In today’s world, it is vital to your organization and the safety of the children in your care that every precaution is taken to prevent cases of abuse and neglect. Churches strive to be a place of acceptance and love and far too often that makes it easy for predators to get in and leave pain and devastation in their wake. All you have to do is watch the news to see the effects of child abuse in our society. How can your organization protect itself? How can you make sure your volunteers have all the information they need to spot potential signs of an abuser and how to stop it before it happens?

Our motto: Every volunteer screened. Every volunteer trained.

Protect My Ministry is dedicated to making this a reality for any organization where volunteers are being actively used around children. Background checks as a stand-alone process are not enough; many offenders have never been caught. Group training is no longer enough! We need to make sure each of volunteers is trained before they serve.

Protect My Ministry is excited to announce that we have updated our child safety training video to include even more useful training materials for your staff and volunteers. We have also made it available at no additional cost with the purchase of one of our Ministry Mobilizer bundles.

“How does it work?”

When you subscribe to Ministry Mobilizer, you are pay a small annual subscription that gives you access to child safety training at no additional cost. For every background check you order, you can order the online training video. This 90-minute video is broken into 8 sections and can be viewed from anywhere, anytime with an internet connection. Upon completion, volunteers will be prompted to complete a 25 question quiz that ensures they viewed and understood the material. After scoring a passing grade of 70% or more the volunteer is issued a certificate of completion that is also stored in your system.

Do not let your organization be caught in the dangerous trap of neglect. Let Protect My Ministry help you complete your child protection policy through effective child safety training.

For more information visit http://www.protectmyministry.com/Online-Training

New Partner Spotlight –

Protect My Ministry is pleased to announce our newest Church Management Software partner, Fellowship One Technologies. The integration is now live and working! Through their newest API technology, any church with Fellowship One can use Ministry Mobilizer, our state of the art ordering software, to search your existing volunteer or staff database and import applicant information with the click of a button.

Upon completion of the background check all results will be automatically attached to your applicants profile in Fellowship One for convenient review. All applicants who have adverse information on their reports will be flagged with a “conditional” status of completion so you know to review their report.

Fellowship One added Protect My Ministry as a premier provider of staff and volunteer background checks to continue to provide quality service options for their clients. Protect My Ministry is happy to join them in that vision as we continue striving towards our goal of being the premier provider of cost-effective, comprehensive background checks to churches and the faith-based community.

Contact Protect My Ministry today at (800) 319-5581 for pricing information as well as instructions on how to get started.

www.protectmyministry.com

The summer heat is already upon us (at least is is if you are south of the Mason-Dixon) and as we get further into the season the temperature isn’t the only thing that is going to heat up. For many church volunteers and staff the pressure of activities and church events can feel like a pressure cooker.

Vacation Bible School, camps, mission trips; the to-do list goes on and on. And while all the summer activity is a blessing for the participants, it can also become a heavy burden on the staff and volunteer base. One question that has to be addressed every summer is the issue of child safety – How can your church make sure you are providing a safe and secure environment while still having fun? Protect My Ministry is here to help! Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you are setting policies up for the summer:

1. Safety in numbers – Adult workers should not be alone with a student or child. Having this policy in place will accomplish two things: First it will be a roadblock for anyone trying to gain private access to children where inappropriate conduct could occur. And second it ensures that no one could falsely accuse your staff member or volunteer because there is always someone else in the room to monitor what is going on at all times.
2. Screening – Anyone having access to children or youth needs a background check – period. This is not just for the safety of the children, but also a part of the due diligence for the church to protect itself.
3. Training – Do your volunteers know how to spot signs that inappropriate behavior may be happening outside the confines of a church? Do they know how to handle a situation if a child is abused or claims to be abused? Protect My Ministry offers comprehensive child safety training that covers all these areas and more.

Don’t let safety be a burden this summer. Our mission at Protect My Ministry is to specialize and be a valuable resource in this area of your ministry so you can focus on spreading the gospel with the confidence that those in your care are safe and protected.

