AUSTIN SPRINGS METHODIST CHURCH SAFE SANCTUARIES POLICY OUR
CALLING
Austin Springs
Methodist Church is a sacred place where God’s people of all ages come together
for worship, study, service and fellowship. The ministries of Austin Springs
seek to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ and make disciples of Jesus
Christ, that all who enter may come to know God and experience the love of
Christ.
OUR MANDATE
According to the Tennessee Department of Children’s
Services, more than 49,000 children per year in the State of Tennessee are
reported to be abused or neglected. Approximately 50 percent of these children
were alleged to be physically or sexually abused.
OUR PURPOSE
The purpose of this
document is to ensure that the members and staff of Austin Springs Methodist
Church do all they can to provide a safe and secure environment for nursery,
preschoolers, children, youth, and all persons entrusted to our care. The
following policies and procedures are for the protection of our children,
youth, employees, volunteers and our entire church family at Austin Springs
Methodist Church, Johnson City, Tennessee. By establishing these policies and
procedures, we demonstrate our commitment to provide a safe environment for our
children and youth as they grow in their relationship with God. We believe it
is possible for us to reduce the risk of abuse by following these procedures.
OUR COVENANT
Therefore, as a Christian community of faith and a Methodist
congregation, we pledge to conduct the ministry of Jesus Christ in ways that
assure the safety of our children and youth, as well as of the workers with
children and youth. We will follow reasonable safety measures in the selection
and recruitment of workers; we will implement prudential operating procedures
in our ministries; we will educate our workers with children and youth
regarding the use of appropriate procedures; we will have a clearly defined
procedure for reporting a suspected incident of abuse that conforms to the
requirements of the laws of the State of Tennessee; and we will be prepared to
respond should such an incident occur. In all our ministries with Children and
Youth, this congregation is committed to demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ
so that each child will be “surrounded by steadfast love…. Established in the
faith… and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal.”
AUSTIN SPRINGS METHODIST CHURCH SAFE SANCTUARIES
IMPLEMENTATION MANUAL DEFINITIONS
Children – Persons
Birth – Grade 6 Youth – Persons attending Grades 7 - 12 Adults – Persons over
23 Years of Age* *While persons are legally considered an adult at age 18, to
encourage adherence to the 5-year rule, Austin Springs Safe Sanctuaries
requires that “adults” be over 23 years of age. Intern/Assistant – Persons
employed temporarily to assist with special ministry areas.
GENERAL PROCEDURES 1. Austin Springs Safe Sanctuaries policy
will be approved by the Church Council and available to all church members. a.
Staff and Volunteers with children and youth will receive a copy of Austin
Springs Safe Sanctuaries Policy. b. Parents will receive a copy of the Safe
Sanctuaries Policy when their child first attends Austin Springs Methodist. c.
The Safe Sanctuary Policy will be included in our new member packets, available
for pick-up in the church information area, and available online at
http://www.findingourwayhome.net/. d. The Austin Springs Safe Sanctuaries
Policy and Implementation Manual will be reviewed annually by the Church
Council. 2. Volunteers with Children and Youth will be offered training regarding
the implementation of that policy. At the training, all participants will be
required to authorize Austin Springs Methodist to complete a background check
and to sign a Safe Sanctuaries participation covenant. 3. Facility doors will
be locked when not in use, including closets, electrical rooms, and any cabinet
where chemicals/cleaners are stored. The Pavilion will be locked when not in
use, including kitchen and restrooms. 4. Facility exit doors will be marked by
illuminated EXIT signs and will remain clear of any items that would impede
evacuation in case of an emergency. Emergency lighting will be installed and in
working order ensure easy evacuation in the event of power failure. Emergency
lighting will be in, but not limited to, the fellowship hall, sanctuary, and
hallways. Working and maintained fire extinguishers will be in, but not limited
to, two at front of sanctuary, one in the pastor’s office, one in upstairs
classroom hallway, two in fellowship hall kitchen, and one in pavilion kitchen.
