The CRC has encouraged each classis to have a Safe Church Team and each church to have a representative on that team. Safe Church Teams support healthy churches in three ways:
- provide educational opportunities for churches regarding issues surrounding abuse
- offer the Advisory Panel Process when an adult brings an allegation of abuse against a church leader, and
- help churches provide compassionate support for those who struggle with abuse.
PowerPoint Presentations to Adapt and Use
Safe Church provides training for Safe Church Teams so that they can be a resource for churches. The following PowerPoint presentations are for Safe Church Team members to use for educational purposes in their churches and classis:
- Safe Church Overview »
- Circle of Grace - CRC promotional presentation »
- Safe Church Policy »
- The Advisory Panel Process »
- Boundaries »
- Domestic Violence »
- Sample church training - Maintaining a Safe Church: getting started with Safe Church policies »
Sample Training for Councils and Ministry Leaders
Safe Church recommends that all CRC office bearers and ministry leaders receive training in abuse awareness to help congregations better recognize and respond effectively to abuse, as well as to change the culture of denial and silence that allows abuse to thrive. This training resource can help safe church team members facilitate training for office bearers and ministry leaders to make our congregations safer places for everyone.
- Sample Training Outline »
- Safe Church: A Church Leader's Role »
- Where's the Boundary? A Word about Power »
- Responding to a Child Who Discloses Signs and Symptoms »
- Guidelines for Handling Allegations of Abuse Against a Church Leader » (revised June 2019 by synod)
- Advisory Panel Process Flow Chart »
- Scenarios for Discussion »
- Responding to Abuse: A Toolkit for Churches »
Additional Resources
- Reporting to Classis »
- Position description for a Safe Church team member »
- Sample guidelines for when the pastor is the target of objectionable behavior »