Be sure to check out our series on protecting your church from sexual abuse:
- Part 1: 4 Reasons every ministry leader must take sexual abuse seriously
- Part 2: How to protect your church from sexual abuse (Current article)
In the previous post, I detail why every ministry must implement sexual abuse awareness training. I explain why many ministries are unprepared and why sexual abuse is a real threat for ministries of every size. In this post, I’ll discuss a few of the specific reasons why our church chose Ministry Safe to help in this area. I do not receive any compensation from Ministry Safe for this recommendation. I simply believe their product and resources are some of the best in this field.
Here are a few reasons why Ministry Safe has worked well for us:
Ministry Safe is not a for-profit scam
As a pastor, I’m solicited all the time to buy all types of subscriptions, products, and junk. Frankly, I get sick of someone telling me that I need to purchase this “new” thing or my ministry is going to suffer. Ministry Safe is not a scam. It is owned by two attorneys who are passionate about protecting children. They are experts in this field and have their own successful law firm that operates independently from Ministry Safe.
This tool is about protecting children and helping ministries, not about making a buck.
We need easy solutions for busy ministry leaders
Most ministry leaders are busy people. As a result, we need tools that are simple, clear, and can be easily implemented with as few headaches as possible. Everything you need to know about the risks and dangers of sexual abuse can be found on Ministry Safe.
A few areas they cover are:
- awareness training
- best practices for screening volunteers
- recommended policies and procedures.
Furthermore, the information is organized in a simple way to guide you through the process of protecting your ministry and keeping children safe.
Track volunteers, document training and keep background checks in one place
Most ministries depend on volunteers and lots of them. Volunteers come and go. This platform simplifies the process of keeping track of your volunteers and ministry workers. You can email volunteers online training and monitor their progress from an online dashboard. Also you can keep track of background checks and other relevant information in one place.
In addition to all of this, you will have an easy way to document the training you are providing and prove you are taking the steps necessary to keep your ministry safe. I hope you never need to “prove” that you have taken the steps necessary to keep your ministry safe. However, if that day comes you will be thankful for this resource.
Easy access to forms, policies, and procedures
One of the awesome features of this resource is that you will have immediate access to recommended forms and policies. This material was developed by lawyers who are experts in this field. Therefore, having access to these documents makes the process of updating your current child protection policies simple and fast!
It’s very affordable even for small ministries with limited resources
Last, but not least, the services of Ministry Safe are extremely affordable. They work well for ministries of all sizes, even really small ministries. You can get access for only $10 dollars for an individual or $250 to cover an entire ministry for one year. I recommend purchasing this resource for your entire church or ministry. Funds can be tight, but when we look at the risk compared to the cost of this tool, the decision is easy.
Plus, trying to put together everything Ministry Safe provides on your own would be a daunting, expensive, and difficult project. I’ve even heard rumors that on occasion they are willing to work with small ministries that cannot afford all of the cost up front.
One more note: Ministry Safe does more than provide online resources. They host workshops and child safety summits for all types of ministries; this is how I initially learned about Ministry Safe. The information they provide is excellent regardless of whether you choose to use their product. Attending a Ministry Safe summit or workshop is well worth your time. I attended
