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Provisional Membership

Organizations which officially adopt the Standards of Excellence (SOE) by submitting their completed Provisional Member Application Form will immediately become Provisional Members. Provisional Member status is the initial entrance status for every church, agency, school, or other organization, and is available for up to three years. By the end of the three-year period, all Provisional Members must proceed to Covenant Member status.

During the three-year period of Provisional Membership, your key STM personnel need to attend a Standards Introductory Workshop (SIW) and one of the on-going STM Training Conferences (often these two training events are held at the same time and location so that you can fulfill both requirements at one conference).

Also during your three-year Provisional status, your organization will need to go through a Peer Review (PR) by forming a team of 3-5 key STM personnel from at least three different SOE organizations who agree to review your STM program. Evaluation, recommendations, and membership status are determined by each respective Peer Review. The Peer Review process is the core of the SOE, where the real evaluating, interacting, and encouraging to excellence takes place.

Steps To Provisional Membership

STEP ONE: (Immediate)

Submit your completed Provisional Member Application Form by clicking on Adopt the Standards.

This is a relatively short and easy form to complete! By submitting this form, you will:

  • Have officially adopted the Standards of Excellence!
  • Have become an SOE Provisional Member!
  • Receive the SOE Seal for your organization’s immediate use!

Your completed Provisional Member Application Form is not a heavy legalistic document — but rather your organization’s statement of honorable intent to do several things with excellence during the next three years. In the form, you will provide a general background of your STM program, and acknowledge your organization’s intent to abide by 10 Membership Commitments.

These 10 Membership Commitments are:

  1. Your “philosophical” intent to follow all seven Standards to the best of your ability, along with an indication of your organization’s doctrinal statement of Christian faith.
  2. Your intent to attend a Standards Introductory Workshop (SIW) within three years (preferably within one year).
  3. Your intent to attend an STM Training Conference within three years, and once every three years thereafter.
  4. Your intent to go through a Peer Review within three years (with help from the SOE office).
  5. Your intent to submit a completed Application Follow-Up Questionnaire within 90 days (this on-line document is more detailed, and will take a little longer to prepare).
  6. Your intent to submit a completed Annual Renewal Form once every year (a moderately easy on-line form).
  7. Your intent to seek the permanent Covenant Member status within three years.
  8. Your intent to honor your organization’s use and display of the SOE Seal.
  9. Your intent to pay your annual Membership Adoption Fee on time (a relatively modest fee).
  10. Your intent to fund all costs associated with your Peer Review, the SIW, and the STM Training Conference (travel, food, housing, conference fees).

STEP TWO (within 90 days)

As indicated in #5 above, you will need to submit a completed Application Follow-Up Questionnaire within 90 days of submitting your original Provisional Member Application Form.

Be prepared! The Follow-Up Questionnaire may take a few hours to complete. In this form, you will provide:

  • A more detailed analysis of your STM program
  • Statements about how your organization intends to follow each of the Standards
  • A tentative plan for which SIW and STM Training Conference you will likely attend
  • A tentative list of 3-5 other SOE organizations you would like to have involved in your Peer Review

STEP THREE (within one year)


By the end of your first year of Provisional Membership, your organization ideally will have:
  • Submitted your first Annual Renewal Form (#6 above)
  • Attended an SIW, although you have up to three years to do so (#2 above)
  • Attended an STM Training Conference, although you have up to three years to do so (#3 above)
  • Started planning for your Peer Review process, although you have up to three years to do so (#4 above)

STEP FOUR (within three years)

By the end of your three-year period of Provisional Membership, your organization will have:

  • Completed everything listed in the third step above
  • Submitted two additional Annual Renewal Forms (#6 above)
  • You will have gone through a Peer Review, and the Peer Review Team (PRT) will have recommended that your organization proceed to Covenant Membership status
  • Your organization will have submitted a completed Covenant Member Application Form