Local Church Steps to Implementing a Safe Sanctuary

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Local Church Steps to Implementing a Safe
Sanctuary
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• In the U.S., there are 3,000,000 incidents of
  child abuse every year. That equals 8,219 youth
  or children abused each day 342 abused each
  hour nearly 6 abused every minute, and one
  abused every 10 seconds of every hour of every
  day, including the sabbath.

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What makes risk for churches especially high?

• Churches act as organizations of high trust in
  their members (sometimes even in face of
  questions of misconduct)
• Churches are passive and inactive when screening
  volunteers and employees working with children
  and youth
• Churches routinely provide opportunities for
  close contact and personal relationships with
  children and youth

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What is a Safe Sanctuary?

• The church is called by God to be a haven of
  safety in many ways. In the context of this
  requirement, Safe Sanctuary refers specifically
  to a churchs intentional effort to reduce the
  risk of abuse of children, youth, and adults.

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Why a Safe Sanctuary?

• Local church abuse prevention and risk-reduction
  policies and procedures related to sexual abuse/
• harassment within a ministerial relationship and
  abuse of children, youth, or vulnerable adults
  have been mandated by the General Conference
  since 1996. The Dakotas Annual Conference
  encouraged all churches to have a safe sanctuary
  by 2000!

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Why a Safe Sanctuary?

• When misconduct occurs, the local church and its
  members are seriously harmed both spiritually and
  financially
• Insurance companies which provide coverage to
  churches are beginning to mandate policies and
  procedures in place and used
• The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that
  policies and procedures in place and used are
  crucial for defending sexual misconduct litigation

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Recognize or build a sense of need

• Complete local church self-evaluation form in
  Safe Sanctuaries Reducing the Risk of Child
  Abuse in the Church (http//www.upperroom.org/book
  store/)
• Show video from Dakotas Conference Resource
  Library (i.e., Reducing the Risk)
• Read blue Safe Sanctuaries book (above)
• Read orange Local Church Sexual Ethics Policies
  (barb.goodman_at_usd.edu)
• Contact Dakotas Safe Sanctuaries Board
  (barb.goodman_at_usd.edu)

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Protect Children, Youth, and Adults in Your Church
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Form Local Church Safe Sanctuaries Task Force

• Pastor
• Lay leader
• Staff and lay leaders from children and youth
  ministries
• Member of SPRC
• Member of Board of Trustees

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Educate and Listen to Task Force Members

• Prayer and Bible study
• Written resource materials
• Knowledge of policies of other organizations
  (scouts, etc.)
• Video resource materials
• Requirements of church insurance company
• Dakotas Conference Safe Sanctuaries Board

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Primary Written Resources
http//www.upperroom.org/bookstore/search_page.asp
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Educate and Listen to Others

• Leaders/volunteers involved in children and youth
  ministries
• Leaders/volunteers working with vulnerable adults
• Members of the congregation (through mission
  minutes during worship service or church
  newsletter)

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Local Churches Should

• Develop and implement ongoing education plan for
  congregation and leaders
• Adopt screening procedures for staff and
  volunteers
• Develop and implement safety procedures for
  church activities
• Advise children and young persons of inside and
  outside people to contact if they have suffered
  abuse

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Local Churches Should

• Carry liability insurance that includes sexual
  abuse coverage
• Assist the development of awareness and
  self-protection skills for children and youth
  through curricula and activities
• Be familiar with annual conference and other
  church policies regarding sexual misconduct
  within a ministerial relationship

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Practical Problem Solving

• Wise safety rules can raise problems
• Rule to always have two unrelated adults working
  with children and youth
• Rule to have primary leaders/volunteers at least
  5 years older than children/youth
• Rule to have windows in all class room doors
• Rule to have no primary workers under eighteen

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Two Unrelated Adults
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Write your Local Church Policies

• Brief Biblical/theological rationale
• Safeguards to be put in place
• Employment/volunteer application
• Reference and background checks
• Annual education of leaders, workers, children,
  youth, and new members
• Response plan in case of allegations
• Accident response and report plans
• Transition steps (how keep going when leadership
  changes)

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Implement your Local Church Policies

• Share draft policy with workers and committees
• Check draft policy with local legal counsel
• Present plan to church council for ratification
• Inform the congregation of the policys
  ratification and its general provisions
• Post and make copies of the complete policy
• Give copy to district superintendent and Dakotas
  Conference Safe Sanctuaries Board

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Use your Local Church Policies

• Have all staff/volunteers with children, youth,
  and vulnerable adults fill out and sign an
  application form
• Process reference checks and background checks
• Have service of celebration of your churchs
  commitment to be a safe sanctuary for everyone
  including regular advertising that your church
  has safe sanctuary policies and procedures in
  place

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Safe Sanctuaries Annual Requirements

• Follow your policies and procedures
• Review your policies and procedures and make
  needed changes
• Provide educational component on being safe to
  children, youth, and new members
• Advertise your policies and procedures and train
  all workers with youth/children/vulnerable adults

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If You Need Help

• Contact your Dakotas Conference Safe Sanctuaries
  Board Barb Goodman, Chair at 605-677-5158 (work
  and FAX), 605-624-8113 (home) or
  barb.goodman_at_usd.edu.