The statistics are discouraging. According to Ministry Safe 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. The average convicted offender may have between 50-150 victims. Less than 10% of sexual abusers will ever encounter the criminal justice system. Indeed, sexual abusers are very difficult to spot. There is NO visual profile for molesters. You will not know one when you see one. In fact, most molesters appear helpful, trustworthy, and responsible. Ninety percent of victims are abused by someone they know and trust.
While these facts can cause us to throw up our hands in frustration, they don’t have to. More importantly, we can’t just opt out. Children are at stake and so is your church’s ministry. There are steps you can take to help ensure the safety of the children entrusted to your care. The MTSBC has partnered with Ministry Safe, a nationally recognized sexual abuse prevention and care ministry led by Greg Love.
As part of this partnership, we have created a special webpage just for MTSBC-affiliated churches. You can find this webpage at www.MinistrySafe.com/MTSBC. At this website you can find everything you need to help create a safer environment for children in your ministry that will help you and the parents in your church have greater peace of mind as you serve the precious young souls in your ministry.
At the MinistrySafe/MTSBC website, you’ll find training resources for you and your team. Right now, you’ll find a video of Greg’s presentation on “Understanding Sexual Abuse and Abusers.” There is also a link to the Ministry Safe “Sexual Abuse Handbook” and a video about removing the mystery of background checks. There are also videos to help with sexual abuse awareness and how to establish a more effective screening process to improve your chances of identifying possible abusers before you bring them into your children’s ministry. There is also training in conducting background checks and developing better policies and procedures in your children’s ministry.
You can’t afford to pass up this opportunity to provide greater protection for the children in your ministry. Right now, you can even get $100 off your first year’s annual Ministry Safe membership. Yes, it will cost some money to help keep your church’s children safe but consider what is at stake. You can’t afford not to do all you can to protect your children. If the cost is problematic, please reach out to me or Darren Hales. Our funds are not unlimited, but we have some money to help you with your first year’s Ministry Safe membership if you need it. We’ll do all we can to enable you to access this crucially important information.
Jesus tells us that children hold a special place in God’s heart. He told His disciples, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 18:10). Let’s make sure to do all we can to protect them from harm.
About the Author
