Victory Ranch Discipleship Homes General Rules
Things to Bring:
- King James Bible Only (No other bible versions will be allowed.)
- MEN: You will need 7 pair of underwear and socks, 3 work shirts, 3 pair of work pants, 3 casual shirts, 3 pairs of dress slacks and button up dress shirts, at least 5 white t-shirts, a pair of work shoes, a pair of recreational shoes and a pair of dress shoes (no more than 3 pairs of shoes per student is allowed). You may also bring a suit for Sunday services.
- LADIES: You will need 7 pair of underwear and socks, 3 bras, 2 dress slips, 3 church dresses, 3 jumpers and/or 3 skirt and shirt outfits. Bring a pair of work shoes and a nice pair of shoes for church (no more than 3 pairs of shoes per student is allowed), and proper hosiery.
- ALL: There will be limited storage space for clothing and personal items. Each student’s belongings must remain neat and organized within the area assigned to them. No excessive accumulation of personal items or clothing will be allowed.
- Personal hygiene items, towels, shower shoes and sleepwear
- Alarm clock without a radio.
- Complete Bedding- twin bed (sheets, blanket, pillow and pillowcase)
- Proper ID: You must bring 2 forms of identification. If you do not have 2 forms of ID, please bring your birth certificate so that we might help you obtain proper identification while you are here.
- Supplies
- Paper
- White, 1 inch three ring binder
- 3x5 cards, pens, envelopes, stamps, etc.
Prohibited Items: I Corinthians 6:19
- Cash over $20 (no cash allowed while on blackout or restriction). Each student will be held accountable as to how much money they’re spending and where they’re spending it. No excessive amounts of money will be allowed.)
- Drugs/alcohol/pornography/tobacco.
- Radios/Audio/Video Playing Devices.
- Music or movies (music and movies will be provided by Victory Ranch).
- Unauthorized Medications (must be pre-authorized by Victory Ranch)
- Unauthorized medicinal sleeping aides (must be pre-authorized by Victory Ranch)
- Men: Body jewelry including earrings is not permitted. Wedding bands, necklaces, and watches are acceptable.
- Ladies: Jewelry must be worn in moderation. Piercings (earrings) may only be worn in each ear and they can only be worn in the lower lobe. Jewelry will not be allowed to be worn in any other piercing on the body.
- Vehicles or bicycles
- Cell Phones
(Medications for physical ailments approved for students will be kept by the staff and distributed daily as prescribed.)
Program Privileges:
Each Student will be on a blackout for the first 10 days of the program. After your blackout you will receive the following communication and visitation privileges with only those persons listed on the student’s “Approved Communications List” (ACL) and have been approved by Victory Ranch Staff. ABSOLUTELY NO communication with girlfriends, boyfriends, fiancés, or common law spouses will be allowed during the entire length of the program.
Phone Privileges
Unit 1 & 2 – One personal phone call per week on staff phone. Unit 3 & 4 – Two personal phone calls per week on staff phone. Unit 5 & 6 – Three personal phone calls per week on staff phone. Unit 7 & 8 – Four personal phone calls per week on staff phone.
- For the sake of others, please limit phone calls to l0 or 15 minutes.
- No text messaging is allowed (The staff also will not send personal text messages on your behalf).
- Additional phone calls may be earned through weekly positive action reports.
- Personal cell phones are NOT permitted.
- Students are not allowed to touch or use graduate’s personal cell phones.
- Only designated staff phones may be used by students for personal and/or professional phone calls.
Visitation Privileges
Unit 1 & 2 – One Saturday afternoon family visit per week at the ranch from 2pm till 8pm.
- All Saturday visitors at the discipleship home must leave no later than 8pm. (A video chat with those on the students ACL may be substituted for those with family out of state).
Unit 3 & 4 – All of the privileges of previous units plus the following:
One overnight visit per week with the student’s children at the ranch.
- Overnight visits and visitors must be pre-authorized by staff, 1 week in advance.
- All overnight visits will be from Saturday 9 AM till Sunday 9 AM.
*All visitors at the ranch must agree to abide by the rules of the program and be willing to subject themselves to drug and/or alcohol testing. Refusal to take a drug or alcohol test will result in the termination of the visit and the visitor will be asked to leave immediately. The visitor may also be removed from the student’s Approved Contact List (ACL).
Unit 5 – 8 – All the privileges of previous units plus the following:
One weekly 24hr pass with family only (All passes will be from Saturday 9:00 AM till Sunday 9:00 AM.) (Exceptions to the day and time of the pass may be given by Program Director to students who have family coming to visit from out of state.)
