Safe Child Policy

In 2004, the Council approved a policy that was intended to protect children from harm while they were participating in the children’s ministries at our church. Included in this policy are guidelines for any leader in a children’s ministry (eg. Sunday School, Jr. or Sr. High Youth Group, Cadets, GEMS, Story Hour, Nursery, etc.), qualifications for serving in a children’s ministry, rules for responding to allegations of abuse, recommendations for safe classrooms and nursery, and the requirement that anyone who serves as a leader or helper in the children’s ministries at our church should fill out an application which allows the church to run a background check on all who volunteer in our church’s children’s ministries.

Although that policy was approved in 2004, it was never fully implemented. As we strive to have a greater influence in our community, and as we hope to effectively enfold new members in to our church family, it is important that parents of young children have a high level of confidence in the children’s ministries at our church.

This year, we are planning to implement the child safety policy that was approved in 2004. This means that we will be asking all children’s ministry volunteers to fill out an application that will allow a police background check. Although the policy originally allowed people who had served in children’s ministry prior to 2004 to forego the application, we will be asking all who serve in these ministries to participate in this process, so that we can let people know that we have worked to ensure the safety of children who participate in our church ministries. The staff members of our church have all filled out their applications, and we will be asking volunteers to fill them out prior to the beginning of the 2011-12 school year.