Resources to Help Churches be Safer Places

Have a plan:

• Protecting Children and Youth from Sexual Misconduct in Your Church

• Preventing Adult Sexual Misconduct in Your Church

If your church is not yet using the MinistrySafe system, use the coupon code ALSBOM-safer at the time of signup and your first year’s annual fee will be $50 (a savings of $200).

Tools to Implement the Plan

• Screening Form from Brotherhood Mutual (used by permission)

• Protecting by Responsible Ordination

  • A Few Thoughts About Ordination in The Southern Baptist Convention by Thom Rainer

• Sample permission for a criminal background check

• Permission for a credit check

• Employment covenant

• A Covenant of Ministerial Ethics

• Sexual harassment policy

• Social Media Policy

• Computer and internet use policy

• Protect Ministry Data and Computers

Tools to Create your church protection policies

• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance (Protecting Children)

• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance (all topics) www.brotherhoodmutual.com

• Child Protection First!

• MinistrySafe MinistrySafe.comhttps://ministrysafe.com/alsbom//alsbom

• Reducing the Risk http://www.reducingtherisk.com/.reducingtherisk.com

Child Protective Services FAQs

Department of Justice National Sex Offender database

The database is called the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender database. It is available at www.nsopr.gov, and includes a list of convicted sex offenders nationwide.

Background Check Vendors:

• Employment Screening Services (full service screening including drugs and alcohol use) http://www.es2.com

• LifeWay Stores www.lifewaystores.com/backgroundchecks

• MinistrySafe MinistrySafe.com

• Protect My Ministry www.protectmyministry.com

• Shepherd’s Watch Background Checks formerly “Church Volunteer Central”

Other valuable links:

• Alabama Attorney General’s Site www.ago.alabama.gov

• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance www.brotherhoodmutual.com

• Child Welfare Information Gateway www.childwelfare.gov

  • Promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families by connecting child welfare, adoption and related professionals as well as concerned citizens to timely, essential information.

• Child Protection First!

• Child Protection First! Administrative Guidelines

• Church Mutual Insurance www.churchmutual.com

• GuideOne Insurance safety resources

• MinistrySafe MinistrySafe.com

• Reducing the Risk www.reducingtherisk.com

• Child Abuse Facts

Christianity Today Executive Reports

• Are We Prepared to Confront Peer Abuse? ChurchLawAndTax.Com

• Assessment: Take this free quiz to see if your protecting kids from other kids.

• Purchase Sex Offenders in the Church from Brotherhood Mutual and Christianity Today

• Brotherhood Mutual Sex Offender Q&A

• Brotherhood Mutual Tough Issues: Registered Sex Offenders in Ministry Activities

• 2008 Child Abuse Prevention Survey Results

• Christianity Today: Church Reporting Laws for Child Abuses

Every Alabama Baptist church is autonomous and each decides for itself how to conduct business. However, some customs and practices do prevail. These are possibilities for your consideration. These ideas reflect Alabama law. You should contact your legal counsel when creating policies.

These resources were compiled by the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

https://alsbom.org/safe/