The Trustees Committee Chair will ensure that the emergency lighting and all
fire extinguishers are checked monthly and a log is maintained. The Trustees
Committee Chair will also ensure there is an emergency response plan developed,
church leadership trained on the plan, and at least on an annual basis an
emergency response drill conducted. Page 4 of 6 5. Staff, leaders and other
volunteers will know the location of emergency aid kits and have telephone
access for emergency medical assistance. a. Local access telephones are
available in the Pastor’s Office, Library, and the Kitchen downstairs in the
Fellowship Hall. b. First Aid kits will be made available in the library, the
Fellowship Hall, and in the kitchen in the Pavilion. The Trustee Committee
Chair will ensure First Aid kits are checked monthly to ensure they are
properly supplied, and any expired supplies are removed and replaced. A log
will be maintained to verify maintenance checks. 6. No fewer than two leaders
will be present at all events where children, youth, and vulnerable adults will
be participating, on or off campus. At least one leader present will be an
adult, 23 years of age or older, who has been an active part of Austin Springs
Methodist for six months or longer, has authorized a background check and has
been trained in Safe Sanctuaries policies and procedures. a. When it is not
feasible to have 2 leaders in every room, such as when a large group has
divided into smaller groups, doors will remain open, and a floater will check
on each group. b. All teachers and leaders are strongly encouraged to avoid
being alone with a minor or vulnerable adult. c. For overnight events, at least
two adults of each gender will be present. At single-gender overnight events,
at least two or more adults present will be of the same gender as the
participating children/youth/ vulnerable adults. 7. Volunteers who serve as
teachers and leaders of children and youth will be at least five years older
than the oldest person they are teaching or leading. 8. Volunteers and staff
who collaborate with minors and vulnerable adults will be required to submit to
a background check. a. Volunteers and Staff submitting to a background check
must complete an authorization form available in the church office. This form
will be supplied to all people completing Safe Sanctuaries training.
Authorization forms should be turned in the Pastor for submission. b.
Background checks for Austin Springs’ employees and volunteers will be paid for
through the church budget. Background checks for volunteers for other
organizations are the responsibility of that organization. c. Only the Eligibility
Review Panel (consisting of the Pastor(s), the Background Check Coordinator,
and Church Council Chair) will see the results of the background checks and
determine the eligibility of persons to collaborate with minors and vulnerable
adults. Ideally, there would be a consensus decision made by the Eligibility
Review Panel for each applicant. However, in all circumstances the Pastor(s)
will be the final authority in determining a person’s eligibility to collaborate
with minors and vulnerable adults. d. If an individual has a concern about a
decision made about their eligibility or if another church member or guest has
a concern about a person’s appropriateness to collaborate with minors and
vulnerable adults. e. Other Ministry Team members will receive a list of people
who have been approved for service with children and youth. f. All background
checks will be kept confidential. Files from background checks will be kept in
a locked cabinet with other personnel files in the Pastor’s office. g.
Background checks must be renewed every 5 years. h. Persons who have resided in
Tennessee less than 3 years will have a background check in their previous
state of residence. I. Persons who are found to represent a potential threat of
committing abuse or violating this policy will not be allowed to serve as
teachers, leaders or helpers with children and youth. 9. A minimum ratio of 1
adult volunteer worker per 10 children/youth/ vulnerable adults will be
maintained in each situation involving the supervision of children and youth.
10. Austin Springs Methodist is responsible for each child/youth in attendance
at an event from the beginning to the end of the event, in the location that
the event occurs. Parents must be attentive to sign-in procedures. a. Children
may not leave prior to the ending of an event without prior notice from a
parent. b. Children will only be released to people other than parents if prior
contact has occurred between the parents and the staff person in charge. c.
