The parent Facebook pages were created to be a place of support, a place to ask questions, share both blessings and prayer requests, and receive official communication from Adventures in Missions. It’s been wonderful to see the fruit that has come from these connections.
However, we find ourselves having to return to the confidentiality issue over and over again. Things shared on the parent FB page should not be mentioned to or shared with your Racer. They must be treated as confidential prayer requests or confidential sharing. Your Racer should have no idea what was talked about on the page.
Confidentiality Guidelines:
Comments on the FB page may include things about Racer or team activity, a prayer request for a sick racer or a struggling squad, information about something that might have happened such as a lost debit card, a breakthrough for a Racer that is worth celebrating or even information from a parent about their own struggles or celebrations. In all situations:
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DO NOT ask your Racer about it.
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DO NOT mention it to your Racer.
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DO NOT contact your Racer to ask if they are okay because you heard their team was struggling or sick or several credit cards were compromised.
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DO NOT ask your Racer if a particular person is doing okay (unless your Racer was the one who shared the original request with you).
Why Are These Guidelines Important?
Although you mean well and are praying, when these things happen:
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Racers feel betrayed. Someone is asking them about stuff they haven’t shared directly with you or their teammates.
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They may feel uncomfortable that something they told you in confidence is now “widespread knowledge”.
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They begin to distrust the value of having a parent FB page when it seems to fuel your concern over whether they are okay and (from their perception) create unnecessary drama.
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Your Racer may become more hesitant to share with you because they are afraid it will not be treated confidentially.
I know it’s hard, but things shared on the page must be treated with absolute confidentiality. Think of it in the same way you would think of a confidential prayer ministry team at church.
Questions To Think About Before You Post
1. Would my Racer want me sharing the details of this conversation?
2. Would I compromise any confidentiality if I shared this conversation?
3. What would happen if this post got back to my Racer or someone on his/her team?
4. Is there a way to share this information that is more sensitive to the Racers without compromising their privacy?
For a Racer’s account of damage done when the confidentiality was broken, see: http://hunteryoung.adventurescga.org/?filename=how-parents-ruined-my-world-race
