Proxy Support
Not everyone is comfortable with a computer — and no saint should be left out of the life of the church because of it. Proxy Support lets an older or less tech-confident member nominate a trusted helper to complete their journey for them, through a consented, elder-witnessed arrangement that keeps the saint fully in control.
So no one is left out
The aim of the framework is to capture the gifts of the whole church and match every saint to the works prepared for them. But a paper-and-pen saint, or one who has never used email, can quietly fall outside that — not for any lack of gifting or willingness, but for lack of a screen. Proxy Support removes that barrier, so the eldership’s view of the body is genuinely 360°: every saint discerned and counted, and — just as importantly — every saint honoured, carried into the church’s life rather than left behind.
It is built carefully, because acting on someone else’s behalf is a serious trust. The saint keeps their own account and stays in full control; a helper can only ever enter what the saint has genuinely given them; and the whole arrangement is witnessed by an elder and open to review. It is honouring, not overriding — a way for a son or daughter, or a friend, to carry a beloved older saint into the church’s life alongside them.
Two consents, then a helper who serves
Five steps, with two consent gates at the heart of it. It becomes active only when both the saint’s own consent and the elder’s in-person witness are in — and either of them can end it at any time.
Nominate
The saint asks a trusted family member or friend from their church to be their helper — or their elder sets it up on their behalf, since some saints need help even to begin. Both keep their own account.
The saint consentsConsent gate
The saint gives informed consent to exactly what a helper may do and see. Nothing begins until they agree. (Gate 1 of 2.)
An elder witnessesConsent gate
An elder of the church confirms, in person, that the saint freely understands and agrees — the safeguard against any pressure or undue influence. (Gate 2 of 2.)
Active — the helper completes it
Working through their own login only, the helper fills in the saint's journey from what the saint has written on paper or told them in person. Everything is stamped and visible.
End at any time
The saint or the eldership can end it — a deliberate, confirm-first step — and the saint can pause access instantly whenever they wish.
What a helper can — and can never — do
A helper can
- ✓Complete the Spiritual Gifts assessment, results and calling on the saint's behalf
- ✓Write the saint's reflections and community-confirmation invitations from what they've shared
- ✓Receive the saint's church messages and reminders — and follow up in person, by phone or a home visit
A helper can never
- ✕Ever open the saint's Conflict & Restoration or any couple / relationship content — those stay private to the saint alone
- ✕Ever sign in as the saint — the helper always works through their own separate login, even in a workshop
- ✕Ever act without the two consents, or once the saint pauses or removes them
The saint stays in control — always.
The account is the saint’s own. They can log in themselves at any time, pause their helper instantly, or remove them for good — and an elder can end the arrangement too. For that reason both people need their own email login; if the saint doesn’t have one, set up a free email with them and keep the password safe, so the power to step in always remains theirs. It is for adults; children are cared for through the Family guardian arrangement instead.
Every safeguard, in the open
Because this lets one person act for another, we hold ourselves to a full account of how it is protected. Here is every safeguard built into it — the same explanation a saint, a helper and an elder each see.
It goes active only when the saint has consented and an elder has witnessed in person. Neither one alone is enough.
A real login of their own: they can complete anything themselves, pause the helper instantly, and remove them with a confirm-first step. They never lose control of their account.
The vulnerable-adult risk is met by a person confirming free, informed consent face to face — optionally with a signed paper record kept.
Assessment, results, reflections, calling and church surveys only. Conflict & Restoration and all couple / relationship content are excluded — hidden and locked, with the reason shown.
Every entry is stamped “completed by your helper — [name]” with the date, visible to the eldership and to the saint themselves.
They enter solely what the saint has written on paper or given them in person — at a workshop or a home visit — and every working screen says so plainly.
The helper always works through their own account via a “People I help” link — no password sharing, ever, even in a workshop. Every action is theirs on the record.
At any time, taking effect immediately — and ending the proxied communications along with it.
The helper receives the saint's messages (marked “proxied”) and carries the responsibility to follow up by phone or a house call — all by the saint's consent.
Entirely separate from the minor guardian arrangement — a different purpose, with no overlap.
The same plain-language explanation of what a helper can and cannot do is shown to the saint, the helper and the elder alike. Nothing is hidden.
The saint must tick a required box confirming the relational features are excluded — it cannot be skipped.
Because some saints need help even to begin — but the saint's consent and the elder's witness are still both required before it activates.
For example a grandmother and grandfather; the system blocks a third, so no one is over-relied upon.
The elder's witness expires after a year and must be renewed, so the consent stays live rather than set-and-forget.
Every action — what, when, and by whom — is kept and reviewable by the saint and the elder, and can be undone. Nothing a helper does is invisible.
Everything is signed, and can be checked
While a helper is completing something, a clear banner sits on every page — “You’re completing this for [name]… saved to their account and signed with your name” — and each entry is stamped with the helper’s name. The saint sees a gentle note on their own results and calling telling them their helper filled it in, with a link to the full record.
That record is a plain, line-by-line list of everything done on the saint’s behalf — what, when and by whom — open to both the saint and their elder, and anything can be undone. Nothing a helper does is ever invisible.
Free — for every saint
Proxy Support costs nothing. Like the rest of the individual journey, it is free at every level — a saint or a household can nominate a helper, and be represented, without paying anything.
The one thing it needs is an elder’s witness — the safeguard at the heart of it. So your church’s eldership simply needs to be on the platform (each elder on their own Elder subscription) to witness and oversee these arrangements from their workspace. The Elder and Engaged Church memberships pay for the eldership’s own tools — never for a saint’s participation.