Tuesday, January 12th, 2016
It’s nearly the middle of January, can you believe it? Now that you’ve recovered from your shock of realizing that January is quickly slipping through your fingers, we want to know: What are you doing for child protection this year? What specific measures are you implementing to protect those vulnerable populations: children, youth, and vulnerable […]
Read More >>Monday, December 28th, 2015
The holidays are a time of family, gatherings, and great joy for many. But for others, this time of year can bring about feelings of sadness and isolation. These feelings may be because of a recent tragedy or a memory from long ago, or there may be ongoing family troubles. There are many people across […]
Read More >>Friday, December 4th, 2015
Do you find that there are weeks when it seems as if there is nothing positive happening in the world? Weeks when the news, social media, and the headlines are filled hourly with updates about extremely terrible situations? This week’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., coupled with other natural disasters, violence, and abuse happening all over the world, made it […]
Read More >>Wednesday, November 25th, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the staff at Safe Gatherings!
Read More >>Friday, November 13th, 2015
We must keep a watchful eye out for the elderly in our churches and communities, as many of them are not able to advocate for themselves. Here is an interesting article about the topic, which is not spoken about often enough!
Read More >>Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
This past June, a federal jury convicted Matthew Lane Durham, a 20-year-old, of illicit conduct with children at a Kenyan orphanage that specializes in caring for neglected children. The Edmond, Okla., resident had served as a volunteer at the Upendo Children’s Home in Nairobi since 2012. He was convicted on charges involving girls ranging from […]
Read More >>Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
Churches are designed to welcome all sorts of people, from the youngest child in the nursery to the oldest congregant. In between, your church has staff members and volunteers of all ages, and that’s great! This age diversity, though, can be accompanied by communication challenges. Older members may speak of times where it was common […]
Read More >>Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
Admins—You’ve probably noticed that we’ve updated our website and expanded our focus. In addition to churches, we now serve schools, school districts, and other organizations that serve children and youth. Because of this change, we want to make sure your users know that when they register with Safe Gatherings, they will be given several options […]
Read More >>Friday, October 23rd, 2015
Imagine this scenario: You are a volunteer in the tweens group at your church. Julia is a 12-year-old girl who is in a wheelchair and requires assistance with bathroom activity. Your group is short-staffed, so you are sent alone to help her use the restroom. Is this acceptable? The answer is NO. Remember the two-person rule? […]
Read More >>Thursday, October 1st, 2015
Whether you are 25 or 65, you can probably remember a time when you were bullied or you witnessed someone being bullied. It’s an ugly part of society; nevertheless, it does happen quite frequently. In fact, some research shows that 90 percent of children in grades 4 to 8 report they have been bullied at […]
Read More >>Friday, September 25th, 2015
If you work with children in a church, school, or other organization, you should be alert to unusual changes in a child’s behavior or moods. Recognizing and responding to abuse is part of our role as leaders—whether as clergy, teachers, staff, or volunteers—and we should be ready to take action if we have concerns about […]
Read More >>Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015
Safe Gatherings, which provides a comprehensive online system for abuse prevention, has relaunched its website, unveiling a new logo and exciting news about its updated offerings. “For several years, we have focused on serving churches across the country, but our vision was always to help prevent abuse anywhere it can happen,” says Sharon Holt, president […]
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