For more information go to www.protectmyministry.com

One of the most common questions we hear at Protect My Ministry is this: “What information do I need from my volunteers so I can run a background check?” And usually when I give the answer – name, date of birth, and social security number – it is almost always met with questions like these:

• Why do you need that?
• How do you keep that information safe?
• How are we supposed to keep that information safe?

These questions and more just like them have been brought to the forefront of our industry because of identity theft and I completely understand the concern. But I think before we can even address those issues it’s important to understand the “why” behind it all. Why do we ask for the SSN in the first place?

The History

Once upon a time social security numbers could be found on criminal records. When you requested someone’s background report you would submit the name, date of birth, and social. That is no longer the case. Because most criminal records are public information, individuals with criminal records on file were having their identity stolen because of the amount of information listed on those public files. Now only certain law enforcement records have criminal data files with the social still attached.

The Present

The social security number provides valuable information on your volunteer, including their previous addresses as well any names that have been associated with that SSN. This is important for two reasons: First, it verifies that the person is who they are telling you they are. Second, it will help you determine where you should be focusing your attention as far as your criminal search goes. If your applicant tells you they have lived their whole life in Florida but the SSN shows addresses in WA, NC, TX, etc…well now you have some questions to ask.

New and Improved!

 While those features are valuable in and of themselves, Protect My Ministry has added even more new features to our SSN trace. With our new and improved national, we automatically run every alias that is under the social security number through the national database. This means if you do a background check on a married woman but you only search the married name, as long as her maiden name is listed under the social, we will search both names through the national database automatically at no additional charge to you! We will also re-verify any records we find to make sure it belongs to your person. This new feature will help eliminate cases of human error because it will automatically run the name reported on the SSN trace as well as the name requested, so if you misspell your applicants name our system will catch it for you! This added value is available through Protect My Ministry and ensures that we will continue to consistently provide the best, most accurate background check at the lowest possible price to churches.

For more information about this and other background screening programs by Protect My Ministry please visit – www.protectmyministry.com

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

Penn State Scandal

As I am sure you have heard by now, Penn State university has been rocked by the scandal of a former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of sexually assaulting young boys beginning as early as the mid 90’s and continuing throughout and after his tenure at Penn State.

Where Did Coach Paterno Go Wrong?

According to the attorney general report there are several accusations of assault happening both on and off campus property with one in particular being witnessed by a graduate assistant who reported what he witnessed to head football coach Joe Paterno. Paterno then reported the incident to his immediate supervisor who escalated the incident to senior staff, but never University Police or local officials.

The Grand Jury concluded that the sexual assault of a minor male in 2002 should have been reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and/or a law enforcement agency such as University Police or the Pennsylvania State Police in accordance with Pennsylvania’s mandatory reporting statute for suspected child abuse.

Most people don’t disagree with Joe Paterno first reporting to his direct supervisor what he heard from his graduate assistant about Jerry Sandusky assaulting a boy in a Penn State athletics facility shower room. You shouldn’t have to go over your supervisor’s head and report an incident to the police. What we can’t accept is why he waited a day to tell Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and why he didn’t make sure that Curley went immediately to the police with the report. We now know that Curley did not go to the police at all – and Paterno left the matter alone.

What Can We Learn?

In the light of this horrific tragedy, being angry and shocked is simply not enough. What happened at Penn State needs to go beyond anger, surprise, sensationalism, and lengthy news coverage. Every organization that works with children needs to look at what happened and do some self-evaluation of their current sexual abuse prevention strategies. Don’t be afraid to make changes.

Policies Protect Children

Start with a clear policy and guidelines on what is acceptable and not acceptable.  The consequences of not having a child protection policy in place far outweigh the cost of implementing them.  As fathers, mothers and caretakers we don’t care what the cost is to protect our own children.  Churches and ministries should have the same level of protection in place that you would choose for your own children. 

