Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, recently spoke at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about protecting children on the internet. He will also be a featured workshop leader at Inspire 2019.
Curious what a classical safe church team does and how they support local safe church ministry? This story from Classis Chatham helps answer these questions.
Why does our classis need a safe church team? What does a classis safe church team do? How does the team work, and who leads it? This article helps answer those questions.
Why does our congregation need a safe church team? What does the team do? How can a safe church team benefit our church? This article helps answer those questions.
For 25 years, we've been talking about preventing and responding to abuse in our church contexts. Here's a look back and a prayer for the future.
Light and dark, evil and good, right and wrong, mercy and justice. These concepts work in opposites. How do we, the church, walk in the tension of the in-between space where we all live?
Of all The Network articles floating around in my mind I wanted to write, all important topics for Safe Church Ministry—this is what came out when I sat down to write. It's a hopeful reflection on life with God.
This handy guide to our denominational position statement about abuse, and summary of related church order may be helpful, especially to church councils, in responding to allegations or disclosures of abuse.
Silence is no longer an option. In this watershed #MeToo moment, the Church must be ready to respond to sexual abuse. How will it happen in your classis?
We’ve seen various responses to stories of sexual harassment and abuse, in the political realm and in the celebrity realm. What about in the Church? What will our response be?
We are all called to serve one another in love. That's what Jesus showed us, and the Spirit empowers us to be other-centered, which is very counter-cultural! This is good - thanks.
Whenever we consider complicity or culpability in a situation - we must ask, "who has the power?" Who has the power in any given situation? Who is being oppressed or used by that power, and to...
Thanks for posting! Leaders need to be humble to acknowledge their own need for and dependency on Christ - and as followers we need desperately to grant the gift of humanity to our leaders, which...
Note:
Synod 2019 Adopted Changes to the Guidelines for Handling Abuse Allegations Against a Church Leader
(additions in italics)
These are suggested...
This is a very helpful article - Thanks. I often pray for that deep sense of knowing, which gives me confidence and peace to move forward and to stay in that path. It's not an easy thing - I find...
So needed! Such a good reminder - thanks for posting.
We are thankful and encouraged by the overwhelming support for these recommendations at synod, and request your ongoing prayer support as we work out all the details of implementation. Special...
Thank you so much Beth for sharing these reflections. So much resonates with me - especially the part about the compassion and commitment of so many safe church volunteers, coordinators, and...
First I am so sorry to hear about your abuse at a residential school. No one should ever have to experience that, especially a young child. Again, I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you.
...Excellent Article - I too used to create mix tapes - and indeed they did sooth and strengthen my soul and offered opportunity for expression that I might not find elsewhere. This is a great...