What's Included?
The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide for Churches and Ministries
Churches have always sought to be a safe haven for children and families, but many today are dealing with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. For the first time in history, this issue is finally being acknowledged by churches and faith communities. But the task of developing a policy to keep children safe can seem too overwhelmingÑit feels like an impossible task to plan for every contingency. This results in churches neglecting to put working safety plans in place, leaving themselves, and the children they care for, vulnerable.
This handbook, supported by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, is designed to help churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and deal with possible child abuse in their ministries, school, and church. By walking through a wide range of scenarios, this book will assist churches and ministries to assess their current child abuse policies and guide them through each step they should take to address the safety of children under their care.
Covering vitally important topics including the warning signs of abuse, how to respond to abuse allegations and care for victims, and the legal implications and requirements for churches and Christian ministries, working through this book will guide churches and Christian ministries in creating and implementing policies to protect children in a Christian environment from child abuse. This handbook is an invaluable resource for Christians who are seeking to educate themselves and others about child abuse and how they can best protect the little ones under their care.
Bringing Christ to Abused Women
Violence against women is a growing concern, both in America and around the world. We want to help, but the problem can seem too big, too complex, too overwhelming, or too far away to tackle. Christ calls us to help the helpless, but what can we do to prevent violence and offer hope and help to women who have been abused?
Based on her many years of experience working with victims as a psychologist, Diane Langberg offers a window into what it looks like to walk with someone who has experienced trauma and abuse. Leaning heavily into Christ as the one who fully understands and redeems suffering, she will open your eyes to see both the horror of such an experience and the splendor of the gospel as it creates beauty from ashes.
Caring for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
How is your church ministering to children in your congregation who have experienced sexual abuse? Jesus told us that whoever received a child in his name received him (Matt. 18:5). Is this the guiding principle that informs how your congregation cares for its most vulnerable members? Is your church armed with compassion and a care plan for these survivors, or are you somehow communicating insignificance to them?
Basyle Tchividjian and Justin Holcomb address the heartbreaking reality that the marginalization of child sexual abuse victims is all too common in the Christian community. They outline specific ways churches have tragically diminished the seriousness of abuse and caused further distress to survivors. Tchividjian and Holcomb skillfully advocate for ways Jesus calls his church to love and serve the wounded among them, so that congregations no longer consign survivors to suffer in silence.
Protecting Children from Abuse in the Church
How do we protect the children in our Christian community from sexual offenders?
We are becoming more and more aware of the prevalence of child abuse, both in society at large and in the church. We want to protect children in our community from abuse, but we don't always know the best ways to go about that.
From his years of experience as a child abuse prosecutor, Boz Tchividjian unpacks the dynamics of a church environment that allows perpetrators to thrive and offers constructive help for educating and training your church to recognize and deal with potential abuse. Using biblical principles and the example of Jesus, he shows you how to cultivate an attitude and environment in your church that provides safety and protection for these young ones.
The Sexual Impact of Sexual Abuse
Are you ministering to someone whose trauma of sexual abuse has shattered their trust in God? Do you see them wrestling with the dichotomy between what they are told about God and the bitter facts of their wounds? If the abuse happened when they were a child, they may have a particularly fractured understanding of trust, truth, and love. How can you begin to reach out to them? What do you need to understand about their pain?
Diane Langberg walks you through the answers to these questions and provides timely counseling insight based on her years of working with victims of sexual abuse. She explains why it is critical to understand the long-term impact of such trauma, and she considers ways you can wisely incarnate the love of Christ to a survivor searching for true meaning and purpose.
What the Bible Says to Abuse Survivors and Those Who Hurt Them
Pastors and church personnel often struggle to apply intentional and appropriate doses of both biblical grace and stringent accountability to victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Churches can regularly be prone to turn the tables on survivors by applying a heavy dosage of conviction to victims and misguided clemency toward perpetrators. The mishandling of abuse incidents in the church will drive victims away from the community of Christ and further embolden offenders, thus debasing the name of our Savior.
Victor Vieth offers a deeper understanding of both abuser and victim dynamics so that church leaders can move past ignorance and prevailing myths to tackle this devastating issue with the power of grace and truth afforded by the good news of Jesus. He explains typical dynamics of how and when child sexual abuse is reported, gives an overview of dynamics of child molesters, and describes healing ways to represent Jesus to survivors. This timely resource will equip churches to wisely and accurately step in to take care of its most vulnerable members.
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