Comments on: Protecting Children at Church

By: GRACE2STAND

GRACE2STAND — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:32:16 +0000

Something that needs to be considered by everyone is the dangers that children can pose to other children. With one in every four girls and one in every six boys being molested, church busses should have multiple non-driving supervisors who are able to keep their eyes on all children at all times.
Restroom visits must also be supervised.
I am a daycare provider, and can tell you that it only takes a moment of adult inattention for a child to behave inappropriately toward another child.
PRAYER is our chief safeguard. But we must not be ingorant of Satan’d devices. And we must be knowledgable regarding signs of abuse.
80% of sexually abused children never tell anyone. Instead, they develop post-traumatic stress disorder, and begin acting out. Then it’s “you can’t ride our church bus any more;” “you can’t play in our yard anymore.” etc.
This reinforces the child’s sense of shame and guilt, and they begin to believe the bad thing happened to them because they deserved it.
Symptoms of PTSD in childeren can be found on the internet. Educate yourself so that you can respond appropriately to these dear, hurting children, while protecting other from them.

By: KenS

KenS — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:39:21 +0000

small churches, small enough so everyone knows everyone, and hangs out together from time to time during the week, is the only way to do it right. Only when the volunteers know each other well and do things together are they able to spot dangerous people.

Running an organization (e.g., large church) requires impersonal policies that dictate behavior regardless of what a person’s personality is. Then the job of the organizers is not ministry, but following the policy, preferably to the letter. At the same time they are following the policy, and making the volunteers follow the policy, they entertain doubts or suspicions about various people, but can’t do anything about it because they are following the policy. So the bigger the ministry gets, the more impersonal it gets, and the more effort the church has to put in to following the policy. Ministry becomes secondary, because as soon as a good ministry idea conflicts with a policy, it gets shot down. The policy must be followed.

Policies don’t protect children. Adults who love children protect children. Only when the adults are free to love children without artificial constraints will children’s ministry be what it should. And that will happen only in small, very small, churches.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:24:07 +0000

While I agree that we need to protect our children, giving the government access to determining the appropriateness of children’s volunteers and workers is extremely questionable.Gina’s view of Big Brother is right on the mark.

Using a nation-wide background check to survey criminal and sexual offender as well as monitoring all children’s volunteers and workers is essential. More churches need to step up to the plate and accept responsibility that the work of the Lord begins in providing a safe arena so that there the church is not guilty of negligent hiring or negligent supervision.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:01:03 +0000

i believe the church plays an important role in bringing children to know Christ and why not to make a safe, fun and enjoyable place. Teachers have a great deal of opportunity to influence the future generations.

By: ross

ross — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:49:24 +0000

Agreed. The Church must take this on as a “part of doing ministry”. In a competitive market it seems the best in class rise up and set standars driving everyone else to better. The Church who sets a high standard and executes on that standard should be recognized and lifted up for all to see, and to which all should strive.

By: Gina Burgess

Gina Burgess — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:53:35 +0000

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, any agency in the U.S. which has paid workers or volunteer workers who work with children is well-advised to do background checks on each worker. Even with that, if a pedophile is not registered (convicted of a crime), he/she won’t raise a flag when processed.

But, to have another government organization be the Big Brother over how and what we teach our children is the most scary thing I can imagine. What happens when politics take over? It most certainly will, as you know. All we have to do is look at who is in power now and the kinds of people who are now in charge of education.

I do not want my grandchildren taught in school that homosexuality is a normal lifestyle, or that people are entitled to government support, or that there are one hundred different ways to get to Heaven. If our top-heavy government takes over another job that parents and churches should be doing, then it will crash and crush one day soon.