It’s not difficult to establish a policy with clear, enforceable child protection guidelines.  The basic tenants of your policy should include background checks for staff and volunteers in the church that work with minors, including criminal and sex offender history checks.  And because only 1 in 10 sexual abusers has a criminal history it is also imperative to have mandatory child safety training on the topic of sexual abuse prevention and awareness.  

Be sure to get signed agreements from volunteers stating they have read and understand the policy and agree to adhere to the requirements of the policy. Enforcing the policy is essential to demonstrating that your organization has performed the necessary due diligence, in case someone still manages to slip through the cracks.

Children Won’t Always Tell

Next it is paramount that we figure out how to get kids to understand when something wrong has been done to them – and then report it to the right people. It is terrifying how pedophiles are able to keep their victims silent. Children remain silent because their abuser scares them into silence; there can also be shame and embarrassment, and sometimes even a feeling of affection for the person molesting them. Silence is terrible because it protects and enables the molester to keep on molesting, and it deprives the victims of the help they need. Studies have shown the average sexual predator victimizes 120 before being caught.

Predators Are On The Prowl

It is not enough to say “we know everyone” or “that will never happen here.” The church is a target for predators.  Predators are eager to volunteer to work with children and typically won’t wait long before gaining access.  If access is not permitted they will move to another target.  The six-month rule is a great way to weed out any potential predators.

About Protect My Ministry

Protect My Ministry continues to work diligently to educate churches in the area of ministry protection and provides resources can assist any ministry in the creating and maintain a safe environment for those entrusted to their care.  Our proprietary processes, products and solutions have made Protect My Ministry the industry leader for volunteer background checks, child safety training and risk management solutions.

For more information go to www.protectmyministry.com

A few years ago a good friend of mine was at a child safety training workshop at his church learning about the procedures and policies they had in place to ensure a secure environment for their children. The pastor spent some time discussing the security cameras, elaborate child check in procedures, and details on how to spot signs of child abuse – all very valuable tools in a child protection policy.

As the session came to a close everyone was asked to fill out a background check authorization form and put them in a bin on their way out the door. As my friend, who has a professional security background, completed his form and dropped it in the bin he later confided in me that he was uncomfortable dropping a piece of paper in an open-lid box when that piece of paper contained his full legal name, date of birth, and social security number on it. That information is all anyone would need to open a credit card in his name and steal his identity, but what choice did he have?

Protect My Ministry recognized this as a problem several years ago and created Ministry Moblizer, a completely paperless system that allows churches to process background checks online without the need for a paper application. Here are 3 reasons paperless is the best way to go:

1. Convenience

For the church and the volunteer, being able to submit an application online from the privacy of your home is much easier than filling out a paper form. And the church doesn’t have to enter any of the volunteer information since it is electronically sent to an online account for the church. The background check can then be ordered with the click of a button making your life much easier.

2. Security

Many people just like my friend are nervous about leaving their information on a paper form in a filing cabinet that can be accessed by others, even if it is locked. Having no paper forms on-site at the church will put many of your volunteers’ minds at ease.

3. Speed

I remember sitting in a volunteer meeting one Sunday after church going over new safety procedures. We walked through several handbooks and we were given our paperwork to take home, fill out, and bring back the following week. I wish I could say I was a responsible adult in this situation, but unfortunately I cannot. And according to the many of the church employees I talk to neither can a lot of other volunteers. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s still on a desk somewhere…two years later. Being able to fill something out quickly and conveniently online makes your volunteers much more likely to complete the necessary paperwork in a timely manner.

So if you are tired of filing paperwork, data entry, and collecting dozens or even hundreds of forms, give us a call. We can help!

Please visit http://www.protectmyministry.com/Background-Checks for more information.

Does your church have a vacation bible school planned for this summer? As the spiritual landscape of our country changes one thing that has remained consistent is the impact of vacation bible school. A little over 100 years ago, VBS started in New York City and has since become a growing phenomenon; the average annual attendance for Southern Baptists alone is almost 3 million children! According to some studies more people come to know Jesus as Savior through VBS than through any other single church event.

