Are the children in your church safe? The unfortunate reality is even within your church walls, countless threats exist that could potentially endanger the children in your care. While there’s no way to 100% guarantee safety, there are procedures, plans, and strategies you can put in place to help protect children. April is Child Abuse
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
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