A Church Reforming to Reach the Lost for Christ

Christian Reformed Churches of Australia

Why does the CRCA have a Safe Church Ministry? How did it come to be? What does the denomination say about it? The resources below will help answer these questions.

General Resources

"For Justice and Healing"- This document is useful to get an overall understanding of the issues of abuse, its causes, consequences and ways of dealing with it. It would be valuable for all church leaders and parents to read this material.

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"The Protection and Safety of Children and Young People" This document deals with the matters of child abuse and child safety in the Church and gives guidance to the churches in carrying out their legal and pastoral responsibilities by alerting Sessions to good practices for those working with children and young people.

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To implement these guidelines for child safety in the church, it is recommended that local CRCA churches use 'ChildSafe'.

Visit Child Safe

"Healing a Broken Trust" This document outlines the policy and procedures in responding to complaints of sexual abuse and sexual harassment against session / diaconate members and church workers in the CRCA.

Healing a Broken Trust Revised 2015

"MoU between DOCS and Churches in NSW". This document relates to NSW but other states might develop a similar document. The Memorandum of Understanding allows for the CRCA to have a representative to sit in on a Department of Community Services case management team when a case of child sexual abuse has been brought against a CRCA church worker.

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Safe Church Ministry is a resource for churches in abuse awareness prevention and response.

We help churches to understand and prevent abuse, and where abuse has occurred, to respond with compassion and justice that promotes healing.

 

What is Safe Church Ministry?

An introduction to and history of the CRCA's Safe Church ministry.

 

How to make a complaint of sexual abuse

This information aims to help you if you find that you have been or are being sexually abused within the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA).

HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT OF SEXUAL ABUSE

 

safechurchChild Safe is a church wide program that provides standards, training, resources and an online data base to manage a church's people and programs.  

Synod has encouraged every church to participate in Child Safe.

The system has a strong emphasis on preventing the maltreatment of children and responding appropriately when child abuse comes to light. ChildSafe also assists the organisation to plan safe activities and programs using a risk management framework.

The system covers a broad range of topics such as:

  • Screening and recruiting.
  • Duty of care issues, with a code of practice for working with children and young people.
  • Supervision and work within a safe team.
  • Signs and indicators of child abuse, responding sensitively to disclosure of abuse.
  • Dealing with suspicions, disclosures and allegations relating to child protection issues.
  • Transportation and water-based activities as a particular risk focus.
  • Hygiene, medical safety, infection, food handling.
  • Accident and incident reporting, processing and analysis.
  • An Emergency Response process.

Contact Person: John Van Dijk: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information visit the Child Safe website:   Child Safe

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