Protecting Our Kids, Our Church and Ourselves: Steps to avoid Penn State issues.
“How do I [as a youth worker] make sure the issues we see at Penn State don’t repeat themselves at my church?”
In order to make sure these situations do not occur at your church, under your watch, to the students that are under your care, you need to make sure certain policies and procedures are:
- Clearly stated
- Communicated
- Understood
- Adhered to
In our ministry, we have a Youth Worker’s Manual (email me for a copy of the manual) that we give to all potential youth workers before they begin their ministry at the church. Inside of this manual we have several sections, including a comprehensive guide to the philosophy of ministry, theological statements, an application, background information and a section that details the steps to avoid, stop and prevent child abuse.
It is not enough to have a manual though. You need to make sure it’s a valuable tool in your ministry. It is more than just a way to have ministry alignment. It is an integral step in the process of showing everyone how much we value our students, our leaders, our church and most importantly, our God.
Therefore, if you are leading a ministry without a manual and without making sure your strategy for dealing with sticky situations is in place, then you are asking for failure to occur. Be aware of the dangers that are before you and think about how you can make a positive difference in the lives of our teens today. If you need help, please ask.
“We will be above reproach.” Youth Ministries Manual, p. 5
