Safety
Faith Formation requires a safe church for children and youth to explore the Divine.
Below are some helpful resources.
Below are some helpful resources.
Ministry Safety Guidelines:“Safety in Our Communities:
Physical and Emotional Safety in our worship and school communities." a workshop/document by Cory Newman, Executive Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association & Pastor Janelle Hooper, Program Manager for Ministry with Children, ELCA 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. Safe Haven examples:
Christ the Servant LC - Safe Haven guidelines Holy Spirit LC - Safe Haven training ELCA Child Protection Social Statement document and brochure:
Bullying: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.
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Safe Buildings:Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship Security Guide - from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security
K-12 School Safety- from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Faith Based Community Resources - from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Ready Kids - Whether you’re a kid or teen yourself, a parent or loved one, or work with youth, Ready Kids has tools and information to help before, during and after disasters.
KidCheck -Secure children's check-in for such things as Sunday School classrooms.
Online Safety: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
Best Practices for Safe Online Youth Ministry - from Yale Youth Ministry Institute
Digital Spaces- protecting our children while livestreaming, from the UMC
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Trauma:
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Seseame Street has resources on talking to young children about violence with practical tools for helping kids feel safe.
Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event is a great handout from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. It provides information that can equip families, teachers, and faith communities in general understand some of the lingering effects of the last year on our young people. It also gives ideas for how to support them, which the church can do well if we are intentional in our gathering.
How to Talk With Kids About Tragedies - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents, teachers, child care providers, and others who work closely with children to filter information about the event and present it in a way that their child can understand, adjust to and handle in a healthy way.
What's Up with "That" Kid?, Trauma and Youth, Trauma-Informed Tools for Youth Camping Ministry, and Trauma Informed Priorities for Adult Christian Formation are all articles from trusted contributors to Building Faith. Though some predate the pandemic, they offer nuggets of wisdom that are relevant as we continue in ministry with people who have experienced trauma, both individually and collectively.
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Helping Children with Fear and Loss
"In the middle of crisis and tragedy, ministry leaders must deal with our own emotional response while simultaneously offering what author Edwin Friedman calls our "non-anxious presence" into an atmosphere of fear and confusion and grief". Below is a small list of resources to assist you in serving as that non-anxious presence to the families and greater community you serve. Recommendations from the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association:
NAEYC Resources:
The Family Resource Center: How to Talk to Your Children about Conflict and War - from Unicef
8 tips to support and comfort your children. A Biblical Perspective on Trauma featuring Paul Cho is a very relevant episode of the Leading Ideas Talks podcast. Cho offers ideas for utilizing scripture in processing the trauma folks have experienced in the last year.
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Books:
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Not in Room 204 - Author Shannon Riggs Illustrated by Jaime Zollars. At a report card conference, Mrs. Salvador tells Regina's mom that she is doing a great job, but that she is very quiet. "Are you quiet at home, like you are in school?" 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.
Where Hands Go: An Introduction to Safe and Unsafe Touch - written by Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs, beautifully illustrated by Ananta Mohanta. "Where Hands Go" will empower your child to know they have the power to say 'NO!' when unwanted touches happen. This is a tool children will grow to use their whole lives to keep themselves safe.
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