- Students will be expected to continue to abide by the rules of the program while on their passes.
- If student returns late from pass by 1 second for any reason, it will result in the loss of pass privileges the following week and possible receipt of a major violation for flagrant disregard for the rules.
Mail Privileges
Students can only receive and send mail to those persons on their “Approved Communications
List” (ACL).
- Note: Touching the mailboxes will result in a major violation*.
- All outgoing mail must remain open for staff inspection prior to being mailed and all incoming mail is subject to being opened and inspected prior to student receiving it.
Walking Privileges
- Each student must stay within their boundaries during leisure time or weekly visits in accordance to their current unit privileges.
- Each student is allowed to enjoy their visitation privileges within their perspective boundaries.
- Crossing boundaries without prior approval by staff WILL result in a major violation*.
*Any major violations will result in two weeks restriction and loss of all privileges.
Church/Chapel/Classroom conduct: Heb. 10:25; I Cor. 14:33,34; Psalm 1; Joshua 1:8
- Bibles and a pen/paper must be brought to all services and studies.
- Bibles and chapel notebook will be brought to each chapel service.
- Chapel dress code will be business casual.
- Residents will attend all services of Beth Haven Baptist Church, HOPE Addiction Classes, and activities as scheduled by Victory Ranch.
- No talking or getting up during services or chapel: eyes forward and no disruptions.
- Indiscreet chewing of gum, candy, or breath mints is not allowed.
- Students must wear their Hope Badge to all church services, HOPE Classes, & Special Meetings on church property.
- All students must remain within the eye sight of Victory Ranch Staff while on church property. It is the student’s responsibility not to wander off out of sight. Being out of sight is considered out of boundaries and will result in a major violation*. Graduate residents of Victory Ranch may be given special permission to be out of sight in order to fulfill ministry responsibilities only.
- Students must complete Unit 3 (Knowledge) before being allowed to share testimonies in the main church services. (While we encourage and enjoy hearing how God is working in student’s lives, we believe it’s important to allow student’s the necessary time to mature spiritually before sharing testimonies in the main congregation.)
- Residents are required to read, study, memorize and meditate in their Bibles every morning before opening assembly. Students must make a journal entry with the date each morning prior to chore inspections.
- If you are unwilling to spend one hour studying your Bible every day, you cannot remain in the program.
- Each week you must progress further in your unit work and counseling homework. This will be monitored during your counseling sessions.
- Restrooms may only be used between services with permission from staff.
- Absolutely no fellowship or communication with the opposite sex is permitted. (Special permission may be given at times to the elderly within the church). Failure to comply with this rule will result in automatic dismissal!
- Absolutely No communication privately between students and Ranch Staff children unless under direct supervision of parents. (The only exception is graduate ranch residents may communicate with Ranch Worker children only if the child is an adult and of the same gender.)
- Any suspicion of a student negatively influencing a Ranch Staff child is grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.
- No eye contact or non-verbal communication is allowed at any time between the male and female students of Victory Ranch.
- No communication is allowed among those in the men’s dorm about those in the women’s dorm, and vice versa. Failure to comply with this rule will result in a major violation.
- No communication is allowed between students of Victory Ranch and students of the Safety Net program until students of the Safety Net Program graduate and/or permission is given by the director of Victory Ranch.
Shuttle/Van Conduct: II Cor. 5:12; I Cor. 14:40
- The shuttle/van will leave for each function approximately 45 minutes before it begins and will arrive approximately 10 minutes before it begins.
- No eating is allowed in the shuttle. Drinks must be in a spill proof container.
Conversation/Behavior: (Study and follow this closely. It will be enforced!)
- Our program goal is to have all conversation be Christ-like.
- Griping, negative criticism, gossiping, complaining, faultfinding, and foul language will not be tolerated.
- Any complaints are to be put in writing and turned in to staff to be dealt with accordingly.
- Talking about old habits or lifestyles is against God's Word and is not permitted.
- Punctuality to all programs and services is a requirement. You will be at every function 10 minutes before it begins.
- Failure to turn in a student for the violation of rules will result in your receiving the same punishment. You are not doing anyone any favors by concealing a violation.
- No sleeping or slacking off during work times.
- No returning to bed after the morning Bible devotions.
- Only 4 action reports are allowed for “Poor Work Performance” before loss of work scholarship. If a student loses their work scholarship, he/she will no longer be allowed to stay in the program.
- A kind and courteous attitude is expected at all times.
- No dating is allowed while the student is in this program. (This includes any communication with “Boyfriends”, “Girlfriends”, “Fiancés”, or “Common Law Spouses”).
