Safe Church

Upcoming Trainings

Safe Church for God’s Children |Tier 2, required for anyone who has access to facilities and/or is in ministry with children, youth, or vulnerable adults.

Safe Church for God’s People | Tier 3, required for staff, clergy, leaders who are involved in managing ministries for youth and adults alike.

What is Safe Church Policy?

In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to respect the dignity of every human being. One way that we live out that value in ECMN is through the implementation of our Safe Church Policies. 

Our Safe Church Policies establish and maintain standards intended to ensure that our faith communities are safe places where all of God’s people are loved and encouraged to grow into the people God calls us to be. These policies provide specific recommendations, best practices, and guidelines that seek to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults.

Safe Church Policies

Read this first: Overview of Policies

Policies for the Protection of Children and Youth (UPDATED 4/9/19)

Policies for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (UPDATED 4/9/19)

Policies for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment

Policies for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation 

Each faith community is asked to review and adopt their own versions of these Safe Church policies. 

Training Framework:

ECMN now has three (3) distinct tiers of training. Each tier can be completed in person with an ECMN-certified trainer or online. These training recommendations were put in place in order to better clarify who needs to be trained and how, based on their role, and how they can complete those trainings. You can also contact any of our certified ECMN Safe Church Trainers. These trainers have all been trained to use our new training model and resources. These resources (including the powerpoint and videos) can be found in our ECMN Safe Church Training Kit.

  • Click here to view the Safe Church Trainer Kit, with videos to help start discussions.
  • If you’d like to host an in-person training, contact your Missioner for Children, Youth, Camp, and Young Adults, Sarah Barnett, at sarah.b@episcopalmn.org.
  • You can find out about other trainings already taking place by clicking here to view the Safe Church Training google calendar. Trainings on this calendar happening through June of 2019 will utilize our prior polices and training model. The new training model will be shared with our community of trainers this summer. 

Tier 1. Universal Training

Summary: Each faith community is required to offer this one-hour community-wide training annually. It can be delivered by a trainer or by anyone in the faith community through digital materials.

Policy: It provides a broad overview of all four policies with attention to how to create a safe, healthy, and transformational faith community.

Tier 2. Safe Church for God’s Children

Summary: Tier Two is a three-hour foundational training for anyone who has access to facilities and/or is in ministry with children, youth, or vulnerable adults.

Policy: It covers the first two of the four Safe Church Policies (Children and Youth & Vulnerable Adults).

Tier 3. Safe Church for God’s People

Summary: Tier Three is a three-hour training for staff and clergy, who are involved in managing ministries for youth and adults alike. It discusses the power dynamics present in pastoral relationships and how to prevent sexual harassment and exploitation.

Policy: It covers the second two of the four Safe Church Policies (Harassment & Exploitation).

Background Checks
ECMN provides support in completing background checks for staff and volunteers.  To get more information on this process, please click here.

More Information

See the Safe Church page on the ECMN website.

Contact your Missioner for Children, Youth, Camp, and Young Adults, Sarah Barnett, for general Safe Church information.
Phone: 612-759-8493
Email: sarah.b@episcopalmn.org