In a perfect world coaches instill a strong work ethic, teach life skills, and leave kids and teens with a lifelong passion for their sport. Blindly trusting those wanting to coach children is never a good idea. News stories of sexual assaults, emotional or physical abuse remind us that coaches and mentors need to have
Protect My Ministry Background Checks: Now in Planning Center
Creating a safe environment for the children in your care is paramount. It requires diligence, attention to detail, and policies and protocols. With the new Protect My Ministry 2.0 add-on, you can track the background checks and safety training of your staff and volunteers right from within Planning Center. By connecting your Protect My Ministry
Different Types of Background Checks and Their Risk-Mitigation Impact
Volunteers play a pivotal role in organizations across various sectors, contributing their time, skills, and passion to support causes that are meaningful to them. While the dedication of volunteers is invaluable, organizations must prioritize the safety and well-being of both volunteers and those they serve. A comprehensive background check process for volunteers is critical in
Back to School and Background Checks: Why Screening Church Volunteers is Important
Volunteers help the church flourish. They’re a crucial part of ministry life. Most churches wouldn’t be able to function without the help of volunteers. And as the back-to-school season approaches, it’s important to ensure all your church’s volunteers have completed (and passed) a background check. By default, church members and visitors usually feel comfortable leaving
Why You Need Continuous Monitoring for Volunteers
Churches are organizations that rely on many people to work and volunteer for the ministry that takes place. Many churches implement background checks and use employee and volunteer screening processes to protect guests, members, staff, and property. However, many places of worship don’t have continuous monitoring in place. Because churches have children’s ministries with adults
The Ban the Box Loophole Sex Offenders Don’t Want You to Know About
A violent attack in South Florida is exposing the dangers of not conducting background checks on employees, and shedding light on a unforeseen consequence of employers based in Ban the Box states. If you don’t already know what Ban the Box is, here is a rough (and long-winded) explanation: Job applications used to universally ask
Inside the Mind of a Sexual Predator
“We let him into our lives, our home. We trusted him with our children, and he betrayed us in the worst way possible,” the mother told the judge. “It is inconceivable to think that this man was able to maintain the lie of who he was for eight years in our community.’’ Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/05/sex_offender_left_oregon_and_d.html Those
When Should Your Church Re-Screen Employees and Volunteers?
Recently, a church found itself at the center of every congregation’s worst nightmare; One of its former volunteers is accused of sexually abusing several children he met through the church. The worst part is that these newest charges come years after similar allegations plagued the man and the church. Once a clean record, not always a clean a
Watch for These Background Check Red Flags
There are many hurdles toward landing a job; passing a background check shouldn’t be one of them. Background checks are often the final litmus test before receiving a job offer. They are – rightly so – an increasingly common requirement in ministries hiring procedures and vetting policies for volunteers. A thorough background investigation, such as
How to Spot a Predator – One Church’s Story
“Background checks are required but statistics say that background checks only catch ten percent of predators. We knew our goal had to be to get the entire staff savvy on how to spot predators.” – Executive Pastor Donald Pope of First Baptist Church of Canton, Ga. In a bold move by a Georgia church, executive