Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a child…welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:5) 

 

Children are our present, our future, our hope, our teachers, and our inspiration. They are full participants in the life of the church and in the realm of God. Our Christian faith calls us to offer both hospitality and protection to the little ones, the children. The social principles of the United Methodist church states that “Children must be protected from economic, physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation and abuse.”

 

In order to fulfill our responsibilities as Christians and greatly reduce the incidence of abuse, our congregation adopted a Safe Sanctuary Policy. Any persons interested in working with children or youth are required to take a Safe Sanctuary training course and sign a covenant statement.Volunteers are also required to complete a Pennsylvania state police criminal record check, a Pennsylvania child abuse history clearance, and complete FBI Fingerprinting every five years. Additional information regarding the Safe Sanctuary Policy is available in the church office and here.  Our policy continues to develop as the needs of our church, community, and society develop as well.