Getting Started
Convince your church to develop a Safe Sanctuary policy.
Talk with your pastor, church leaders, parents and grandparents. Pastors are generally eager to provide a safe place for all people. They may just be waiting someone to encourage the effort. If need be, find a group of people who are concerned and agree of the need for safety policies. Then meet as a group with the decision making body of your church. Ask that a task group be officially formed to study the issue and educate the congregation. Get a copy of Safe Sanctuaries book and the DVD for the task force to use.
Write a Safe Sanctuary policy.
Download a sample policy here.
Purchase the Resources.
If you do not have a copy of the Safe Sanctuaries, order them now through the General Board of Discipleship online bookstore. It will be very helpful to have a copy of either book and a copy of the DVD for training purposes.
- References & Resources List
- Safe Sanctuaries Book
- Safe Sanctuaries Book (in Spanish)
- Safe Sanctuaries for Children & Youth DVD
Get the Pastor's Support.
If you are not the pastor, have an initial conversation with him or her, getting their support to establish guidelines and policies at your church.
Use Local Church Self-Evaluation Form.
Use the following list to help your congregation assess its policy needs for the prevention of abuse in your church’s ministry with children and youth. Read each statement; then mark the appropriate response in the column to the right. By completing the form, you will be able to see at a glance the areas needing attention. Download a pdf version
Finding Trainers to Talk about Abuse
Contact your local hospital, police, social service agency or public health department for names of people in your area. Call a school counselor. Also, you may want to refer to our Conference Approved Trainers.