Background screening employees and volunteers is one of the most effective tools at keeping congregations safe, yet most ministries make major mistakes when implementing background check procedures. It’s not your fault. Background checks are inherently confusing for several reasons: the scope of information you are trying to access the numerous places you can look for
Three Proven Ways to Improve the Safety at Your Church
With so many preventable tragedies happening at churches grabbing headlines these days, it’s always empowering and enlightening when we see examples of ministries proactively working to protect their congregations. An Austin, Texas-based church recently caught our attention when it invited representatives of the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) to meet with church leaders and employees from
It’s 2016! Have You Conducted Your Church Volunteer Background Screening Yet?
“What can employers find out about me during a background check?” That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? If it weren’t, that phrase wouldn’t be Googled so often. But when you type that in, you’re assaulted with a barrage of fear-mongering articles like this one from CNNMoney. It scares the daylights out of anyone who
Budget 2016: 4 Steps to Define Your Screening Services Policy
The new year brings a renewed sense of opportunity for many people. They create lists of resolutions they’d like to accomplish; weight loss, stop smoking, travel more, showing gratitude regularly, saving money are all common themes year after year. But has your ministry created its resolutions for 2016? Specifically, have you incorporated spending for background
Rape at Tennessee Church Sobering Reminder About Critical Need for Background Checks and Child Safety Training
This story is absolutely heartbreaking. The family of a 3-year-old rape victim has filed a lawsuit against Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tennessee citing “the utter failure of the Church to provide a safe place for the children placed in its care.” The lawsuit comes on the heels of a guilty plea for aggravated sexual
Do You Know Enough About FCRA Law and Adverse Action?
Two of the biggest hiring challenges many large, well-known businesses are facing is handling consent for background checks and disclosing reasons related to background check results why someone may not be hired for a position. Considering their size, and we’re assuming, human resources departments, it’s surprising that so many of these big names keep finding
Can You Spot a Predator like Jared Fogle? Our Child Safety Classes Will Show You How.
We were reminded of the chilling tactics that child sexual predators use to attract new children when audio recordings of an actual child rapist surfaced earlier this month. Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle is expected to plead guilty to child porn and child sex charges after evidence – actual recordings of conversations Fogle had with
Social Recruiting – A Smart Move for Ministries When Done Well
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, Vimeo, Pinterest. Social media sites are everywhere and they are a great place to spread the Gospel. They’re also a really important recruiting tool if used properly. We’re not just talking recruiting for new employees and/or volunteers, though. We’re talking recruiting new members for your congregation. Plenty of employers,
When Will It Stop? More Sex Abuse Charges Against Former Church Youth Leader
A Virginia church is at the center of every congregation’s worst nightmare; One of its former volunteers is accused of sexually abusing several children he met through the church. The worst part is that these newest charges come six years after similar allegations plagued the man and the church. Although no charges were ever filed
Pope’s Visit to America Renews Quest to Have Priests Background Checked
Millions of U.S. Catholics applauded Pope Francis when he first arrived on American soil, but for families at the center of the Catholic Church pedophile scandal, it was another opportunity to condemn the church’s actions and to hold it accountable for priests’ crimes. It’s a sobering reminder of the importance of background screening for all