March Pastor’s Pen

Dear Church,

As your pastor, one of my top priorities is to ensure the safety of all children, youth, and vulnerable adults participating in and interacting with our congregation. As a cooperating church with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), we are participating in a CBF-sponsored initiative to strengthen safeguarding practices in our church.

Since November, FBC JC has partnered with GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment – netgrace.org), whose mission is to educate and empower churches to recognize, prevent, and respond to potential abuse situations within the church setting. The initiative includes:

1. A four-hour training for ministry staff, church officers, and a policy team occurred on November 18.
2. A building safety consultation to understand the highest risk areas and how to work for prevention occurred on November 18.
3. A review of relevant church policies and assistance for a policy team in developing ongoing effective policies. This team is currently meeting.
4. A three-to-four-hour training for all volunteers and adults in the church.

On Saturday, March 23, we will accomplish #4 with GRACE’s Safeguarding Training, designed to give every adult the education and tools they need to live the policy of the church well. Everyone in a church plays a role in keeping kids and other vulnerable people safe. The safest church is an educated church.

All adults are invited to join us for this training from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, March 23. The morning is programmed into four 50-minute segments with breaks between each. Refreshments will be served. Topics will include Facing the Reality of Abuse in the Church, Responding to the Impact of Abuse, Understanding Offenders and Their Tactics, and Your Role in Prevention and Response.

Please RSVP by Monday, March 18, by contacting the church office. For those unable to attend in person, the sessions will be recorded and available online at a future date.