Austin Springs Methodist is not responsible for children/youth who are not
signedinto an event. 11. Permission forms will be required for each off-campus
event involving children and youth. 12. All Facebook/social media groups and
pages associated with Preschool, Children’s or Youth ministry areas will be
designated as “closed” groups, requiring all those who wish to gain access to
be approved by the page administrators. All church-related Facebook groups and
pages must have at least two administrators. If an administrator is no longer
associated with the ministry, that individual’s administrative status must be
revoked. Photos may be posted to the Facebook/social media page by page
administrators. Photos must not be tagged with name or location indicators.
Parents must be given the opportunity to opt out of this to prohibit posting.
All photos must be appropriate and within the spirit of the mission of our
ministry. Photos used in other mediums such as church newsletters, websites,
blogs, etc. must not include any identifying information of minors. Individuals
(including minors) are welcome to identify (“tag”) themselves. We discourage
youth and adults from taking and posting photos of children participating in
church events on all personal social media sites. When checking in on
Foursquare, Facebook or any location tagging social media, only check on
yourself. Never check in minors. Be sensitive to tagging or revealing other
participants’ location without their expressed permission. In the case of
clergy and member online connections, Friend requests (et al) should be
initiated by the member, especially if the member is a minor or vulnerable
adult. 13. No photographs or videos of children are to be taken by church staff
or leaders without signature authorization given by the child’s parent/legal guardian.
If the child is in the custody of The Tennessee Department of Children’s
Services, only The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services can authorize
any photographs or video. Foster parents are not authorized to sign to allow
photographs or video to be taken. 14. All outside organizations that use the
church facility or church grounds will abide by Austin Springs Safe Sanctuaries
policies and procedures. Such organizations will be asked to sign a covenant
that they have read and agree to abide by Austin Springs Safe Sanctuaries
policies and procedures. 15. Classroom windows may not be covered when rooms
are in use by children or youth. 16.
Parents or other adults who bring children to Austin Springs are encouraged to
remain on the property while their children are signed into Austin Springs’
ministries. Persons who leave the property while the children for whom they are
responsible are signed into classes or events will provide emergency contact
information 17. Liability insurance coverage: Austin Springs Methodist Trustees
shall maintain liability insurance coverage of at least $1,000,000 per
event/$3,000,000 aggregate for activities both on and off church property.
Liability insurance should include at least $300,000 coverage for sexual
misconduct claims.
PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING INCIDENTS OF ABUSE 1. According to
the laws of the State of Tennessee, all persons are mandatory reporters of
child abuse. If a person learns of or witnesses an instance of abuse, that
person shall immediately report the alleged incident of abuse or suspected
abuse to the appropriate county or state authorities. The telephone number for
reporting incidents in the State of Tennessee is 1-887-237-0004. 2. Incidents
of abuse or suspected incidents of abuse of children or youth will also be
reported as soon as possible to the Senior Pastor or another Austin Springs
Ministry Team member. 3. The person reporting the incident will document, in
writing, all known facts and circumstances and will also make a report that
documents all steps taken whilemanaging the reported incident. 4. The pastor
and/or staff member will document all actions taken in reporting the incident
of abuse using the appropriate forms. 5. The confidentiality of all persons
involved will be safeguarded.
RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE 1. Every allegation will
be taken seriously. Adequate care and respect must be offered to the alleged
victims and alleged perpetrators until the allegation can be substantiated or
cleared. 2. The safety and security of the alleged victim must be safeguarded
before the person accused of abuse is confronted. 3. The parents/guardians of
the suspected victim will be notified immediately, unless the parents/guardians
are the alleged perpetrators. 4. All procedures listed in the previous section
on Reporting will be strictly followed. 5. All records relating to the matter
will be maintained in confidential files. 6. All efforts in managing the
situation will be carefully documented. 7. The Senior Pastor or his/her
designee will notify the liability insurer and the legal counsel for the Church
about the alleged incident. 8. The Senior Pastor will be the sole spokesperson
for Austin Springs Methodist Church and the District Superintendent will be the
sole spokesperson for the district insofar as media inquiries are concerned. 9.
Any person accused must be treated with dignity and support. That person will
be immediately relieved of further responsibilities, as circumstances dictate,
until the allegations are cleared or substantiated.