- Leaving your boundaries is prohibited without prior approval by Victory Ranch Staff.
Dress Code: I Peter 1:16; 2:9; II Cor. 6:15-17
Men’s Dress Code
- A minimum of a t-shirt and shorts are required for leisure time within the dorms.
- Shoes are not allowed to be worn in the dorms. Shoes must be removed at the door.
- A minimum of a t-shirt and shorts are required for bedtime; no one sleeps in just their underwear and/or no t-shirt. (You are also not permitted to sleep in work/street clothes.)
- Victory Ranch has standard dress for each service and/or function. Ask Victory Ranch Staff for details about dress code for each occasion.
- No other clothing options will be allowed.
- Dress shirts must be tucked in and belts must be worn. Men must wear their pants at the hips.
- The dress code may be amended at any time as deemed necessary by the dorm supervisor or director.
Women’s Dress Code
- Women’s dress is taught and monitored closely by Victory Ranch Staff. Please be prepared to be taught and corrected as to how you dress while you’re in the program.
- A minimum of a t-shirt, bra, and pajama bottoms are required for leisure time (after evening function) within the dorms.
- A minimum of a t-shirt and shorts are required for bedtime; no one sleeps in just their underwear and/or no t-shirt. (You are also not permitted to sleep in work/street clothes.)
- A dress, skirt and blouse, or jumper will be worn at all times outside the dorm. (No pants are allowed to be worn outside the dorm. Pajama bottoms may be allowed in the dorm only after evening function.)
- In addition to minimum required dress, proper undergarments (underwear, slip, bra) are also required inside the dorm before leisure time and outside the dorm at all times.
- Victory Ranch has standard dress for each service and/or function. Ask Victory Ranch Staff for details about dress code for each occasion.
- No other clothing options will be allowed.
- Shoes are not allowed to be worn in the dorms. Shoes must be removed at the door.
- The dress code may be amended at any time as deemed necessary by the dorm supervisor or director.
Personal Hygiene: I Cor. 14:40; II Cor. 5:20; Mark 5:15; John 11:39b
- All residents must brush their teeth, comb their hair, wash their faces and put on clean clothes each morning before Bible devotions.
- Everyone showers at least and not more than once per day.
- All body odors must be controlled.
- Neat, clean, and combed hair is required daily.
- MEN ONLY: Hair will remain off the collar, ears and eyebrows. This means men must have and maintain a regular man’s haircut. Long hair will not be permitted for men.
- Sideburns are not to be worn below the bottom of the opening of the ear.
- Facial hair (if present) must be kept clean and groomed.
Dorm Rules: I Cor. 4:2; Matt. 25:21,29
- The room & bed assigned to you, like everything else on our property, belongs to God. It must be treated as such.
- Any and all theft will be grounds for immediate termination.
- No furniture is to be moved into or out of the room without approval.
- Any pictures, posters, photos, etc. to be brought into the home must be approved by Victory Ranch Staff.
- No food is to be kept in the bedrooms unless sealed in an airtight container, which must be provided by the student.
- Turn off lights when not in use. Wasting electricity is poor stewardship and will not be tolerated.
- No one is to congregate in another resident's room for any reason without authorization.
- During day visits no visitors are allowed in the student’s room at any time.
- Rooms must be kept neat and orderly at all times.
- Beds must be made to a designated, uniform standard, and rooms must be straightened each morning before chore inspections.
- Common areas must be cleaned daily and kept neat and orderly.
- Chores will be assigned to each resident as needed. Completing your chores daily before work will be expected and monitored through daily chore inspections.
- Weekly dorm inspections will be conducted to insure personal areas are properly maintained.
- If a student is sick they must be excused from work with a Doctor’s note, otherwise it will be considered an unexcused sick day. After 4 unexcused sick days a student will lose their work scholarship and will no longer be allowed to stay in the program.
- Violations will be given for incomplete or poor work scholarship performance.
- Students are not allowed to enter the dorms during work hours (prior to 3:30pm) without express permission from Victory Ranch Staff. This will be considered crossing boundaries without permission and will result in a major violation.
Kitchen: II Cor. 10:10; Pro. 30:81.
- Your meals will be provided by Victory Ranch Staff and/or volunteers.
- Residents may not enter the food storage areas unless scheduled to prepare meals that day by Victory Ranch Staff.
- Negative remarks about food will not be tolerated.
Graduate Residents / Aftercare
- Graduates are welcome to stay for aftercare as long as they continue to abide by the rules and have applied for and been accepted into the Graduate Program. The following are general changes to the rules and additional privileges that occur once a student successfully becomes a graduate.