As a child I remember every summer experiencing summer heat, baseball, trips to the beach, and VBS. No matter how busy my parents were or what the rest of the summer looked like VBS was always a part of my childhood.

Somewhere between kickball and macaroni art that my parents still have in a box somewhere, the teachers and volunteers taught that Jesus loved me and wanted to know me. There were puppets and videos all pointing to a message that was God-centered and child-specific. Methods have evolved and the curriculum is new and exciting, but the goal has remained the same: To create a safe environment where kids can learn about Jesus and have fun!  

Unfortunately times have changed and there is one area where things are very different; the threat and concerns for the safety of our children. Twenty years ago very few churches had detailed safety procedures in place for VBS or children’s ministry in general! Today child protection is something we can’t be too careful about and even though VBS is a one-time event it deserves the same care and attention we give to our weekly programs.

This means implementing a child protection policy that includes the careful screening of volunteers through a criminal background check and personal interviews. Some churches check referrals or have child-safety training to help volunteers spot signs of abuse and ways to prevent it from occurring. Making sure you have these measures in place not only protects the children in your care, but also gives directors and parents a sense of peace about those who are watching the children which will increase attendance.

Let’s do all we can to keep VBS a safe, fun environment for our children to learn the good news of Jesus Christ for the glory of God!

There was a recent church abuse report from a church “Couple” that together befriended, lured and molested a student that they had met at church and through church camp.  This was  a couple in their young 20’s looking for a child to prey upon.  They found that child at small church.  Read it at http://www2.dothaneagle.com/news/2011/mar/20/marianna-church-couple-arrested-ar-1601685/ 

Read this definition of grooming as taken from Wikipedia:

Child grooming refers to actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a child, in order to lower the child’s inhibitions in preparation for sexual activity with the child, or exploitation.  Child grooming may be used to lure minors into illicit businesses such as child prostitution or the production of child pornography.^[1][2][3]

Although worldwide case law has an inherently heterogeneous history of offenders, generally child sexual abuse occurs at the hands of someone personally close and well known to that child. Thus, abuse is usually preceded by grooming.^[4]

Child grooming involves psychological manipulation in the form of positive reinforcement and foot-in-the-door tactics, using activities that are typically legal but later lead to illegal activities. This is done to gain the child’s trust as well as the trust of those responsible for the child’s well-being. Additionally, a trusting relationship with the family means the child’s parents are less likely to believe potential accusations.^[5]

In the case of sexual grooming, child pornography images are often shown to the child as part of the grooming process.^[1][2][3]

To establish a good relationship with the child and the child’s family, child groomers might do several things. For example, they might take an undue interest in someone else’s child, to be the child’s “special” friend to gain the child’s trust. They might give gifts or money to the child for no apparent reason (toys, dolls, etc.). They may show pornography—videos or pictures—to the child, hoping to make it easy for the child to accept such acts, thus normalizing the behavior. They may simply talk about sexual topics. These are just some of the methods a child groomer might use to gain a child’s trust and affection in order to allow them to do what they want. Hugging and kissing or other physical contact, even when the child does not want it, can happen. To the groomer, this is a way to get close. They might talk about problems normally discussed between adults, or at least people of the same age. Topics might include marital problems and other conflicts. They may try to gain the child’s parents’ trust by befriending them, with the goal of easy access to the child. The child groomer might look for opportunities to have time alone with the child. This can be done by offering to babysit. The groomer may invite the child for sleepovers. This gives them the opportunity to sleep in the same room or even the same bed with the child.

Actions such as online communication have been defended by suspected offenders using the so-called ‘fantasy defense’, in which those accused argue that they were only expressing fantasies and not plans of future behavior. In the U.S., case law draws a distinction between those two and some people accused of ‘grooming’ have successfully used this defense.^[4]

If you are a church or volunteer at a church and want to implement a child safety system then you might find information available at www.protectmyministry.com – they have solutions that can help.