOT count as pants and are NOT ALLOWED in common areas.
- Sleepwear – please note that if your sleepwear violates the non-teaching dress code, it is not permitted in co-ed environments.
Sleepwear – Please note that if your sleepwear violates the non-teaching dress code, it is not permitted in co-ed environments.
Other Rules & Guidelines
ELECTRONICS
Electronic devices such as tablets or smart devices are not required, nor are they recommended for the Advent program. Some of us will be staying in churches that will be open to local church members during the day, so security is not guaranteed. ADVENT Taiwan is not liable for any damaged or stolen electronics.
If you do bring electronic devices to ADVENT, please note that non-ADVENT related use of electronic devices (e.g. playing games, watching movies) is prohibited for the duration of the trip. Any exceptions to this rule (e.g. summer coursework, class registrations, mission update letters) must be cleared with your team leader. The physical, emotional, and spiritual demands of this program are great, and as such, this rule was established to create a distraction-free environment that will help members to stay focused on what is at hand. After all, it will only be for two and a half weeks. Violations to this policy will be met with strict consequences, which may include confiscation.
Note that specific teams or church groups may impose stricter regulations with regards to electronic usage. In all cases, volunteers are expect to submit to the authority of the team leader or church.
SCHEDULE
All members are required to observe the schedule established by your team leader. Unless it is explicitly stated, under no circumstances are members allowed to schedule their own private outings for the entire duration of the ADVENT program. Please note that this applies to all weekends that occur during the Advent program.
TRASH DISPOSAL/ RECYCLING
In Taiwan, all trash must be sorted prior to disposal. Those who fail to do so may incur fines, so as residents at host churches and homes and as teachers at the schools, we are expected to observe trash sorting policies. In general, trash must be sorted and disposed into the corresponding containers:
- Plastics (does not include straws)
- Paper (does not include napkins)
- Glass
- Aluminum
- Food waste (any uneaten food, including bones – used for compost)
- General refuse (anything that does not fit into items 1-5)
If you do not sort your trash, often times, the local host will end up having to dig through our garbage and sort it. This is simply unacceptable. Do not let your laziness get the better of you; do your part and sort your own trash before disposing of it. Those found repeatedly failing to adhere to these standards may be asked to take part in garbage sorting duty.