Volunteers play a pivotal role in organizations across various sectors, contributing their time, skills, and passion to support causes that are meaningful to them. While the dedication of volunteers is invaluable, organizations must prioritize the safety and well-being of both volunteers and those they serve. A comprehensive background check process for volunteers is critical in
Back to School and Background Checks: Why Screening Church Volunteers is Important
Volunteers help the church flourish. They’re a crucial part of ministry life. Most churches wouldn’t be able to function without the help of volunteers. And as the back-to-school season approaches, it’s important to ensure all your church’s volunteers have completed (and passed) a background check. By default, church members and visitors usually feel comfortable leaving
Why You Need Continuous Monitoring for Volunteers
Churches are organizations that rely on many people to work and volunteer for the ministry that takes place. Many churches implement background checks and use employee and volunteer screening processes to protect guests, members, staff, and property. However, many places of worship don’t have continuous monitoring in place. Because churches have children’s ministries with adults
The Ban the Box Loophole Sex Offenders Don’t Want You to Know About
A violent attack in South Florida is exposing the dangers of not conducting background checks on employees, and shedding light on a unforeseen consequence of employers based in Ban the Box states. If you don’t already know what Ban the Box is, here is a rough (and long-winded) explanation: Job applications used to universally ask
Inside the Mind of a Sexual Predator
“We let him into our lives, our home. We trusted him with our children, and he betrayed us in the worst way possible,” the mother told the judge. “It is inconceivable to think that this man was able to maintain the lie of who he was for eight years in our community.’’ Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/05/sex_offender_left_oregon_and_d.html Those
When Should Your Church Re-Screen Employees and Volunteers?
Recently, a church found itself 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 years after similar allegations plagued the man and the church. Once a clean record, not always a clean a
Watch for These Background Check Red Flags
There are many hurdles toward landing a job; passing a background check shouldn’t be one of them. Background checks are often the final litmus test before receiving a job offer. They are – rightly so – an increasingly common requirement in ministries hiring procedures and vetting policies for volunteers. A thorough background investigation, such as
How to Spot a Predator – One Church’s Story
“Background checks are required but statistics say that background checks only catch ten percent of predators. We knew our goal had to be to get the entire staff savvy on how to spot predators.” – Executive Pastor Donald Pope of First Baptist Church of Canton, Ga. In a bold move by a Georgia church, executive
How NOT to Deal with a Sex Offender at Your Church
Leaders at a Baptist church in Connecticut have gone silent after it was uncovered that a sex offender had been leading the church for years. Letters from church officials and court records show that a pastor was allowed to continue leading his church for five years while on the state sex offender registry after a
Common Misconceptions in the Background Screening Process
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