IN THE NEW MEXICO CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCHSafe_Sanctuaries_Resources Online sites Child_Abuse_Reporting_
IN THE NEW MEXICO CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
“Why implement a plan to prevent child abuse in the local church?”
Because our church
is a community of faith
- a safe
haven and sanctuary -
where children and
youth can be confirmed and
strengthened in
the way that leads to life eternal.
"“Safe Sanctuaries”, a training program for reducing the risk of "child" abuse (all those age 18 and under and vulnerable adults), is available to all local churches in the New Mexico Annual Conference.
Child abuse prevention and risk reduction policies and procedures are essential for every congregation, not only for the protection and safety of our children and youth, but for all of our volunteer and employed workers with children.
The gospel calls us to be engaged in ministry with children and youth. We must not allow the risks to undermine or stop our ministry, rather, we must:
† Acknowledge the risks and develop a practical plan to reduce them (volunteer application forms, background checks, annual training).
† Take steps to prevent harm to our children.
† Continue to answer the gospel’s imperative to be in ministry with children and students, making a difference in their lives.
The United
Methodist Insurance Program, sponsored by the General Council on Finance and
Administration is encouraging all local
churches to implement Safe Sanctuaries procedures .
To schedule
a training for your local church, please contact Dara Shipp,
Conference Youth Director, at (505) 255-8786, ext. 110,
or 800-678-8786, or
mailto:youthdir@nmconfum.com . There is no charge
for this training.
Safe Churches Registration form
A Statement for your local church about Sexual Conduct
Safe
Sanctuaries
Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church
By Joy Thornburg Melton, ISBN# 0-88177-220-8
Available through Cokesbury 1-800-672-1789
Tragically, churches have not always been safe places for children. With this in mind, Melton outlines a process for developing policies and procedures to recognize and reduce the risk of child abuse in the church. Safe Sanctuaries contains suggestions, sample forms, and more to help your congregation develop and implement a substantive plan of child abuse prevention. Unique features include:
Safe
Sanctuaries for Youth
Reducing the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries
By Joy Thornburg Melton, ISBN# 0-88177-404-9
Available through Cokesbury 1-800-672-1789
Attorney Joy T. Melton, author of the bestseller, Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church, brings us another excellent guide for reducing abuse in the church. The daily news illustrates the high potential for occurrences of abuse or allegations of abuse in youth ministry. With that in mind, Melton has taken the initiative to develop a resource designed to help churches assess risk and implement processes to help congregations take steps to reduce the likelihood of abuse in their congregational settings.
Unique features include: suggested process and tools for developing and implementing policy; guidance in recruiting, screening, and hiring workers; basic procedures for safe ministry with youth; how to handle issues related to camping, retreats, mission trips, lock-ins, choir tours, and other settings; how to develop a congregational plan to respond to allegations of abuse; suggested training model for youth ministry workers; service and stories of healing; sample forms.
If your congregation has already used Melton’s first book, Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church, you know how essential it is to develop and implement child protection policies. If you have not developed such policies, now is the time. Use this new book with Melton’s first book to develop policies and procedures that will protect children and youth in your care.
Safe
Sanctuaries for Children and Youth DVD
Reducing the Risk of Abuse in the Church
By Joy Thornburg Melton, ISBN# 0-88177-415-4
Available through Cokesbury 1-800-672-1789
Following up on her two bestselling Safe Sanctuaries manuals (Children and Youth), Melton now brings you a DVD to use in training and in raising awareness in your local congregation. The three key segments address the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of developing and implementing a policy to reduce the risk of abuse in your church, and provide necessary forms to use in the process. Also includes an interview with Joy and real-life stories from diverse congregations.
Better Safe Than Sued
(Paperback)
by Jack Crabtree,
ISBN-13: 978-0764420535
Available at www.amazon.com
Protect your Youth Ministry from accidents, lawsuits and other preventable
mishaps that will kill your ministry. Practical advise and wise counsel on
insurance coverage, screening volunteers, proper safety planning,
accident-proofing games, designing safe retreats and more!
