VBS Adventures Inspire Faith and Community
This summer, churches across the conference brought vacation Bible school to life, each one putting its own unique spin on the beloved tradition. From creative scheduling and special…
Safe Sanctuaries® is a commitment that allows our sanctuaries, classrooms, mission encounters, camps and retreats, and all spaces where we gather to worship and serve God to be places of trust. The United Methodist Church's Discipleship Ministries has created a series of videos that can be used to introduce the more difficult aspects of Safe Sanctuaries®, individually to open up conversations in small groups and in training, and as a way to share information with the congregation as a reminder or in the midst of a crisis.
View the Discipleship Ministries Safe Sanctuaries® Playlist on Youtube
View the Discipleship Ministries Safer Sanctuaries® Page
Safe Sanctuaries FAQs
POLICIES
- NIC Abuse Prevention Policy for Conference/District Events (passed by 2005 Annual Conference)
- NIC Basic Policy Statement on Sexual and Gender Harassment and Misconduct of Sexual Nature (Note: Safe Sanctuaries® policies and sexual misconduct policies are NOT the same thing--and local churches need both. Annual Conference 2002 passed this policy.)
- Abuse Prevention Policy Development Guide (Note: This sample is provided by Discipleship Ministries and is for general guideline use only; some sections. may or may not apply to your local church setting. Your church policy should be written to address your church and community issues.
- Sample policies and documents from the Discipleship Ministries website
- Electronic Communication Recommendations: This list of recommendations for communication via such means as social media and text messaging was compiled by members of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference connectional ministries staff team and is based in part on similar recommendations from other United Methodist annual conferences.
- Three Simple Rules for Social Media
TRAININGS AND STUDIES
- Safe Gatherings (online training and background checks)
- Online Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Training on Recognizing and Reporting Abuse: As of Jan. 1, 2020, ALL workers, paid and volunteer, who are directly responsible for caring for children under the age of 18 in churches, and all other mandated reporters (which includes clergy), are required by Illinois law to be trained by DCFS. This free online training meets that requirement. It does not, however, eliminate the need for training in Safe Sanctuaries® in person or through Safe Gatherings.
CONTACTS
- Illinois Online Child Abuse Neglect Reporting
- DCFS Regional and Field Office Directory
- Area Agencies on Aging (look for your county)
- Background Checks Through Trusted Employees (A background checks business)
DOWNLOADS
Resources from Discipleship Ministries
- Larger Membership Congregations Policies and Guidelines
- Smaller Membership Congregations Policies and Guidelines
- Responsible Social Media for Churches and Youth Groups
- Special Events and Traveling with Youth: Abuse Prevention Strategies
- Protection and Integration of Known Sexual Offenders
From Other UMC-Related Organizations
- HIPAA Privacy Rule and Local Churches (General Council on Finance and Administration)
Brochures from Government Services
- Child Abuse
- Child Abuse Prevention Resource Guide (2021/2022) (US Department of Health and Human Services)
- Child Sexual Abuse: Raising Awareness and Protecting Children (Prevent Child Abuse Illinois)
- Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Within Youth-Serving Organizations: Getting Started with Policies and Procedures (US Department of Health and Human Services and CDC)
- Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: Care Enough to Call (Illinois DCFS)
- Acerca del Abuso y Descuido de Niños: Interesese lo suficiente para llamar (Illinois DCFS)
- Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse and Neglect (Illinois DCFS)
- Elder Abuse
- Handout on Elder Abuse (Illinois Department on Aging)
- Reporting Elder Abuse and Neglect (Illinois Department of Human Services)
- Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship (US Department of Homeland Security)
Safe Sanctuaries Books and DVDs
- Safe Sanctuaries Reducing the Risk of Abuse in the Church for Children and Youth (Anniversary Edition), by Joy Thornburg Melton
- Santuarios seguros Prevencíon del abuso infantil y juvenil en la iglesia, by Joy Thornburg Melton
- Safe Sanctuaries for Children and Youth DVD Reducing the Risk of Abuse in the Church, by Joy Thornburg Melton
- Safe Sanctuaries in a Virtual World, by Joy Thornburg Melton
- Safe Sanctuaries--Older Adults: The Church Responds to Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Older Adults, by Joy Thornburg Melton
- Safe Sanctuaries for Ministers: Best Practices and Ethical Decisions, by Joy Thornburg Melton
Many Safe Sanctuaries materials, including a training DVD, may also be borrowed from the United Media Resource Center.