Welcome to Safe Gatherings, Presbytery of East Iowa!
The Presbytery of East Iowa is committed to providing safe places of worship and fellowship to everyone they serve. As part of that commitment, they require individuals serving in pastoral relationships with churches and in other inter-relational service such as chaplaincy to complete Safe Gatherings approval every two years.
For other staff and volunteers working with children, youth and vulnerable adults, the Presbytery offers Safe Gatherings as a resource in this important area.
Safe Gatherings is an online abuse prevention program that screens and educates staff and volunteers to help prevent abuse of children, youth and vulnerable adults. When employees and volunteers are trained about best practices when working with vulnerable populations, know the behaviors of potential abusers, recognize the signs of abuse and know how to handle reporting, they are better equipped to prevent abuse. Upon successful completion of the Safe Gatherings application, background and reference checks, and online training program, each applicant will receive documentation of approval valid for two years, and will have continued access to the online training program for one year.
The price per applicant for the individual church program available through the Presbytery of East Iowa is $45. This includes:
- Processing of two electronic references
- National and multi-county of residence 7-year background check
- National and state of residence Sex Offender Registry check
- Applicant tracking for church administrators
- 1.5-hour online abuse prevention and boundary awareness training
To get started, access the program here or directly through the Safe Gatherings website.