- Children's Ministries
- Tips for Developing a Church School Program
- Youth Ministry Resources
- Resources for Emerging Adults
- Resources for Adult Education
- Safe Sanctuaries
- Why Your Congregation Should Have a Safe Sanctuaries Policy
- New England Conference Safe Sanctuaries Policies and Procedures
- Safe Sanctuary Forms
- Background And Reference Checks
- Mandated Abuse Reporters
- Reporting Abuse by Clergy or Lay Persons within the Congregation
- Safe Sanctuaries and Electronic Media
- Safe Sanctuaries and the On-Line Learning Environment
- Resources for Times of Tragedy
Safe Sanctuaries
A Safe Sanctuaries Policy is an overt expression of a congregation in creating a safe place - a sanctuary - where children, youth and adults of all ages and abilities may experience the abiding love of God and fellowship within the community of faith. It is an explicit covenant between the leadership and people of a congregation grounded in our covenant with Jesus Christ.
The New England Conference has extensively updated its website resources regarding not only the creation of a Safe Sanctuaries Policy, but has also provided detailed information on the laws regarding sexual/physical abuse, and domestic violence in each of the six states of the New England Conference. Please spend some time reading these new pages and connecting to the links for your state's laws and agencies for reporting. Included in our webpages is a forms page that covers the wide range of policies and permissions adjunct to the Safe Sanctuaries Policy,
Additional resources are currently available on the General Board of Discipleship's Safe Sanctuaries site, including sample policies, evaluation forms, DVD trainings and guidelines, “healthy congregations” studies and study materials, staff contacts and other resources. Visit www.gbod.org/safesanctuaries.