Saint Mark United Methodist Church; Atlanta, Georgia

Safe Sanctuaries

For Every Member of the Saint Mark Family

Saint Mark United Methodist Church abides by policies recommended by the “Safe Sanctuaries” program and mandated by the 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. Selected excerpts from the program booklet, Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church, are given below to acquaint you with the details of how we are working to make Saint Mark a welcoming and safe place for all our children.

“Throughout the history of the Christian church, children have been included in worship and ministry of the community of faith. Today, the church may be the only place where some children find the unconditional love and care they so desperately need to grow, to thrive, and to become faithful people. As Christians, we must take our responsibilities to our children very seriously, always attending to their spiritual growth and nurture. We fail in our responsibilities if we neglect to take adequate precautions against physical abuse in our churches. “

“The 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church adopted a resolution aimed at reducing the risk of child sexual abuse in the church. The full text of this resolution is attached. “

WHY IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE?

“Because our church is a community of faith and a safe sanctuary where children and youth can learn and develop the spiritual resources they need to face suffering and evil.”

“While a church cannot guarantee the safety of every person, every church can be responsible for reducing and eliminating circumstances that could lead to harm or injury.”

“Who are abusers? Abusers are not easily recognized – they may look just like you or me! Abusers are people who have greater power in relation to a child, and they use that power to harm the child. … abusers come from all segments of society. …found in every racial, ethnic, economic, social group.”

“It is imperative for our churches NOT to adopt or implement child abuse prevention policies that apply to only a few categories of people. Strategies must be supported by the whole congregation and carried out by applying the same policies and requirements to each worker involved in children’s ministries.”

The following overview highlights specific areas and ways in which Saint Mark United Methodist Church adheres to and implements policies that safeguard all our children:

EVERY paid staff member, part-time and full-time, as well as every volunteer who works with childrenor youth, or who may be in contact with children or youth, in the course of his/her volunteer duties, completes forms that request comprehensive information regarding the staff member’s:

identification
address
employment history for the past 5 years
volunteer work during the past 5 years
experiences and skills specifically related to the position
prior church membership (if any)
personal references (not related to the applicant) with complete addresses
consent to verify all informatioan provided and to contact references
waiver of any right to confidentiality and of any right to pursue damages against the church caused by a reference’s response
certification that the information provided is true and correct

Use of criminal background checks for every employee, as well as checks for every volunteer whose duties may include contact with children or youth. A strict plan is in place to ensure that information received from the background checks will be kept as confidential and shared only with those who must know.
The “TWO-ADULT RULE”: No fewer than two adults, preferably unrelated, must be present at all times during any church-related or sponsored activity involving children or youth.
First Aid/CPR Training is provided on an regular basis for all church workers who work with children or youth.
Annual Orientation of All Workers: Paid and volunteer workers are required to attend an orientation session in which they are informed of : the church’s policies for prevention of child abuse; the procedures to be used in all ministries with children and youth; appropriate steps to take to report an incident of child abuse; details of the state’s laws regarding child abuse.
A strict sign-in/sign-out policy for all children and youth. Every child MUST be accompanied to his/her ministry area (e.g., Children’s Church, Sunday School, Impromptu!, VBS, etc.) by his/her parent OR another adult who has prior written permission from the parent; the adult will SIGN IN the child and, at the end of the session, will return to SIGN OUT the child. NO child is allowed to roam through the building without an adult and no child is permitted to enter or leave a classroom or other activity without having an approved adult go through the sign-in/sign-out process.
The “FIVE-YEARS-OLDER RULE”: Any one supervising children or youth must be AT LEAST 5 years older than the children/youth supervised. This is especially relevant for those who work with youth (e.g., a 20-year-old college student may not serve as a volunteer with high school students who are 15 or older).
The “6-Month-Affiliation Rule”: Any person who wants to volunteer in any capacity with children and youth must have been affiliated with Saint Mark for a minimum of six months before applying for a volunteer position.
No workers under the age of 18. We cannot allow youth or older elementary children to supervise or be a “junior counselor” for any group of children or youth.
Windows in every classroom door or a half-door.
Open-door counseling: at any counseling sessions with a child or youth, the room used must remain open for the entire session.
Advance notice to parents: Parents will ALWAYS be given advance notice and full information regarding the events and activities in which their children will be participating. Parents must give written consent for the child’s participation.
Parent and Family education: at least once annually, an information session is made available to parents and other family members of children and youth to present facts about child abuse and about the components of the church’s plan to safeguard its children.
Advance planning: as employees and volunteers plan activities for children and youth, they are required to think through all aspects of the setting, transportation, emergency situations, etc. and to have plans for addressing any problems that may arise as a result.

For Parents & Guardians

In compliance with our Safe Sanctuaries policies, we are asking that you remember the following:

If your child leaves worship to attend Impromptu!, children’s church, or to go to the nursery/Toddler rooms, you MUST accompany him/her to the Narthex where you will “sign-in” your child. No child can be permitted to go downstairs until his/her parent signs this sheet (parents may accompany their children downstairs if they wish, but will still be required to go through the “sign-in” process in the narthex).
If your child will attend Sunday School after IMPROMPTU! (and we hope ALL children will do so!), he/she will be met at the IMPROMPTU! room by a Sunday School teacher and accompanied – in a group with his/her classmates – to the Sunday School room.
If your child is not attending Sunday School, YOU must come to the IMPROMPTU! Room to sign him/her out – no child will be allowed to leave IMPROMPTU! without an adult.
If your child arrives immediately prior to Sunday School (or during Sunday School), YOU must accompany him/her to the classroom and sign-in your child. No child will be allowed to walk into a Sunday School classroom without a parent to sign him/her in.
At the end of the Sunday School hour, YOU must come to the Sunday School classroom to sign your child out. No child will be allowed to leave the classroom with anyone other than his/her parent (or another adult who has been previously approved by the parent). Please do not send older siblings to pick up your child and remind your child that he/she must remain in the room until you arrive to sign him/her out.
IF YOU DO NOT PICK UP YOUR CHILD WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME AFTER WORSHIP OR SUNDAY SCHOOL: he or she will be taken to the Children’s Minister‘s office and the Children’s Minister will take the child to the narthex and will wait with the child until you arrive and properly sign the child out.