CBF Great Rivers – CBF Abuse Prevention for Churches
If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. – Matthew 18:6
Jesus reserved his harshest language for people who harmed children. Unlike others in the ancient world, he taught that children be protected and treasured, even urging his followers to emulate them. The earliest churches adopted Jesus’s commitment to child protection, too. Church leaders included in their 1st century instructional document, the Didache, a prohibition against harming or killing children. Christians believe in protecting children. And yet, in the United States today, 1 in 10 children will experience sexual abuse by their 18th birthday.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship values Jesus’s instructions and the early church’s commitment to protecting children from abuse, while in our care at church and everywhere else. The commitment to child protection is reflected in our abuse prevention training for all CBF global staff and field personnel, along with a robust protection policy for our work. This means that all office staff, all team members who visit churches, and all field personnel understand their roles in preventing abuse and reporting abuse when suspected.
Along with training our CBF workers, we offer robust options for training and support to CBF-connected churches, too. CBF staff and partners bring an array of educational offerings and protection policy assistance to ministers, lay leaders, those who work with children and youth, and entire churches. Abuse prevention programs can be tailored to individual church’s needs and context. Options for support and training include:
GRACE safeguarding training – This is a comprehensive prevention program offered in partnership with Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (netgrace.org). Offered in two phases, churches receive a training for church leaders, prevention policy development assistance, building safety assessment, and an all-church training event. The fees for GRACE safeguarding training are offset by a grant from CBF.
Stewards of Children – This is an evidence-informed, video and conversation-based training that includes a workbook for participants. This training is ideal for a post-worship event for youth and children’s workers, ministers, and everyone who loves children.
Custom abuse prevention training – Crafted in conversation with a church’s ministry team, CBF can fashion the training and support to local desires, from a single training session to retreats for parents.
Churches interested in learning more about training options, or seeking review of their protection polices, are invited to contact CBF’s Abuse Prevention and Response Advocate, Jay Kieve.