- Note: The following is subject to change and privileges may be revoked as deemed necessary by Victory Ranch Staff for any Graduate.
- Graduates may own a vehicle, however, all graduate vehicles will be subject to search at any time.
- Fellow Graduates may ride together with prior staff approval.
- Graduates are required to work or be actively seeking employment in order to remain in the dorm.
- Graduates are required to pay rent from their 1st paycheck and each paycheck thereafter. (Rent shall be 10% of each paycheck.).
- Graduate Housing Privileges will be reviewed the 1st of each month.
- Graduates are allowed to join Beth Haven Baptist Church and participate in church ministries upon the a pproval & with guidance of the Pastor of Beth Haven Baptist Church and Victory Ranch Ministries.
- Graduates may own and possess a cell phone with restrictions and parameters in place by Victory Ranch Staff. (Communications with unauthorized persons is strictly prohibited and monitored.)
- Personal computers, tablets, and laptops are prohibited. (If graduates are attending Beth Haven Baptist Seminary exceptions may be granted with strict adherence to regulations.)
- Graduates may be out of staff sight at church only if involvement in a ministry requires their presence.
Attitude:
Every person at our home is expected to be committed to and give complete dedication to living the highest quality Christian life possible. Your attitude must reflect this in the following manner:
- Gratefulness to God and the church
- Humility toward your fellow peers and the staff of Victory Ranch
- Willingness to be corrected and taught
- Readiness to change old behavior patterns
- Negative, pessimistic attitudes will not be tolerated
Each new student must complete a 30-day probationary period to the satisfaction of Victory Ranch staff before eligibility to complete the program.
8 UNIT DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM
Unit 1 & 2 – Approx. 2 months*
Schedule a medical exam and physical within first month of arrival (if necessary).
Fill out your Confidential Personal Data Inventory (PDI) Sheet within 10 days of arrival.
Complete all required step work given at the H.O.P.E. Class (5-7 Steps per week).
Attend all evening training functions. Attend all scheduled counseling sessions.
Finish all required unit reading and counseling homework.
Read/Study the Bible daily.
Learn the current chain of command and authority structure.
• After reviewing your probationary period, you must be personally promoted to unit 2 by Ministry Director.
Unit 3 & 4 – Approx. 2 months*
Complete all required step work given at the H.O.P.E. Class (5-7 Steps per week). Attend all evening training functions.
Attend all scheduled counseling sessions.
Finish all required unit reading and counseling homework.
Read/Study the Bible daily.
• You must be promoted to next unit by staff.
Unit 5 & 6 – Approx. 2 months*
Complete all required step work given at the H.O.P.E. Class (5-7 Steps per week). Attend all evening training functions.
Attend all scheduled counseling sessions.
Finish all required unit reading and counseling homework.
Read/Study the Bible daily.
• You must be promoted to next unit by staff.
Unit 7 & 8 – Approx. 2 months*
Schedule a meeting with BHBC Pastor prior to program completion.
Complete all required step work given at the H.O.P.E. Class (5-7 Steps per week).
Attend all evening training functions.
Attend all scheduled counseling sessions.
Finish all required reading and counseling homework.
Read/Study the Bible daily.
Begin working on “Exit Strategy”.
Sign up for after care counseling and/or apply for the Graduate Program with Victory Ranch
Director prior to program completion.
*With the exception of Unit 1, anyone remaining in a Unit for more than 40 days may be subject to termination from the program.
Monday – Friday
MEN’S DAILY SCHEDULE
6:00 AM Awake- get dressed for the day / Cook Breakfast
6:30 AM Daily Devotions / Quiet Time.
7:00 AM Breakfast / Chores
8:00 AM Chore Inspections
8:30 AM Workday begins* (based on direction of Supervisor)
3:30 PM Workday ends*
5:00 PM Dinner
5:30 PM Get Ready for Evening Function
7:00 PM Attend Evening Function
Monday- Chapel Service
Tuesday- Music Class or Study (Alternates Weekly) Wednesday- Mid-Week Church Service
Thursday- Free / Leisure Night / Group Activity
Friday- HOPE Addictions Program
9:30 PM Study, Fellowship, Relax
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
Saturday
6:30 AM Awake- get dressed for the day **
10:00 AM Soul Winning, Canvassing, Saturday Work Duties
2:00 PM Graduate Chores, Visiting Hours Start, Study, Fellowship, Relax***
5:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Visiting Hours End
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
Sunday
6:30 AM Awake- get dressed for church **
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Be ready for Shuttle / Van
8:50 AM BHBC Prayer Meeting
9:45 AM BHBC Sunday School
11:00AM BHBC Morning Service
1:00 PM Afternoon: leisure time***
4:15 PM Be ready for Shuttle / Van
5:00 PM BHBC Evening Service
9:00 PM Study, fellowship, relax
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
*ATTENTION: This is a working program. Everyone has a job, and everyone works either on a soap crew, or ranch crew. You must work! No one is permitted to do nothing; you must stay busy. The workday may end at various times depending on what work we are doing.
