When it comes to trauma in our children’s ministries, we may not know if a child has experienced a trauma or if they are in a vulnerable situation. However, we know that the Holy Spirit wants us to protect every single child who walks through our doors.
Children are all vulnerable to an extent. They may not have the words to explain things they have experienced, and it’s our duty to protect them. They need our protection. As leaders, we can welcome them, stand for them, and fight for them. When we provide emotional and physical security, we can create space where kids are safe, seen, and supported.
Let me just say this, a lot of the trauma that kids are experiencing is hidden—it’s invisible and unseen. And we may not know what our kids and families have been through. We may not ever know. Even when they feel safe and connected with us, we still may not know the details. But even when we don’t know, we can love on them, we can give them grace, and we can support and protect them.
Jesus welcomed children. He blessed them, protected them, and valued them. Our churches should mirror His love for kids in the same way. Is it a big responsibility to carry? Yes, of course! But we are and will be accountable for how we protect, welcome, value, and love every child who comes into our ministries. When we keep them safe, we have more opportunity to build relationship as we introduce them to God.
Keeping Your Ministry Safe: Proactive Safety Measures
Evaluate the Atmosphere
We’re going to consider our church’s children’s ministry atmosphere. What do kids, volunteers, and even parents feel when they walk through our churches?
Do they feel welcomed? Are they feeling valued, loved, and seen? Does at least one person know who they are? Even if you have 1,000 children come through your church doors, someone needs to know who they are, be looking for them, and welcoming them in.
On the other hand, does it feel chaotic in your church? Does it feel organized? What about this: Do people know where to go and what to do when they arrive?
Jesus welcomed children. He blessed them, protected them, and valued them. Our churches should mirror His love for kids in the same way.
What about the people who are serving—are they kind and welcoming? Or are they grumpy? Are they interested in people? Are they looking for those who may not feel comfortable or may not know their way around?
Then think about the physical environment. Does it feel safe physically? Is there helpful signage? Are there places where kids can go? How is the check-in process, security, etc.? These are things we need to be thinking through and evaluating to make our churches better.
Then we need to think about what our churches can do to protect our kids. We dive into this in our Protecting the Vulnerable webinar as we cover:
Prayer
In today’s world, some people see prayer as a cliché. However, as followers of Jesus, we know that prayer is powerful.
God hears our prayers. Pray for wisdom in your ministry as you work to keep children safe. Pray for the right people in your ministry. And pray that the Lord would keep your eyes and ears open as you navigate the various traumas children have been through—whether inside or outside of the church walls.
Pray for the emotional, spiritual, and physical safety of those in your ministry. Then set policies in place to support keeping safety as a priority.
Easy steps for implementing safety practices in your children’s ministry.
Easy steps for implementing safety practices in your children’s ministry.
Easy steps for implementing safety practices in your children’s ministry.
Check In, Checkout, and Security
One of the basics when keeping children safe is security measures—check-in systems, security teams, plans for emergency situations, natural disasters, and check-out. Your volunteers and parents of the children in your ministry should know these protocols and plans in order to keep everyone safe.
If you communicate nothing else, these things should be clear to everyone in your ministry.
Volunteer Requirements
Be sure to have requirements for volunteers in your children’s ministry in place. This looks like background checks, time required before serving, training, etc. These policies will keep your ministry safer as you know more about who is serving.
And as you train your volunteers, they will be more equipped and prepared as well. This can also include things like—t-shirts, lanyards, the numbers of volunteers per room, and so on.
God hears our prayers. Pray for wisdom in your ministry as you work to keep children safe.
Handbook Policies for Volunteers and Parents
A handbook is essential for keeping everyone consistent and aligned on the policies of your ministry. These will make sure parents and volunteers are aware of the policies, requirements, systems, and protocols of your ministry.
This will cover everything from bathroom policies to classroom policies—including things like check-in/out, emergency situations, background checks, training, vision, appropriate touch, abuse, and more. We have a handbook you can edit and use here, as well as a safety guide!
Communication
In all of this, communication is central to keeping your ministry aligned as you work to keep children and volunteers safe. Over-communicate what is important and encourage your team in the hard things.
More on Safety in Children’s Ministry
- Watch the Protecting the Vulnerable Webinar
- KidMin Safety Guidebook
- Children’s Ministry Handbook
- Safety and Liability in the World of Children’s Ministry
- How to Foster Emotional and Spiritual Safety
- Church Training: Virtual Classroom Safety and Security
- Proactive Safety Planning: What Kids Need from You
- The Mechanics of Check-In: You’re Growing! Now What?
- Trauma-Informed Ministry: Start Here
- Trauma-Informed Ministry: Hope Is the Way
- The Heart of Jesus: Trauma-Informed Ministry with Children
- What to Do If You See Abuse
