Jesus also said, “If any
of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones… it would be
better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were downed in the depth of
the sea.” Matthew
18:6
The issue of child abuse is one that touches
every aspect of our society and culture. It
is tragic to consider, but not even churches have been without incident.
In 1996 The General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a
resolution aimed at reducing the risk of child abuse, in any of its hideous
forms, in the church. We are called
by God to provide a safe, nurturing and loving environment where children and
adults may grow spiritually and physically strong.
Whereas, we are a Christian community of
faith and a United Methodist congregation, we pledge to conduct our ministries
in manners that assure the safety, well-being and spiritual growth of our
children and youth, as well as all of our workers.
To accomplish this pledge we,
Ozark
United
Methodist
Church
will:
Ø
Follow reasonable safety measures in selecting and recruiting
workers/volunteers with children and youth;
Ø
Implement prudent operational procedures for
all programs and events;
Ø
Provide education for all workers/volunteers
with children and youth regarding church policy and procedures as well as the
child abuse reporting requirements of the State of
Missouri
;
Ø
Provide ministerial counseling to the
victimized and abused;
Ø
Prepare a plan for communicating with those
affected by abuse as well as the media.
Go to OUMC Application for
Working With Minors page
Download
the OUMC Safe Sanctuary Manual
