Safe Sanctuary Policy

(A Policy Aimed at Keeping Safe the Children, Youth, and Adults
Who Work with Children and Youth)

Congregational Pledge at Baptism of Children
With God’s help, we will so order our lives after the example of Christ that these children, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal.
Congregational Pledge 2 (from former Methodist Church) found on page 44 of United Methodist Hymnal

By our pledge, we vow to keep our church holy and safe, to provide an environment in which all may come to know God and experience the love of Jesus Christ. If we are to succeed in our efforts to make the gospel real in the lives of people, we must be intentional about providing a comprehensive strategy for the prevention of abuse.

Our church members do not like to think that any person involved in the ministry of this church would harm another. Conversely, we do not like to think that false allegations of abuse could be made by anyone in the church. But without a comprehensive strategy against abuse, we are taking a needless risk that harm may be done to our children, youth, or adults who work with them.

Therefore, in order to achieve this:
The pastor, adults who work directly with children and youth, and church employees will be screened using Missouri’s Family Care Safety Registry annually. National screening will be conducted every four years.
Staff and volunteers will be informed that physical, emotional, sexual, and ritual abuse and neglect of children and youth as defined in attachment “Types of Abuse” will not be tolerated and that any and all alleged incidents of abuse will be investigated and reported to appropriate authorities as required by the laws of Missouri.
Guidelines for workers with children and youth will be established with the goal of elimination of the possibility of isolation and secrecy, the two ingredients needed to perpetrate abuse.
Trustees will be responsible for reviewing liability insurance annually to provide sufficient coverage.
A plan for responding immediately to allegations of abuse, including protection and emotional support of persons and families involved, and designation of one person to respond to contacts by the media will be included in the Guidelines.
Monitoring of compliance and updating the Guidelines as needed will be the responsibility of the Work Area on Education.
Using the church newsletter (currently known as The Circuit Rider) and announcements in the Sunday bulletins, parents, and members of the congregation will be regularly told to whom they can report concerns about a volunteer or staff person and/or about the safety of children and youth.

We, as Christians, are called to provide ministries with children and youth in ways that assure their safety while they grow in faith. The aim of this policy and accompanying Guidelines enable this church to continue providing a safe place where children and youth can learn and develop the spiritual resources they need to face life. May God be with us.
Types of Abuse

Generally, abuse is categorized in five primary forms:

    Physical Abuse---Abuse in which a person deliberately and intentionally causes bodily harm to another . Examples may include violent battery with a weapon (knife, belt, strap, and so forth), burning, shaking, kicking, choking, fracturing bones, and any of a wide variety of non-accidental injuries to the body.

    Emotional Abuse—Abuse in which a person exposes another to spoken and/or unspoken violence or emotional cruelty. Emotional abuse sends a message to the person of worthlessness, badness, and being not only unloved but underserving of love and care. Those exposed to emotional abuse may have experienced being locked in a closet, being deprived of any sign of parental affection, being constantly told they are bad or stupid, or being allowed or forced to abuse alcohol or drugs. Emotional abuse is often very difficult to prove and is devastating to the victim.

    Neglect—Abuse in which a person endangers another’s health, safety, or welfare through negligence. Neglect may include withholding food, clothing, medical care, education, and even affection and affirmation of self-worth. This is perhaps the most common form of abuse. Lack of supervision is considered neglect.

    Sexual Abuse—Abuse in which sexual contact between a child/youth and an adult (or another older and more powerful child or youth) occurs. The child/youth is never truly capable of consenting to or resisting such contack and/or such sexual acts. Often, the child/youth is physically and psychologically dependent upon the perpetrator of the abuse. Examples of sexual abuse may include fondling, intercourse, explicit sexual gestures and language, and exposure to child pornography or prostitution.

    Ritual Abuse—Abuse in which physical, sexual, or psychological violations of a child/youth are inflicted regularly, intentionally, and in a stylized way by a person or persons responsible for the child/youth’s welfare. The abuser may appeal to some higher authority or power to justify the abuse. The abuse may include cruel treatment of animals or repeated threats of harm to the child/youth, other persons, and animals. Reports of ritural abuse may be horrifying and seem too grim to be true. Persons making such reports must not be ignored.

 

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