The Louisiana Conference - Youth: Safe Sanctuaries

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Download the New Conference Policy Manual [DOC]

As you may be aware, our recent session of Annual Conference approved a resolution requiring every church in the Conference to have a written Safe Sanctuaries Policy by January 2009. In order to facilitate compliance with this requirement we are offering training sessions for each district. It is our expectation that every church that comes to one of these trainings will walk away with their policies pretty much in hand. To be most effective, the trainings will require a “team” from each church. We are inviting these persons to attend the sessions: pastors; SPR representative; Trustee representative; age level/Sunday School volunteer representatives; and any staff who primarily work with children or youth. Of course, anyone else is welcome. It would be extremely helpful, though not required, if your church could bring a computer equipped with MS Word for your team to work with. Further details about your district’s training (registration, cost etc) can be obtained from your District Office.

All trainings will run from 10 am to 3 pm:
   » Acadiana District: Oct 11th - Asbury UMC, Lafayette
   » Alexandria District: Oct 18th - First UMC, Pineville
   » Baton Rouge District: Nov 1st - First UMC, Hammond (jointly with New Orleans)
   » Lake Charles District: Oct 25th - First UMC, Lake Charles
   » Monroe District: Nov 15th - Trinity UMC, Ruston (jointly with Shreveport)
   » New Orleans District: Nov 1st - First UMC, Hammond (jointly with Baton Rouge)
   » Shreveport District: Nov 15th - Trinity UMC, Ruston (jointly with Monroe)

If you have difficulty opening the Policy Manual, your district office has a limited number of printed copies. If you already have a policy and want to know if it meets our minimum requirements, there is a checklist in the Appendix of the Policy Manual. If you cannot attend your District’s date, please check with your neighboring districts or plan on travelling to the Wesley Center on December 6th.

For questions or information contact:

Tom Dolph Dawn Young
225 346 1646 318-458-5860
888 239 5286

SAFE SANCTUARIES

What is Safe Sanctuaries?

Safe Sanctuaries is the name commonly given by local United Methodist Annual Conferences and local churches to their individual efforts to make conference, district, and local church programs welcoming and safe for children and youth. Safe Sanctuaries is the title of two guidebooks, Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church and Reducing the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries , written by United Methodist deacon and lawyer Joy Thornburg Melton and published by Discipleship Resources in 1998 and 2003, respectively. Both books are available at your local Cokesbury store or through www.discipleshipresources.org or www.cokesbury.com .

Is there a set standard of care that local churches must follow?

Although Safe Sanctuaries is a guide published to help local congregations in planning, Safe Sanctuaries, Discipleship Resources, The United Methodist Church, and the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church are not engaged in the practice of law and accounting. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a professional advisor should be sought. Safe Sanctuaries does not establish a standard of care for churches. Each local church makes its own decisions and determines what is best for it. The La Conference merely hopes to provide information that may be helpful to churches in developing their own risk reduction policies. The Conference Office can also offer video and personnel to assist local congregations. Contact us at 225-346-1646 or 888-239-5286 if you are interested.

Why do we need to have this Safe Sanctuaries program?

As a Conference we believe, the physical and emotional safety, as well as the spiritual growth of all God's children and youth, is important. We as a Conference are committed to the holistic well-being of each child, youth, and adult entrusted to us. We believe that we as a Church must take reasonable steps to love and protect our children and youth while they are involved in programs and activities provided in and by our local churches, districts, and our Conference. In addition, we must take reasonable steps to love and protect those adults who work with our children and youth. The resolution Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in the Church was adopted in 1996 and reaffirmed in 2000 and 2004 by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Some churches might find risk reduction procedures inconvenient or necessitating extra effort to find, train and evaluate those who work with our youth and children. We prefer to ask: How far will you go to ensure that every youth or child is “surrounded by steadfast love, established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal" ( Baptismal Covenant II , United Methodist Hymnal , p. 44). In all of our ministries with children and youth, the Louisiana Conference is committed to demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. Safe Sanctuaries demonstrates our commitment to the physical safety and spiritual growth of all our children and youth.

Forms:
» Local Church Basic Resolution (PDF)
» Risk Reduction Checklist (PDF)
» Local Church Self-Evaluation Form (PDF)

Safe Sanctuary books/videos:
» Safe Sanctuaries for Youth
» Safe Sanctuaries for Children and Youth DVD
» Safe Sanctuaries for Children and Youth Video
» Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church
» Santuarios Seguros Prevención del abuso infantil y junvenil en la iglesia

Safe Sanctuary Links:
» Safe Sanctuaries [GBOD]
     - Safe Sanctuaries DVD Study Guide [PDF]
     - Safe Sanctuaries Logos
     - Safe Sanctuaries Links
» Make Your Church Safer for Children
» La Conference Guidelines for Protective Measures on Misconduct of a Sexual Nature