SAFE SANCTUARY

Our children and youth are precious to us and we want to take all preventive measures to keep them safe. As one such preventative measure, EVERYONE working with our children and/or youth must be properly Safe Sanctuary Certified. This includes Safe Sanctuary Training, Satisfactory Passage of Quiz, and a Background Check. Once this is obtained, you will be notified and eligible to work in our children and/or youth departments. Your Certification is valid for five years.

The General Conference of The United Methodist Church, in April 1996, adopted a resolution aimed at reducing the risk of child sexual abuse in the church.  Thus, in covenant with all United Methodist congregations, we adopt this policy for the prevention of child and youth abuse in our church.

Our congregation’s purpose for establishing this Child and Youth Abuse Prevention Policy and accompanying procedures is to demonstrate our absolute and unwavering commitment to the physical safety and spiritual growth of all our children and youth.

Therefore, as a Christian community of faith and a United Methodist congregation, we pledge to conduct the ministry of the gospel in ways that assure the safety and spiritual growth of all our children and youth as well as all of the workers with children and youth. We will follow reasonable safety measures in the selection and recruitment of workers; we will implement prudent operational procedures in all programs and events; we will educate all of our workers with children and youth regarding the use of all appropriate policies and methods (including first aid and methods of discipline); we will have a clearly defined procedure for reporting a suspected incident of abuse that conforms to the requirements of state law; and we will be prepared to respond to media inquiries if an incident occurs.


VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS FOR ANYONE WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Step 1: Background Check

Click on this link to download the Background Check Consent pdf document. BACKGROUND CHECK CONSENT FORM (Scroll to the bottom of the image for the download button.) (No drug test is required.)

Fill this out, sign it, and deliver to Pam Inman at the church or via email at pam@mtpisgahgso.org.

Step 2: Safe Sanctuary Training

Everyone will need to watch the Safe Sanctuary Training Presentation in its entirety.  The video is embedded below.  Just click the arrow keys at the bottom to move from item to item, thus giving you all the time you need to read each item.  Click on the Prezi logo at the bottom right to view the presentation in full screen.

After viewing the presentation, you will take an online quiz linked below.  

Step 3: Take the Safe Sanctuary Quiz

Click the link to take the Safe Sanctuary Quiz. Note: You will be redirected to an online quiz service that will grade your submission automatically. SAFE SANCTUARY QUIZ


Thank you and please contact Pam Inman (background check and verification), Dana Hanlon (children), or Robert Chou (youth) for additional questions.

OPTIONAL: Though not necessary for this process, if you would like to read the entire 32 page Safe Sanctuary document, click this link: Safe Sanctuary Document