Preventing Sexual
Abuse in Congregations. A Resource for Leaders
By Karen A. McClintock
ISBN-10: 1566992958
Available at
www.alban.org or www.amazon.org
Are you ready to abuse-proof your congregation? If one child or adult is spared the confusing ordeal of unwanted touch, it will be worth your time to read this book.
In this comprehensive resource, Methodist pastor and pastoral psychologist Karen McClintock demonstrates that sexual abuse in congregations is preventable and gives clergy and lay leaders the tools they need to prevent it. This book shows congregations how to protect children and vulnerable adults, prevent sexual harassment either by clergy or of clergy, and strengthen clergy families by raising awareness of the occupational and emotional risks inherent in pastoral ministry.
When you have finished this book, you will be familiar with the conditions in parishes and in the mental health of the individuals within them that lead to risky behaviors. You will be equipped to recognize and set sexual boundaries for yourself and to open dialogue about these issues in your congregation. You will have laughed at, celebrated, and honored human sexual power, pleasure, and vulnerability. You will have gained the knowledge you need, and perhaps the courage, to communicate these ideas within your congregation so that children and vulnerable adults are protected.
Risk
Management Handbook for Churches and Schools
By James F. Cobble, Jr. and Richard R. Hammar
ISBN-10:
0917463315
Available from
www.amazon.com or
http://store.churchlawtodaystore.com
The Risk Management Handbook provides extensive information to help churches and schools prevent injuries and accidents, protect property, and reduce potential litigation. Whether it involves ministry to children or youth, recreational programs or church construction projects, safeguarding your facilities or church transportation issues, reducing liability risks or purchasing insurance, this book covers it all.
Consider this:
If your kids are
online/texting, you should be too.
Being informed and aware is about protecting them....
http://www.safesanctuaries.com
http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/parent_internetsafety
http://www.gbod.org/ministries/family/safe 
http://www.reducingtherisk.com
New Mexico and Texas are Mandatory Reporting States. In Texas and New Mexico, anyone 18 or older is a “Mandatory Reporter” when it comes to awareness or suspicion of child abuse or neglect.
Many states provide immunity for those making reports of youth and child abuse in good faith. That means that the accused cannot bring a lawsuit against the reporter as long as the person had reasonable cause to believe that abuse occurred. New Mexico and Texas are two of the states that protect the identity of those reporting abuse.
Here are the phone
numbers for reporting suspected child abuse:
Texas (800)
252-5400
New
Mexico (800) 797-3260
Other sites and numbers of interest:
Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence
2400 North 45th Street, #10
Seattle, WA 98103
www.cpsdv.org
Childhelp USA
15757 N. 78th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
www.childhelpusa.org
Children’s Defense Fund
25 East Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.childrensdefense.org
Christian Ministry Resources
P. O. Box 2301
Matthews, NC 28106
www.churchlawtoday.com
General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
1200 Davis Street
Evanston, IL 60201
www.gcsrw.org
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
699 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
www.missingkids.com
National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse
99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 510
Alexandria, VA 22314
www.ndaa-apri.org
National Children’s Advocacy Center
200 Westside Square, Suite 700
Huntsville, AL 35801
www.ncac-hsv.org
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
330 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20447
www.calib.com/nccanch
National Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association
100 West Harrison Street
North Tower, Suite 500
Seattle, WA 98119
www.casanet.org
NM Children, Youth & Families Division
Toll-Free: (800) 797-3260
Local (toll): (505) 841-6100
Website:
http://www.cyfd.org/index.htm
Nonprofit Risk Management Center
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 410
Washington, DC 20036
www.nonprofitrisk.org
Office of Children’s Ministries,
General Board of Discipleship
P. O. Box 340003
Nashville, TN 37203-0003
www.gbod.org/children
Office of Ministries with Women, Children and Families,
General Board of Global Ministries
475 Riverside Drive, Room 1549
New York, NY 10115
www.new.gbgm-umc.org
Parents Anonymous, Inc.
675 West Foothill Blvd.,
Suite 220
Claremont, CA 91711-3475
www.parentsanonymous.org
Prevent Child Abuse America
200 South Michigan Avenue, 17th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
www.preventchildabuse.org
Texas Child and Family Protective Services
701 W. 51st Street
Austin, Texas 78751
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