AdSAFE has made some changes to the Safer Churches eLearning making it even easier for you to be up to date on safe church practice. Lets all work together to keep our church environment safe for everyone
For nearly two years, churches have been alerted to the fact that there are FIVE KEY PRACTICAL ACTIONS that are foundational and essential for compliance with the new child safe standards that came into play January 1 this year. (https://www.ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/index.htm to find out more)
- Every staff or volunteer appointed by the Church Nominating Committee is to have:
- an up to date Working with Children Check
- completed the Safer Churches training
- completed and signed the volunteer pledge
- Every church, company and group must have formally adopted the:
- MOST RECENT Safe Places Policy, and such is recorded in minutes
- Child-Safe Code of Conduct and such is recorded in minutes
Completion of the Safe Churches training can be undertaken online (which is the preferred method) or with face to face training provided by the Conference with an associated fee of $20.
The great news is that the FREE Safer Churches online training provided by AdSAFE’s eLearning has just been made much easier to complete.
The format consists of seven modules. The first six remain unchanged, but the online webinar of Module 7 has been replaced. Module 7 is now a short written module summarising the key points presented in Modules 1-6.
To complete, at NO cost, this new and improved Safer Churches eLearning, go to: https://safeplaceservices.org.au/training . The enrolment key to all modules is S@fe.
The key issues for local churches when considering compliance with Child Safe Standards are:
- We must do all we can to ensure the safety of children visiting and worshipping in our churches. The stories shared at the Royal Commission prove that sadly the Christina church (including the Seventh-day Adventist church) has not always been a safe place for children. This is our moral responsibility as citizens within our community.
- It is our biblical responsibility to submit to governing authorities in those matters that do not negate the law of God (see Romans 13:1-5).
- We must do all we can to care for the vulnerable (James 1:27). If our inaction allowed opportunity for a child to be hurt, what a horrific impact that inaction would have on that child, the church and our mission and witness to the wider community.
Craig Gillis