Establishing a Safe and Caring Ministry for Children and Vulnerable Adults

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Establishing 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

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Put 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.

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Our 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

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Jesus 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.

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Protection 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
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Care 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

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Opportunities 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
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Churches 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

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Facts 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

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More 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

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Personal 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

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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

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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)
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Church 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

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Does 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

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A Sacred Trust
One Strike and Youre Out
RIGHT OR WRONG ? Caught after 300 Incidents
as in cases of the Entertainers and Priests
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Keep 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

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Monitoring Your Program
Premises Review Training
Abuse Free Christ Centered
Childrens Ministries
Screening Follow-up
Taking Corrective Action
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Universal Ministry

• Everyone Shares in the Responsibility
• Parents
• Leaders
• Volunteers
• Moral Legal Duty
• A privilege of Service to mould young minds for
  eternity

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It 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