Title: Establishing a Safe and Caring Ministry for Children and Vulnerable Adults
1Establishing a Safe and Caring Ministry for
Children and Vulnerable Adults
A Leadership Certification Course 6
- Arthur F. Blinci, ARM
- Vice President
- Adventist Risk Management
- Riverside, California
2Put on a sheet of paper the name of one you
especially want to spend eternity? Find someone
you do not know and share what relationship this
person is to you.
3Our Most Valuable Ones
- The ministry of children
- Sabbath School
- Vacation Bible School
- Adventurers
- Pathfinders
- Juniors Earliteen
- Youth
- Child Care Center
- Other ministries?
- A multitude of opportunity and risk
4Jesus Said...
- Whoever welcomes one of these little children in
my name welcomes me - Mark 937
- By both His teachings and example, Jesus
highlighted the importance of children.
5Protection of Precious ResourcesA Caring Ministry
- We are entrusted with the care of children
- We must make sure interaction is safe and
properly supervised - We have a moral and legal obligation to treat our
children as precious to God, and to us.
Kids our Sacred Trust
6Care of Children
- Parents have the right to expect that the Church
will provide proper care for their children - Proper Supervision during activities
- Releasing children to appropriate adults
- Protecting adult volunteers and employees by good
working practice
7Opportunities for Best Practices
The local church should take reasonable steps to
safeguard children engaged in church-sponsored
activities by choosing individuals with high
spiritual and moral backgrounds as leaders and
participants in programs for children. Church
Manual Revision 2000
8Churches Are Vulnerable
- Community of Trust
- Ignorance of Facts
- Lack of Safeguards
- Easy Access public building
- Constant Need for Volunteers to help with
Children and Youth - Child Abusers are aware of these vulnerabilities
- 80 abusers attend church
9Facts About Child Sexual Abuse
- Child Age Victims
- 1 in 3 Girls by age 18
- 1 in 8 Boys by age 18
- Over 80 of the time the Abuser is known by the
Victim - 75 of all crimes committed against children is
sexual in nature
10More Facts
- If abuse occurs in a Church a respected member
will most likely be the molester - need for power and control
- Sexual abuse occurs in all races, socioeconomic
and religious groups - The average age of victims is 8-11 year old
- Sexual abuse is rarely a one time offense
- Children seldom lie about Sexual abuse Less
than 8
11Personal Ministry
- Respect/Concern
- Children
- Volunteers
- Employees
- Good Screening
- FORMS
- Disclosure/Barring Service and KCFS Policy
Appendix D - Six Month Rule Defer using new members/Use
Screening Forms - Education End it Now
12 Strategic Ministry Keeping our church family
safe
- Child Abuse Awareness training must be included
as part of the leadership training of all
individuals who work with our children - This includes proper screening of employees and
volunteers - Have a plan to report Abuse Cases
13 Develop Best Practices
Implement the Two Adult Rule in Childrens
Ministry Discuss on your table What can
you do if you do not have 2
adults for a Sabbath School Class? KCFS Policy
Section - Practice and Procedure E 2 (a)
14Church Leadership Support
- Involvement is Critical to the Success of your
Policy - Childrens Ministries
- Professionals
- Pastoral Team
- Parents
- Youth Volunteers
- Not the Pastors Job
- Board Approval Implementation Charity Law
15Does your church follow these Key Policy Elements?
- Job descriptions are simple Understandable
- Establish Rules of Best Conduct as outlined in
KCFS - Screening Measures used
- What Forms?
- Establish a Six Month Rule
- Establish a Two Adult Rule
- Church Board approval of All Off-site and
Overnight Activities
16A Sacred Trust
One Strike and Youre Out
RIGHT OR WRONG ? Caught after 300 Incidents
as in cases of the Entertainers and Priests
17Keep Focused on the MISSION
- Protecting a child
- from Harm
- Loss of Trust
- Potential Liability
- Church Resources
- Money
- Time
- Diversion from Mission
- Negative Press
- False Accusations
18Monitoring Your Program
Premises Review Training
Abuse Free Christ Centered
Childrens Ministries
Screening Follow-up
Taking Corrective Action
19Universal Ministry
- Everyone Shares in the Responsibility
- Parents
- Leaders
- Volunteers
- Moral Legal Duty
- A privilege of Service to mould young minds for
eternity
20It Takes Commitment
- Our Adventist Community will
- be a safe environment where
- children
- feel loved and valued by God/Us
- know of their own
- importance and worth
- grow and develop their
- character
- learn to act responsibly
- towards themselves and others