📝 Worksheet 10.5: Sexual Vulnerability, Exploitation, Temptation, and Holy Boundaries
📝 Worksheet 10.5: Ethics, Boundaries, and Best Practices
Purpose of This Worksheet
This worksheet helps you practice ethical discernment as an Addiction Recovery Chaplain. Topic 10 has focused on confidentiality with limits, holy boundaries, safe communication, sponsor support, accountability structures, and best practices for serving people in recovery.
This worksheet is not designed to make you fearful. It is designed to help you become more trustworthy.
A recovery chaplain serves best when compassion is joined with wisdom, prayer is joined with permission, privacy is joined with safety, and availability is joined with boundaries.
Part 1: Key Concept Review
Complete the statements below.
An Addiction Recovery Chaplain offers spiritual care, prayer by permission, Scripture with consent, encouragement, and referral-aware support. A chaplain is not a __________________________________________.
Confidentiality means I will honor privacy, but I must not promise __________________________________________.
If there is credible danger involving self-harm, overdose, abuse, exploitation, violence, or danger to a minor, I should __________________________________________.
A chaplain supports a sponsor relationship by encouraging honest communication, not by becoming a __________________________________________.
Holy boundaries protect the person in recovery, the chaplain, the ministry, and the __________________________________________.
Compassion without boundaries can become __________________________________________.
Accountability structures help chaplains avoid secrecy, emotional dependency, burnout, and __________________________________________.
Prayer should normally be offered by __________________________________________.
Scripture should be shared with __________________________________________.
A chaplain’s goal is not to become the center of someone’s recovery, but to point them toward Christ, healthy support, and __________________________________________.
Part 2: Personal Discernment
Check the statements that describe areas where you may need extra growth.
☐ I sometimes want to help so badly that I may overpromise.
☐ I may feel uncomfortable saying, “That is beyond my role.”
☐ I may be tempted to answer late-night texts too quickly.
☐ I may struggle to tell the difference between compassion and rescue.
☐ I may feel honored when someone says, “You are the only one I trust.”
☐ I may avoid difficult conversations about confidentiality limits.
☐ I may need more training on crisis escalation.
☐ I may need to learn local referral resources before serving.
☐ I may be tempted to give personal money rather than use an approved process.
☐ I may need stronger accountability with pastors, ministry leaders, or chaplain supervisors.
Reflection
Which one checked area most needs your attention right now?
What boundary practice would help you grow in that area?
Part 3: Practice Phrases
Write a wise chaplain response for each situation.
Situation 1: Role Clarity
A person says, “Can you tell me whether I should stop taking my medication? I trust you more than my doctor.”
A wise response:
Situation 2: Confidentiality with Limits
A person says, “Promise me you won’t tell anyone, no matter what I say.”
A wise response:
Situation 3: Sponsor Avoidance
A recovering person says, “I relapsed, but I do not want to tell my sponsor. Can I just meet with you instead?”
A wise response:
Situation 4: Financial Boundary
A person says, “I need cash tonight. If you really cared, you would help me.”
A wise response:
Situation 5: Prayer by Permission
A person shares a painful story but seems unsure about spiritual conversation.
A wise way to offer prayer:
Situation 6: Emergency Concern
A person texts, “I used again, and I don’t care if I wake up tomorrow.”
A wise response:
Part 4: Boundary Check Scenarios
Read each scenario and choose the wisest response.
Scenario 1: The Private Ride
A recovering woman asks a male chaplain for a private late-night ride to a location she will not explain. She says, “Please don’t make this complicated. I just need help.”
☐ Give the ride because urgent compassion matters most.
☐ Ask no questions because privacy should always be honored.
☐ Refuse harshly and tell her she is being manipulative.
☐ Use the ministry’s approved transportation or safety process and involve appropriate support.
Why is this the wisest response?
Scenario 2: The Secret Relapse
A man confesses relapse after a meeting and says, “Please do not tell my sponsor. You are more spiritual than he is.”
☐ Become his private Bible study mentor instead of involving the sponsor.
☐ Shame him so he understands the seriousness of relapse.
☐ Encourage honest sponsor communication while offering spiritual support.
☐ Promise secrecy because he trusted you first.
Why is this the wisest response?
Scenario 3: The Constant Texter
A person in recovery begins texting the chaplain every night, asking for reassurance and saying, “I can only sleep if you respond.”
☐ Keep responding because the person may relapse otherwise.
☐ Set communication boundaries and help strengthen the person’s support circle.
☐ Block the person immediately without explanation.
