Auburn United Methodist Church

What is Safe Sanctuaries?

Safe Sanctuaries is the name commonly given by UM Conferences and local churches to their individual efforts to make conference, district, and local church programs safe and welcoming for children, youth and the vulnerable. Safe Sanctuaries is the title of two guidebooks, ' Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church" and "Reducing the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries", written by Joy Melton (Discipleship Resources). Safe Sanctuaries encompasses the efforts made to reduce the risk of abuse to children and youth and to protect the adult workers, paid or volunteer, who interact with those children and youth in any church activity on site or away from the church building. The level of Safe Sanctuary care must be tailored to and provided by each individual local church. Being known as a Safe Sanctuaries church indicates to persons entering your building that a level of care and protection is being provided in that local church.