Churches are supposed to be a safe haven, but many deal with the tragic reality of child sexual abuse. This guide, supported by a multidisciplinary team of child abuse experts, helps churches and faith communities formulate policies and procedures to protect children and address possible abuse in their ministries.

Most youth workers will admit that they don’t spend a lot of time thinking about safety in their youth ministry. Sure, they shout, “Seat belts!” when the crew loads into the van, or they use the buddy system when at theme parks. But beyond that, they’re mostly concerned with introducing students to Jesus. Nothing’s wrong with looking after their spiritual well-being, but overlooking their safety can lead to pain and problems for you, your students, your church, or your community.The reality is, whether it’s a game of dodgeball in the church gym, or a rock climbing trip during a summer retreat, you have precious cargo in your care, and it’s your responsibility to make sure they return home safely and in one piece.Better Safe Than Sued is an essential guidebook for anyone in youth ministry—paid or volunteer, veteran or rookie. Along with questions to get you thinking about your own ministry context after each chapter, inside you’ll discover how you can make your ministry a safe place for students and leaders as you read about:• Safety while riding in buses, vans, and cars• Camps, retreats, and conferences• Selecting staff• Avoiding sexual misconduct• Establishing a No-Bully Zone• How to handle injuries, and much moreMake sure your ministry is safe and that you’re protected so you never have to be the one saying, “I never took safety seriously until ...”

On Guard offers churches eight strategies for preventing child abuse and three for responding to it, helping to move church staff and leaders beyond fearful awareness to prayerful preparedness.

"What happens after a congregation welcomes new Christians into its ministry? Building on the work of the first volume in this series, Faith Forming Faith, Paul Hoffman interprets how a congregation that intentionally practices baptism and its renewal is itself re-formed. Pastors, teachers, lay leaders, students of ministry, and people in the pew: all will find the compelling story of the ministry of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle, Washington--one of our nation's most secular cities--to be an inspiring and practical primer for renewal. Who would have thought? Bringing others to the waters of baptism transforms those already at home in the congregation. In fact, this intentional spiritual practice completely transforms the parish and the lives of God's people. There are new discoveries to be made in the ancient treasures of the Church as these gifts are shared with those hungering and thirsting for a place at God's table."

Jesus was the descendant of sexually exploited women, narrowly survived a child homicide, and grew up to be the world's most prominent defender of children. Jesus reserved his harshest words for those who abused or neglected children and went so far as to say our treatment of children says everything about our view of God. Although the early church took this message to heart and distinguished itself by its treatment of children, this message has been distorted or ignored by many modern Christian leaders. As a result, the church has often failed to protect children from abuse and, in many instances, has contributed to their maltreatment. In this insightful book, Christian theologian and internationally recognized child abuse expert Victor Vieth examines the role of Jesus' life and teachings in reducing child abuse in the New Testament world. Vieth urges Christians to once again take seriously everything Jesus had to say about children. Using the teachings of Jesus as a blueprint, Vieth sets forth a proposal for church reform to prevent many cases of abuse, improve the pastoral care of survivors of abuse, and witness to the world that Christian faith shows itself in service to children.

The Only Resource of Its Kind Is Now Two Bestsellers in One! Tragically, churches have not always been safe places for children or youth or vulnerable adults. With this in mind, attorney, pastor, and author Melton outlines a process for developing policies and procedures to recognize and reduce the risk of abuse in the church. Safe Sanctuaries combines and expands information from two of her earlier groundbreaking books, which focused, separately, on children and teens. "Safe Sanctuaries is the most helpful resource I have found dealing with this troubling topic," says one minister. "Straightforward yet non-threatening, the information is helpful for all denominations and congregations of faith." Practical guidance is provided in developing and implementing a substantive, holistic action plan of abuse prevention: recruiting, screening and working with volunteers training models for all who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults suggestions for congregational response to unthinkable allegations of abuse order of worship celebrating the adoption of "Safe Sanctuaries" policies Melton's transformative, relevant, and foundational resource will train leaders in what they need to know to stay safe and keep the vulnerable in their care safe. This revised edition now features updated and timely information about protecting young people from online predators.

This informative study guide discusses in depth the biblical characteristics of the ministry gifts -- apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher -- and their roles in the Body of Christ.