If you work in schools or churches then you are sure to attend a child protection course...
At least once a year.
In the lead up to every camp.
At the start of any cross-deniminational ministry or activity with high exposure to young people.
The reasons are simple.
Children matter. They matter to God and the should matter to the church.
The church is to be a welcoming place for children (Matthew 18:5)
The church should be aware of the needs of children.
Bad things happen in the world and the children who are the victums of some awful things enter our churches and attend our programs.
Those who are engaged in children's ministry need to be aware of such things as abuse, the signs of abuse and how to handle any disclosure of abuse.
Those who deal with young people need to be equiped in how to handle difficult situations BEFORE they arrise.
Doing repeated child protection cources are vital because the church not only needs to hold the above reasons to be true, but must SHOW CLEARLY to all that this is the case.
It may take a day out of the year.
You may find it slightly annoying.
I don't care.
Suck it up.
Maybe, in light of becoming a parent, I've become slightly more hardline about the issue. But any church which not only wouldn't/doesn't do trainning in this area, but won't/doesn't embrace such activities, I would be extremly wary of.
If this means that you do a similar course every 24 months then so be it.
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