**Mandatory Bible times are to be done, at your discretion on Saturday and Sunday.
***Opportunities to serve others may be inserted here.
Monday - Friday
WOMEN’S DAILY SCHEDULE
6:00 AM Awake- get dressed for the day / Cook Breakfast
6:30 AM Daily Devotions / Quiet Time.
7:00 AM Breakfast / Chores
8:00 AM Chore Inspections
8:30 AM Workday begins* (based on direction of Supervisor)
3:30 PM Workday ends*
5:00 PM Dinner
5:30 PM Get Ready for Evening Function
7:00 PM Attend Evening Function
Monday- Chapel Service
Tuesday- Music Class or Study (Alternates Weekly) Wednesday- Mid-Week Church Service
Thursday- Free / Leisure Night / Group Activity
Friday- HOPE Addictions Program
9:30 PM Study, Fellowship, Relax
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
Saturday
6:30 AM Awake- get dressed for the day **
9&10 AM 9AM - Product Sales Event & 10AM - Soul Winning, Canvassing
2:00 PM Graduate Chores, Visiting Hours Start, Study, Fellowship, Relax***
5:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Visiting Hours End
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
Sunday
6:30 AM Awake- get dressed for church **
7:00 AM Breakfast
7:45 AM Be ready for Shuttle / Van
8:50 AM BHBC Prayer Meeting
9:45 AM BHBC Sunday School
11:00AM BHBC Morning Service
1:00 PM Afternoon: leisure time***
4:15 PM Be ready for Shuttle / Van
5:00 PM BHBC Evening Service
9:00 PM Study, fellowship, relax
11:00 PM Mandatory lights out
*ATTENTION: This is a working program. Everyone has a job and everyone works either on a soap crew, or ranch crew. You must work! No one is permitted to do nothing; you must stay busy. The workday may end at various times depending on what work we are doing.
**Mandatory Bible times are to be done, at your discretion on Saturday and Sunday.
***Opportunities to serve others may be inserted here.
DISCIPLESHIP HOME DISCIPLINE
Student Chastening:
Immediate Dismissal: Possession or attempted use of fake urine, physical altercation, theft of any kind, and fellowship or communication with the opposite sex, failure to be honest on the program application.
Major Offense: Possession or use of any drugs, alcohol, pornography, tobacco, intentional destruction of God’s property, leaving your boundaries without permission, communicating or talking about those in the opposite dorm as you, touching the mail boxes or getting the mail, touching the video surveillance cameras or camera chords, touching security keypads, flagrant disregard of general rules, insubordination or a breach in the chain of command/authority structure (listed below).
1st Offense Loss of all privileges for two weeks.
2nd Offense Return to the beginning of the most recently completed Unit and
loss of all privileges for two weeks. (Possible Termination)
3rd Offense Return to the beginning of Unit 1 and loss of all privileges for two
weeks. (Possible Termination)
4th Offense Termination from the program.
* A Major Offense can be erased by completing 3 full weeks with no minor offenses. However, at the discretion of staff, termination from the program may result due to any major offense whether it’s the 1st or 4th.
Minor Offense: Violation of any of the “General Rules” of the program
NOTE: The accumulation of more than 10 minor offenses in one week will result in a major violation.
“Liberty abused will be liberty lost!”
Chain of command / Authority Structure
If a student has a grievance against a fellow student, they are to go to that student. If they are unable to clear the matter, they will write the complaint on paper and turn it in to the “Dorm Supervisor” for review. Student/worker complaints not handled by the policy listed herein or general complaining to other students will result in a major violation. Major violations will be enforced with infractions of the chain of command / Authority Structure.
All grievances with anyone in authority should be brought in writing to the Ministry Director who will then mediate as necessary between the student and the person in authority to resolve the matter.
These authority figures include, but are not limited to:
Victory Ranch Staff
Beth Haven Baptist Church Staff
Pastor of Beth Haven Baptist Church
In the event you feel as if your grievance was not handled properly, you may then go to the next level of authority along with the person with whom you have the grievance.
Present Chain of Command is as follows:
Student,
Pastoral Staff of Beth Haven Baptist Church,
Victory Ranch Director,
Pastor of Beth Haven Baptist Church