Safe Church Ministry
Safe Church Background
Immanuel CRC established a Safe Church Ministry and Policy in 2009. The Safe Church Policy was adopted for three primary reasons:
To protect all children and youth who participate in our various ministries.
To protect volunteers and staff who use their gifts within these ministries.
To protect the congregation from the emotional, financial, and legal consequences of such abuse.
The Safe Church Policy set forth policies and procedures in four key areas: Screening, Supervision, Reporting, and Response. The Safe Church Policy was last updated in 2015. In 2022, we began revising and updating the Safe Church Policy to reflect updated laws and procedures related to sexual abuse risk management. In addition, we now have two policies to reflect different age groups: infant to 5th grade and 6th - 12th grade.
Safe Church Ministry for the Christian Reformed Church
Our denomination also has resources available to congregations about the Safe Church Ministry. The CRCNA Safe Church Ministry equips congregations with awareness of abuse, prevention, and response. We help build communities where the value of each person is honored; where people are free to worship and grow free from abuse; and where abuse has occurred, the response is compassion and justice that foster healing.
For more information about the CRCNA Safe Church Ministry, please visit: https://www.crcna.org/SafeChurch.
Safe Church Onboarding Steps
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any questions regarding the Safe Church Ministry or the onboarding process for Safe Church, please contact Nate Finley, Church Administrator.
STEP ONE: SCREENING PROCESS
All volunteers are required to complete the Immanual Ministry Volunteer Application.
NOTE: Completed applications should be returned to the Ministry Leader or the Church Office.
Download the Ministry Volunteer Application
STEP TWO: POLICIES & PROCEDURES
All volunteers are required to review the appropriate Safe Church policies and sign the last page indicating that they have read and understood the material and agree to comply with our policy requirements.
NOTE: Completed signature pages should be returned to the Ministry Leader or the Church Office.
Download the Safe Church Policy for Infant - 5th Grade
Download the Signature Page for the Safe Church Policy for Infant - 5th Grade
Download the Safe Church Policy for 6th Grade - 12th Grade
Download the Signature Page for the Safe Church Policy for 6th Grade - 12th Grade
STEP THREE: SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS TRAINING
All volunteers should understand the characteristics of sexual abusers and their behaviors in “grooming’ a child for sexual abuse. Grooming is the process used by an abuser to select a child, win the child’s trust (and the trust of the child’s parent or ‘gatekeeper’), manipulate the child into sexual activity, and keep the child from disclosing the abuse.
To equip you with the information necessary to recognize abuser characteristics and grooming behaviors, Immanuel requires all child-serving volunteers to complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training through the organization, Ministry Safe. This training will be completed online and must be renewed every two years.
NOTE: Once your Ministry Volunteer Application has been received, you will receive access via email to the Sexual Abuse Awareness Training through Ministry Safe’s website.
STEP FOUR: CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK
All volunteers working with children must undergo a criminal background check. Depending upon the ministry position, differing levels or intensity of criminal background checks may be required. This criminal background check will be completed online and must be renewed every four years.
Per California Law AB506, volunteers who are 18 years of age or older and who have direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year will also be required to have a fingerprinted (or Livescan) criminal background check. This will apply to leaders in the following ministries: Church School, Cadets, GEMS, MS & HS Student Ministries, and Friendship/Together. Immanuel is working on a process to allow volunteers to complete the Livescan criminal background check at the church.
NOTE: Once your Ministry Volunteer Application has been received, you will receive via email a request to complete a criminal background check through our provider, Checkr.