Sexual Abuse
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Posted on May 7, 2012, 3:16 pm
Topics: Child Safety, Safe Church, Domestic Violence, Elderly Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Safe Church Team, Sexual Abuse
“The classis safe church team saved my ministerial butt,” was how one British Columbia pastor put it. Within one week of arriving in his new charge, he was informed that an allegation of abuse had been made against the pastor that preceded him.
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Posted on April 29, 2012, 7:51 am
Topics: Child Safety, Safe Church, Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Safe Church Team, Sexual Abuse
We slog away in meetings, we write safe church policies, we try to get our ministers to preach on safe church issues and abuse prevention. Some days, we wonder if it is even making a difference. And then we hear a story like that of ...
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Posted on April 24, 2012, 8:27 pm
What is holding your congregation back from establishing a safe church policy? Writing a policy can seem like an onerous task, but lots of helpful tools are available. Sometimes the best way to develop a policy is to adapt an existing policy from a neighbouring church. Or, you can check out the sample policies available
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Posted on March 27, 2012, 11:49 am | 12 comments
“Children often keep abuse a secret, but barriers can be broken down by talking openly about it.”
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Posted on March 20, 2012, 12:43 pm | 2 comments
We send a message in the way that we respond, as individuals and as congregations, to allegations of abuse. What kind of message are we sending?
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Posted on March 14, 2012, 5:54 am | 4 comments
Don't wait until it's too late. Your safe church policy can help stop abuse before it happens.
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Posted on March 6, 2012, 11:26 am | 12 comments
Topics: Child Safety, Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Safe Church Team, Sexual Abuse, Youth Issues
Despite the abundance of evidence showing that teen dating violence is a serious issue in North America, awareness of the problem is low. According to The Rave Project, teen dating violence is more common than you might think. Here are some surprising facts about teen dating violence...
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Posted on February 27, 2012, 11:22 am | 1 comment
When my friends and coworkers ask me about the church, I want to be able to tell them – with 100% conviction – that we’re doing all we can to provide safe environments for worship, learning and fellowship.
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Posted on February 14, 2012, 7:00 am | 1 comment
Power removed from love is, as Martin Lurther King, Jr. stated, “reckless and abusive.” Trace back almost any story of abuse – whether in churches, families, institutions, or society – and you will find corrupted power, a deadly force.
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Posted on January 31, 2012, 8:18 am | 1 comment
No-one likes to focus on the negative for long. But, the assumption that abuse cannot occur in your church, or that, if it were to happen, you would recognize it, is extremely naive.
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Posted on July 19, 2011, 8:50 am | 1 comment
Topics: Sexual Abuse
What happens when, upon release, a convicted sex offender joins (or re-joins) a congregation? To date, my experience has taught me that there is no single “right” answer and that the process of finding the “best” answer will definitely test the mettle of a congregation and its leadership team...
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Posted on June 20, 2011, 9:10 am
Topics: Safe Church, Sexual Abuse
All the states and provinces have laws which declare sexual acts with minors to be criminal. In addition, a related law might specify at what age a minor can give consent to sexual acts. If the child is below the age of consent, the judicial system will likely hold the offender responsible
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Posted on April 19, 2011, 9:09 am
Topics: Sexual Abuse
Why should the problem of sexual assault concern the church? The fact is, many people in our churches have been hurt by sexual assault and the results are devastating to individuals and families. Churches can become safe places for healing, rediscovering a sense of self, and for learning to trust again. Churches can also be
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Posted on February 21, 2011, 5:08 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Sexual Abuse
When we see someone who functions in a powerful role, it may surprise us that the same person once felt very vulnerable. Sen. Brown from Massachusettes discloses in his new book that he was physically assaulted by step-fathers and sexually abused by a camp counselor.
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Posted on January 31, 2011, 4:53 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Sexual Abuse
Two times recently a church leader has asked me, "How soon will the offender be ready to go back into ministry?" From where I sit, I don't know. I don't know if anyone knows the answer to that question. Waiting to be "healed" from bad behavior must seem like a long time for the person, for the family, and certainly for the person who was harmed...
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