At Christ Church we have many ministries involving children and teenagers.  Different teams of staff and volunteers minister to well over 500 children each week. Good News Week will see around 200 children here. Christ Church Gladesville and the Anglican Diocese of Sydney are committed to making our churches safe places for children.  A course entitled ‘Safe Ministry’ has been developed to educate congregations to ensure that when children and young people come into contact with the Church they feel, and are in fact, safe and protected. The course consists of two parts “Leading Children” and “Protecting Children”.  Christ Church Gladesville conducts this course a few times each year. 

Who needs to attend the Safe Ministry training?

Anyone currently working or considering working with children or young people in the future must attend the training. If you are a part of a ministry team, or if your name appears on a roster or you are an occasional helper for a child/youth related ministry, you will need to attend the training. This means that there are few people at Christ Church who will not need to attend given how many of us help out in these areas!  Given the seriousness of the issues, we should be very happy to attend this course and be better equipped and educated. 

Are people who have attended Child Protection training elsewhere exempt?

Unless you have a certificate issued by Youthworks stating that you have completed the training, you will need to attend the course. If you have attended the Safe Ministry training elsewhere, please let us know so we can add you to the church database of people who have received Youthworks certification. It should be noted that the course is different to Child Protection training conducted in schools or workplaces. The main difference is that the Safe Ministry course has a biblical basis for Leading and Protecting Children in our care.  Other differences include the procedures for reporting abuse. Participants receive a certificate that is valid for 3 years. After 3 years you will be required to complete a refresher course, to ensure you are up-to-date on changes. 

When and where is the training being held?

Each training session is 4 hours long.

What is the cost of the training?

There is no charge for people from Christ Church.  If there are places available, people from other church congregations can attend at a cost of $10 per person to cover printing of manuals and materials.

When is the next course?

 If you have questions please contact our Safe Ministry Trainer, Sarah Clancy or the church office.