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SAFE SANCTUARIES

Safer Sanctuaries

Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities is a denominational resource for congregations, featuring tools and resources for nursery, preschool, elementary, youth, college students, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. It complements existing conference resources.

This resource helps faith communities establish a culture of protection. Safer Sanctuaries emphasizes that these policies are about ministry and pastoral care for the whole community, not just avoiding negative outcomes.

Safe Sanctuary practices and procedures are an act of discipleship. Creating safe places for all areas of ministry is the responsibility of the whole faith community, not just those serving directly with vulnerable persons. The book Safer Sanctuaries guides ministry leaders in the importance of reframing the ministry of Safe Sanctuaries. “It (the ministry of Safe Sanctuaries) needs to be something we see as life-giving and community enhancing, first and foremost. Instead of viewing this as something we have to do, it can be something we are inspired to do, a proactive endeavor that enables flourishing ministry. Building safer sanctuaries can be an empowering, joyful way of being in community that promotes honesty, openness, and the safety and security of all people, rather than an obligation borne of fear and mandates.” (p. 13) “As we approach the work of creating safer sanctuaries, we strive for flourishing, not fear, to always be first and foremost in our minds. The fear of abuse, the fear of litigation, and the fear of all the negative outcomes that we are trying to avoid with this work is understandable. These threats are real. Nevertheless, the goal of establishing healthy relationships and healthy boundaries that nurture strong and growing faith communities is always our guiding principle.” (p.14)

Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities covers topics like Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, consent and healthy touch, types of abuse, recognizing abuse and abusive behavior, online and social media guidelines, and provides sample forms and policy guidelines for creating a Safe Sanctuaries policy for your congregation.

Safer Sanctuaries also includes worship resources for affirming your mission of making your faith community a safer sanctuary. Outlines for both a Service of Affirmation and Thanksgiving and A Service of Holy Communion are included.