☐ Tell the person to stop being needy.
Why is this the wisest response?
Scenario 4: The Public Testimony
A pastor asks a newly sober person to share a dramatic testimony at church next Sunday. The person looks nervous but says, “I guess I should if it helps people.”
☐ Encourage the testimony because powerful stories inspire donors and churches.
☐ Slow the process down, protect dignity, and discern readiness with leadership.
☐ Tell the person never to share publicly.
☐ Rewrite the story to make it more dramatic.
Why is this the wisest response?
Scenario 5: The Disclosure of Danger
A person says, “I am scared to go home because my boyfriend gets violent when he drinks.”
☐ Tell the person to forgive and go home peacefully.
☐ Promise secrecy because relationship matters are private.
☐ Minimize it unless physical abuse has already happened in front of you.
☐ Take the concern seriously and involve appropriate safety support.
Why is this the wisest response?
Part 5: Local Ministry Application
Use this section to begin building an accountability plan for Addiction Recovery Chaplaincy in your setting.
1. Ministry Setting
Where might you serve?
☐ Local church recovery ministry
☐ Soul Center
☐ Recovery home
☐ Jail-to-community recovery ministry
☐ Community outreach
☐ Family support ministry
☐ Small group or discipleship setting
☐ Other: __________________________________________
2. Authority and Oversight
Who would supervise or oversee your chaplaincy service?
Name or role:
How would you contact this person in a concern or crisis?
3. Confidentiality Limits
Write one sentence you could use to explain confidentiality with limits.
4. Crisis Escalation
List three situations where you should not handle the matter alone.
Who should you contact in those situations?
5. Referral Resources
List local resources you should identify before serving.
☐ Emergency services
☐ Suicide/crisis hotline
☐ Detox or withdrawal support
☐ Treatment program
☐ Recovery group
☐ Sponsor or recovery leader contact process
☐ Pastor or church leader
☐ Counselor or mental health provider
☐ Domestic violence resource
☐ Food or housing resource
☐ Transportation process
☐ Other: __________________________________________
Write down one referral resource you already know:
Write down one referral resource you still need to find:
Part 6: Sponsor-Support Discernment
A chaplain should support sponsors without replacing them. Read the statements below and mark them as Wise or Unwise.
“You do not need to call your sponsor if you are meeting with me for Bible study.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“I can pray with you, and I also want you to be honest with your sponsor.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“Your sponsor sounds difficult. Let’s keep your relapse between us for now.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“If you believe your sponsor is exploiting or abusing you, we should involve appropriate recovery or ministry leadership.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“Spiritual support should strengthen recovery accountability, not replace it.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“Because I am a chaplain, my guidance matters more than your recovery group’s structure.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“Let’s think about how you can have an honest conversation with your sponsor.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise“If sponsor conflict is serious, I should not take sides too quickly.”
☐ Wise
☐ Unwise
Reflection
Which sponsor-support principle is most important for you to remember?
Part 7: Calling and Readiness Reflection
Respond honestly.
What boundary will you need to guard most carefully in Addiction Recovery Chaplaincy?
What kind of situation might tempt you to over-function or rescue?
What accountability structure would help you stay faithful?
What phrase can you practice saying when something is beyond your role?
How can you remain warm and compassionate while still saying no?
What spiritual rhythm will help you stay grounded in Christ?
Part 8: Personal Boundary Covenant
Complete the covenant below.
As an Addiction Recovery Chaplain, I want to serve with compassion, wisdom, and holy boundaries. I understand that I am not called to be a therapist, sponsor, treatment provider, medical professional, legal advocate, case manager, or savior.
With God’s help, I will honor privacy but will not promise absolute secrecy when safety is at risk. I will offer prayer by permission and Scripture with consent. I will respect sponsors, recovery leaders, church leadership, ministry policies, and referral pathways.
The boundary I most need to practice is:
The accountability person or structure I need is:
The local referral resource I need to identify is:
The spiritual practice that will help me remain faithful is:
Signed: __________________________________________
Date: __________________________________________
Closing Formation Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Make me a trustworthy servant in vulnerable places. Give me compassion without confusion, courage without harshness, and wisdom without pride.
Help me honor each person in recovery as an embodied soul created in your image. Teach me to listen well, pray with permission, speak truth with grace, protect dignity, and keep holy boundaries.
When a need is beyond my role, help me say so clearly. When danger is present, help me act wisely. When I am tempted to rescue, remind me that you are the Savior.
Make my ministry safe, holy, accountable, and full of hope.
Amen.