On Sunday after the service, we will be hosting our in-person Abuse Prevention Training. This training is mandatory for almost all of our ministry team volunteers, even if they aren't directly working with children, youth, or vulnerable adults. I wanted to take a moment to give you some insight into this training and hope it will be helpful for those of you who are going to be attending on Sunday and for anyone new(er) who doesn't know about our measures to prevent abuse here at Freedom.
From Sunday to Sunday, almost everything that happens at church is open to anyone who would like to join us. We will have those who have been here for decades sitting next to someone who is here for the first time. The time and effort we spend to create environments that are safe for minors and vulnerable adults means that you don't have to be a long-time member of our church to know that we take the trust we are given seriously. It should be obvious from day one.
We're not sure where this quote came from but, "Abuse prevention is not about us trusting you; it's about our community trusting us." We would not bring someone onto a ministry team if we didn't trust them, of course. So, Abuse Prevention Training isn't about gaining trust, it's about everyone being up-to-date with how we are protecting our most vulnerable. If we all have the same information, we can all work together to protect one another.
And this is not just for our kids ministry team and youth leaders. We ask that everyone who serves in a way that a child or youth might see as "a position of trust" go through the screening and training. For example, someone on the tech team, worship team, or host team might be seen as a leader a child could go to because they are clearly set apart from the congregation on Sunday (on the stage, in the booth, or with a name tag). These team members also have a unique vantage point on Sundays to spot potential issues as they may arise. And so, we see the advantage of all of our teams having the same information and training around abuse prevention.
Let's be honest, though - it's hard to not roll your eyes and see this like WHMIS training at work. Yeah, we get it. We've had to change our own attitudes about this a few times over the years, too. But here's our promise: we will be as clear, concise, relevant, and time-sensitive as possible. We'll feed you lunch, look after your kids, and thank you for investing this extra time with us for the sake of healthy and safe ministries at Freedom.
With gratitude for all the ways our teams serve us each week!
Pastor Tracy
THIS SUNDAY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 @ 10am
BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS: TALKING TO JESUS
When You Pray
Tracy Dunham
Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!
10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)