Online Safety and Communication Tools:
Abbreviations (Texting, SMS, MMS, Chat)

​KidCheck -Secure children's check-in for such things as Sunday School classrooms.

OurPact - OurPact empowers parents to guide their children through the balanced use of technology.

Circle of 6 App - With Circle of 6, you can connect with your friends to stay close, stay safe and prevent violence before it happens.

Violence Prevention and Social Media - DVP is committed to stopping violence before it begins (i.e., primary prevention).

NetSmartz Internet Safety - an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline.

Connect Safely - one of the oldest and most enduring sites for Internet safety.
​      Kids Internet Safety Pledge - free pdf
​      Teen Internet Safety Pledge - free pdf
      Parents Internet Safety Pledge - free pdf
MovieGuide - Know before you go, read movie reviews and insights to help make positive choices in film viewing.

Church Marketing Sucks - Great tips on using social media, websites, etc.

Bark - Keeps kids safe online by giving parents back their time while building trust with their kids

Safe Churches from Violence:

Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship Security Guide - from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security

Faith Based Community Resources - from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) 

Security of Soft Targets of and Crowded Places Resource Guide - from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) 

Bullying

10 Ways to Defeat a Bully by Pastor Julia from Lutheran Church of Hope in Alaska.

Stop Bullying - provides information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying. 

The Bully Project - BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Find resources and links to useful tools.

Teaching Tolerance - program works through educators to nurture a new generation that is more accepting of difference and more engaged in social justice than those that preceded it. 

ELCA Congregational Responsibility in Bullying - A downloadable resource from elca.org to think about liabilities and related issues of bullying in the church.

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Congregational Ministry Safe Guidelines and Insurance:

Best Practices for Safe Online Youth Ministry - from Yale Youth Ministry Institute

Safe Haven - Model policies for the protection of all people from abuse.

Church Mutual Insurance - Provides expectations around insurance coverage for safe churches.

Safe Gatherings --Resources used by Lutheran Outdoor Ministries.  

Unwanted Touch:

Not in Room 204 - Author Shannon Riggs Illustrated by Jaime Zollars.  Mrs. Salvador is one tough teacher. But Regina Lillian Hadwig, a very quiet student, doesn't mind. She likes the order and discipline Mrs. Salvador expects. At a report card conference, Mrs. Salvador tells Regina's mom that Regina is doing a great job, but that she is very quiet. "Are you quiet at home, like you are in school?" Mrs. Salvador asks Regina. And Regina thinks of the secret she keeps so quiet-the one even her mom doesn't know, about the secret things her father does.

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How to Create a Safety Plan for Your Church - from the Christian Education Network of the ELCA

Safe Haven examples:
Kinsmen LC- Website, (15 min) video,
​The Methodist Church - Safe Sanctuary policies
Christ the Servant LC - Safe Haven guidelines