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Safe Ministry is a way for our church to focus on protection and care for each person. This protection and care is intended for everyone in our community, not just for children. However, we must go out of our way to protect the most vulnerable among us, and children are among our most vulnerable members.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended 10 Child Safe Standards. They provide a principle-based framework to help organisations working with children to develop strategies and create a culture that keeps children safe and protects them from harm.

Here at St. John’s we enthusiastically desire our church to be a safe place for our children and for all our members and visitors. However, we must also understand that Anglican churches are required under the Children’s Guardian Act 2019 to demonstrate how they are implementing the Child Safe Standards. The Children’s Guardian can take action to ensure organisations such as our church comply with the Child Safe Standards. The 10 standards are:

  1. Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
  2. Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
  3. Families and communities are informed and involved
  4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs are taken into account
  5. People working with children are suitable and supported
  6. Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focused
  7. Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training
  8. Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occur
  9. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is continuously reviewed and improved
  10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safe

Some of these are requirements for leaders to implement. But every one of us has responsibility to be aware, and to ensure that a culture of thoughtful safe ministry is adopted in all our meetings and activities, in our facilities and in ministry elsewhere.

If you’d like to learn more or talk about anything raised here, please speak to one of our Pastors or contact our Safe Ministry Representative, Julia Kim.

Bruce Morrison
Senior Minister

 

Pray: Give thanks for the privilege of caring for children and young people as a vital expression of our faith in Jesus and for the many in our church who work to make St John’s a safe and welcoming place. Ask God for wisdom and perseverance as our leaders implement the Child Safe Standards and seek to reflect the love, justice and compassion of Christ. Ask God to strengthen the whole church to build a culture of safety, where children are protected, valued and helped to thrive.