You work in the office part-time at your church in the evenings and often there are youth events happening after regular hours. Your work area is in a position to see the assistant youth pastor’s office. Sometimes, he is with young people alone. On more than one occasion, you’ve seen him “counseling” with a youth […]
“Why do I, a respected member of this organization, need training about protecting children? I’ve been working around kids for 15 years!” You have probably heard this in your church or organization many times. Or maybe you’ve said it a couple of times yourself. As a leader, you are trying to encourage best practices and […]
Summer camp can represent the very best of summer for kids. Getting away from mom and dad (maybe for the first time), learning responsibility, navigating the challenges of bugs and scrapes, and most importantly, having fun in the sun! But summer camp can also be one of the biggest risks for the churches and other […]
Imagine this scenario: The church where you work is expanding, and they are considering moving the children and youth ministry to other areas within the large facility. The good news is that the growing ministry will now have bigger classrooms, more space, and separate restroom areas. However, the new space is in a basement area […]
Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instant Messenger … the social media options are endless and constantly evolving. Not only do children and teenagers have more access to technology than ever before, but also you can bet that many of your staff and volunteers spend a fair amount of time on social media. Social media can be positive […]
We have a new, exciting feature in Safe Gatherings related to the way invoices are handled! As of June 2018, Safe Gatherings is sending the designated recipient(s) an email with a link to their invoice. You can click on the link to view and/or print the invoice, and you can also pay by credit card at […]
If you’ve ever worked or volunteered with children or youth, you know the job is not just about teaching, childcare, or giving parents a break. Unfortunately for many children, school or church is the only place they get a good meal or even a snack. Though staff and volunteers may be unaware, this may be […]
Imagine this scenario: It’s the end of a night of volunteering with youth, and you are busy cleaning up outside while youth are wrapping up indoor activities. When you go back into the building to lock up, you notice one youth still there—and everyone else has gone home. The teen has his cell phone in […]
If you’ve taken the Safe Gatherings training, you’re familiar with the term “mandatory reporting.” You might be in a position at your school, church, or organization that designates you as a mandatory reporter, and maybe you’ve reported abuse in the past. But many people are unsure about mandatory reporting. Who is required to report? Does […]
Have long lists of applicants in the Safe Gatherings system and someone you can’t find? We have added a new feature for administrators to help in this process! Previously, it was possible to sort applicants by first name only. This is manageable for a short list of applicants, but many groups have dozens, or even […]
The Safe Gatherings training program has been approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services as an approved program for Texas youth camps. Contact Safe Gatherings today at 888-241-8258 for your abuse prevention training needs or to find out more about our system!
When an abuse situation becomes breaking news, it is often accompanied by interviews with neighbors, family, friends, or others in the community who “wish they would have said something,” or saw the signs but, “weren’t sure,” and didn’t want to violate anyone’s privacy. Sometimes, people knew something was “off,” but failed to say anything. Such […]